As an inner city girl, I’ve always questioned the overall popularity of dual cab utes in a novated lease and the high percentage being driven by non-tradespeople. I don’t understand how you can live your life without a boot. Then I discovered the Toyota Fortuner which is a Hilux with a boot. Why aren’t people driving these around town to achieve the savings and tax benefits available with a novated lease?
The Fortuner is rugged and adventurous just like the Hilux but it has two more seats and an area in the back which is undercover and lockable. It drives like a ute and the interior looks like a Hilux. You can ad big wheels and mud-terrain tyres to get that aggressive off-road look. Am I the only one that sees the advantages over a ute?
You can purchased the Fortuner Crusade in 2023 from $70,355 driveaway in NSW. A Hilux in a similar specification (Rogue) is $76,026 driveaway. And a Prado, which is a lot bigger and aspirational to most Toyota buyers, is $85,006. If your budget doesn’t stretch this far, the GX Fortuner is available for $56,705. (Toyota warns on its website that prices and specification may change when the vehicles arrive).
Once you’ve come to your senses and realised that a boot and seven seats is more suited to family life, and that buying a ute because it looks cool is a vanity purchase, there’s a lot to like about the Fortuner.
On the outside it looks more aggressive than a tarmac loving SUV. All three Fortuner models have a large black grille and the lower front bumper looks like a skid plate for a tougher look. Slim Bi-LED headlamps also contribute to the “meaner” look while the Crusade benefits from high-grade headlights and a stylish taillight design. GX and GXL retain their 17-inch alloy wheel while Crusade receives a newly designed 18-inch alloy with a flanged-spoke design.
Being a real 4×4 the Fortuner has a low-range transfer case for enhanced off-road ability the rear differential lock is standard for when you do go rogue in the Westfield carpark.
Announcing the details of the most recent facelift in 2020, Toyota Australia Vice President Sean Hanley said the company’s commitment to making ever-better cars had made Fortuner even more at home, on or off road.
“Fortuner is something of a wolf in sheep’s clothing: it has the space, comfort and convenience of a premium SUV while its rugged underpinnings make it an enthusiastic off-road explorer ready for any adventure,” Mr Hanley said.
Most people own a car for seven years and enjoy camping for four weeks a year if they are committed to the outdoors. So buying a car that has the ability to tow a boat or caravan (3,100 kg braked towing with the Fortuner), drive on the beach and still be at home in the shopping centre sounds like a good use of the limited family budget.
While Toyota promotes the Fortuner as a premium seven seat SUV, there are some compromises that come with a vehicle that can handle the rugged off-road 4X4 terrain.
The ride quality is definitely bumpier and the height makes entry/exit challenging with a skirt and heels. The second row of seats don’t slide forward or back to maximise legroom which is great feature in the latest generation of SUVs.
In the third row, the two seats use the system found in the Prado to fold away which lifts them up towards the side windows. This reduces the amount of space when you purchase large items from Bunnings or Ikea. For example, in the Kluger SUV you can fold the rear seats flat to get more room.
Because the Fortuner is based on the Hilux platform, it receives similar upgrades and specification changes. Unfortunately, this platform was launched in 2015 it’s starting to feel old compared to the latest generation of electric and hybrid vehicles packed with technology and smart design.
Being old isn’t a bad thing. There’s a segment of buyers that don’t want the technology and safety that’s included in modern cars. If baby boomers are holding all the wealth at the expense of younger generations, they will be the ones with a lazy $70k to spend on a new car and might appreciate that the instrument cluster looks similar to the car they owned 30 year ago.
In 2021, the interior comfort and safety features were boosted on the Fortuner models with the GX variant getting a dial to control the instrument cluster illumination, GXL and Crusade versions gained front dual-zone climate control system, and the flagship Crusade was given a panoramic view monitor. To enhance active safety, blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert were also added to Crusade variants.
The Fortuner models also received access to Toyota Connected Services to give greater peace of mind for owners. The system is able to automatically generate an emergency call to Toyota’s 24/7 Emergency Call Centre and relay the location of the vehicle in the event of a collision that requires intervention, or if an airbag deploys. Occupants can also manually trigger an emergency call to the call centre via an SOS button, allowing them to determine the vehicle’s location and coordinate with emergency services. If the vehicle is reported stolen, Toyota Connected Services can assist authorities to help track the vehicle’s location via the stolen vehicle tracking (SVT) service.
The Fortuner is covered by the five-year Toyota Warranty Advantage and seven-year Toyota Warranty Advantage Extended Engine and Driveline.
So if you decide you need a 4X4 off-road capable family car, please join me in this campaign against the dual cab ute – BUY A CAR WITH A BOOT!
