Mossel Bay, it is claimed, has the second-mildest climate in the world, after Hawaii, but that isn’t the reason Toyota South Africa chose the coastal town to launch its new Fortuner wagon. A vehicle as capable as this needs to have a decent stage on which to flaunt its assets, and the numerous mountain passes leading across the Outeniqua mountains to Oudtshoorn were tailor-made for the job.
The Fortuner was developed not from, but alongside, the latest Hilux bakkie — and the two share much of their DNA. The wagon, like the pickup, uses a rugged ladder frame chassis and coil-spring front suspension with a double wishbone configuration, but for the SUV Toyota developed a four-link coil suspension set-up more appropriate to a luxury wagon.
Although the Fortuner comes in at considerably lower pricing than Toyota’s Land Cruiser models, it’s very well specced. Three rows of seats provide accommodation for five adults and two kids, and the second and third rows can be folded, flipped and generally manipulated to provide loads of space for luggage.
Standard features include dual-zone aircon, with front and rear-seat occupants maintaining individual control over their environments, leather seats, power windows and mirrors, a multifunction information display, an RDS radio/CD combination with four speakers, auxiliary 12-volt power outlets, driver and passenger airbags, 16″ alloy wheels, ABS brakes and a host of other features.
Toyota’s newest wagon comes in two or four-wheel-drive versions. Both are equipped with rear differential locks, and because it also possesses the handy off-road attributes of good ground clearance, short overhangs to provide healthy approach and departure angles, loads of torque and big wheels, the 4X2 is a decent enough off-roader in its own right. The driver just has to appreciate the vehicle’s limitations when lack of traction is likely to become a major factor.
Buyers can choose between two engines — an aluminium four-litre V6 petrol unit, producing 175kW and 343Nm of torque, or the 120kW D-4D three-litre diesel that dishes out the same level of torque as the petrol model, from just 1Â 400 rpm. The petrol 4X4 also comes with a five-speed auto transmission — in this model torque has been increased to 376Nm, to make the most of the gearbox’s characteristics.
The 4X4 Fortuner delivers full-time four-wheel-drive, with a two-speed transfer case providing low range under really tough conditions, and a lockable Torsen limited-slip centre diff that, with the rear diff-lock, maintains power delivery to the wheels that need it most.
Our drive in the 4X2 Fortuner took us from Mossel Bay to Oudtshoorn and back to the coast, where we spent the night at George. Much of the trip was on gravel roads, and for me the highlight was the stunning Montagu Pass. Australian engineer Henry Fancourt White constructed the pass, using convict labour, between 1844 and 1848, and his construction camp grew into a little town, called “Blanco” in his honour. White later built his own house in Blanco, and named it Fancourt. The original house still stands, but the property has since been developed into the famous golfing estate that still bears its name.
But back to our little adventure. Montagu Pass is well maintained and redolent of history, with stunning views along the way. Although it’s gravel all the way, four-wheel-drive is unnecessary and we reached the end without incident. Once we’d oohed and aahed our way to the end, dirt roads took us through Herold to Oudtshoorn, and the vehicles behaved impeccably all the way. The diesel model impressed me the most, because of the prodigious grunt that comes unfettered by heavy fuel consumption.
The Fortuner handles good gravel roads better than an unladen Hilux — or any other bakkie, for that matter — because its better weight distribution prevents the tail breaking loose at speed.
The following day we drove the 4X4 Fortuners from Mossel Bay to Bonniedale Holiday Farm and back to George, via a network of intriguing old roads and ancient tracks. In the days before properly engineered passes were constructed, travellers wrestled their ox-wagons over tortuous mountain paths formed by centuries of passage of game and Khoikhoi tribesmen, and the trip across the mountains took days.
Part of our route included a section of the Attaquaskloof wagon trail that served these pioneers so well between 1689 and 1869 — a period of 180 years. The fact that the route had been marked by elephants and the “road” formed by the thousands of wagons that passed that way didn’t prevent the state from setting up a toll booth, and 4Â 280 wagons are recorded as having used the Attaquaskloof Pass in 1842 alone.
Even with the horsepower we had on tap the going was tough, so I’d hate to have had to coax 16 oxen to pull a heavy wagon over some of the terrain we covered. Despite the fact that the drivers in our group possessed varying levels of skill in off-road driving, we all managed the tough sections without incident. I very much doubt that 1% of the Fortuners ever sold will be asked to attempt anything remotely near as difficult as the terrain we covered.
What I think will gain the Fortuna an enormous following among farmers and serious off-roaders is that it’s a good, solid vehicle that, despite being very safe and comfortable, still honours traditional off-road features — a low-range gearbox, two locking differentials, decent ground clearance and no excessive use of electronic gimmickry to overcome the lack of any of these.
While the Fortuna doesn’t provide as plush a ride on tarmac as some of its opposition, that’s because it was designed for much more serious off-road use than most. I predict that wherever real 4X4 enthusiasts gather the Fortuner will be very well represented for decades to come. For those who simply need a rugged vehicle that can go most places, the 4X2 versions with their diff-locks will be just as popular.
Pricing
Diesel 3.0 D-4D 4X2: R286Â 075
Diesel 3.0 4X4: R322Â 975
Petrol 4.0 V6 4X2: R297Â 575
Petrol 4.0 V6 4X4: R334Â 475
Petrol 4.0 V6 4X4 A/T: R346Â 575
Toyota offers a five-year/90Â 000km service plan on all Fortuner derivatives. Service intervals are 10Â 000km for diesel and 15Â 000 km for petrol versions.