Toyota Fortuner 2021 review

That it doesn’t hide its ute-based roots as well as some rivals like the Everest and Pajero Sport. And that it’s priced a bit too close to a Prado to make it a clear-cut decision for customers.

Also, the rear seats are silly.

There are three grades in the 2021 Fortuner range, all of them have the same diesel-auto-4WD powertrain, and here’s a rundown from the base model up.

The entry-level GX Fortuner costs $49,080 (MSRP – before on-road costs), and that means that compared to the pre-facelift version, it’s $3115 more expensive.

To justify the extra cost, the base model (and all Fortuners) gains a new 8.0-inch touchscreen media system with buttons down the side (instead of the fiddly touch-sensitive triggers of the old unit), and it now has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring tech, as well as Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and DAB digital radio. 

Sat nav is an optional extra on the GX variant.

Plus, there’s a new 4.2-inch driver info screen with digital speedo, redesigned cluster, an air-conditioned cooler box, steering wheel audio controls, front and rear air-conditioning controls and vents, a six-speaker sound system, and seven seats.

The 4.2-inch driver info screen has a digital speedo.

Other standard features for the GX include a reverse camera, front and rear park assist sensors, rear diff lock, adaptive cruise control and a suite of active safety tech (more on that below). 

It comes with 17-inch alloy wheels with a full-size steel wheel (under the boot floor), cloth seat trim, carpet flooring, turn key ignition, LED headlights and daytime running lights, auto headlights, three 12-volt outlets (one front, one rear console and one in the boot), but just the one single USB port. 

All Fortuners have LED headlights and daytime running lights.

Interestingly, if you want to add a GPS navigation system to the base model GX, you can – but it’ll cost you $1000 extra.

The next step up is the GXL, which is $54,350 (up $3560). 

This one adds a few different convenience features, including standard sat nav, smart key keyless entry, push-button start, climate control air-conditioning (single zone only), a wood-look “premium” steering wheel, paddle shifters, roof rails, LED fog lights, rear privacy glass (tinted windows), and chrome exterior door handles. Oddly, you need to buy the GXL if you want hill descent control (known as Downhill Assist Control, or DAC). 

The GXL has climate control air-conditioning.

If the cloth seat trim with manually adjustable front seats doesn’t cut it for you, you can option the GXL with a pack ($2500) that adds leather-accented seats and eight-way power adjustable front seats.

The GXL adds leather-accented seats.

And topping the line-up is the Crusade, which lists at $61,410, up $3120 compared to the pre-update model.

This is the bells-and-whistles version of the Fortuner, featuring standard leather-accented seat trim (in a choice of black or ‘Fawn’ colour), electric front seat adjustment, heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels with a full-size alloy wheel spare, an 11-speaker JBL sound system, a power tailgate, auto-dimming (electro-chromatic) rear-view mirror, and puddle lamps.

The GXL comes with a full-size spare alloy wheel.

There’s no TRD pack or Jeep-style hardcore edition with red-painted recovery points, but if you option a genuine Toyota bulbar with undershield, you can get rated front recovery points fitted. 

Another thing you can’t get on any Fortuner is a panoramic sunroof – or even just a little sunroof over the front seats. Not available anywhere.

While the safety technology on offer for the Fortuner is competitive for the class, no model in the Fortuner range is available with blind spot monitor or rear cross-traffic alert. More on the safety specs can be found below.

Yes. As of August 2020, all Fortuner models sold in Australia have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s part of the updated 8.0-inch media screen.

Inside is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

For a seven-seat SUV, the Fortuner isn’t huge inside.

There’s enough space for seven occupants, provided the five in the rear area are quite compact. It’s best to consider the Fortuner as a 5+2 option, because a Prado justifies its position at a premium by offering additional, more usable space in the third row.

The Fortuner isn’t huge inside.

If you are considering the Fortuner a 5+2, then you’ll still need to keep in mind the questionable way the third-row seats are stored. Rather than tucking into the boot floor area, they instead fold up to the sides of the cargo hold, putting a significant limitation on the boot space dimensions – so much so that you might need to fit a cargo box or roof rack system (easier if you have a model with roof rails).

So, what is the boot size? With seven seats in use, Toyota says the Fortuner has 200 litres (VDA) of luggage capacity. Based on that, we fit two CarsGuide suitcases (124L and 36L) in with all seats up. If you’re comparing the Fortuner against the Prado, take note that during a recent comparison we could fit the CarsGuide pram behind the third row seats in the Fortuner, but not in the Prado.

With five seats up, there is 716L (VDA) of cargo space, which increases to a claimed 1080L with all rear seats stowed. If you were to remove the third row seats, you could make this the equivalent of a dual-cab ute with a canopy, if you fit a cargo barrier.

The third-row space is tight for adults, and second row space isn’t amazing for taller bodies either. There is enough space to fit a six-foot/182cm person behind a similarly sized adult, but it’s hardly spacious. The second-row tilts and slides for third-row access, though the smaller portion of the 60:40 rear seat is on the driver’s side, meaning you won’t be able to leave a single child seat fitted on the kerb side if you need to regularly access the back row.

The second-row tilts and slides for third-row access.

There are cup holders and bottle holders available in all three rows, including a fold-down armrest with cup storage in the second row, and a pair of pop-out holders on the edges of the dashboard for those up front.

Other storage is okay, with additional caddies in front of the shifter, a covered centre console and a double glovebox. 

As mentioned, the Fortuner is made for the rough and tumble. The ground clearance is 216mm “running clearance”. That’s decent for an SUV of this type, but if you need more, you can always consider a lift kit – there are plenty available in the aftermarket.

If you’re thinking of fitting a tow bar to your Fortuner, just note that the towed load capacity is 750kg for an unbraked trailer, or 3100kg for a braked trailer. 

That’s competitive. Everest has 3000kg-3100kg, Pajero Sport has 3100kg, and Prado has 3000kg.

Sadly, we haven’t had the opportunity to do a tow test review. 

Funny you should ask, because the colour palette isn’t overly expansive. The choices are as follows: Glacier White (no cost); Silver Sky, Graphite grey, Eclipse Black, Phantom Brown, Saturn Blue and Feverish Red (all add $600 to the cost).

Our GXL was finished in Phantom Brown.

For those who wish for a gold, orange, beige or pink paint option – let alone green! – there are no such options. 

Dimensions for the Fortuner are as follows: It is 4795mm long on a 2745mm wheelbase, sits 1835mm tall, and is 1855mm wide (excluding mirrors). That actually makes it small for the size category, with many rivals longer and wider than it, and it’s no surprise the interior feels a little cramped in the Fortuner as a result. 

As for mass, the gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 2800kg, with kerb weights listed at 2130kg (GX), 2125kg (GXL) and 2155kg (Crusade). 

The official fuel economy figures for the Toyota Fortuner are identical across all three grades – because each has the same engine, transmission and drivetrain.

Combined cycle diesel fuel consumption is pegged at 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres (that’s 13.1 km/L). Your mileage may vary, like ours did – on test, we recorded a fuel consumption average of 9.8L/100km.

If you’re really into it, there’s an eco mode you can drive in, which dulls the throttle response a bit. Otherwise there’s normal and sport driving modes.

As mentioned above, you don’t need to think about petrol consumption, as Fortuner is diesel only.

Don’t go expecting a plush, comfortable, refined drive experience. The Fortuner is based on the HiLux platform, and it feels like it has some agricultural, rugged underpinnings to it as a result.

You can take the Fortuner seriously off-road straight out of the showroom. It’s made for the rough stuff, and feels best over slow-going, taxing tracks. Gravel roads and unsealed surfaces can make it feel a little jittery and harsh. It’s mainly the rear suspension that bucks and wobbles, while the front suspension is calmer and more controlled for the most part. 

The ride is even more difficult to live with in day-to-day driving, with less composure than most of its rivals when it comes to handling potholes, pockmarks and especially sharp edges like road joins. There are aftermarket air suspension kits you can get that might help alleviate those issues, though. 

One thing that is noticeably better than before is the steering. The previous version of the Fortuner had heavy and cumbersome steering response, meaning the turning radius – a relatively tight 11.6m turning circle – felt a lot bigger than that.

Now, though, the has been upgraded with a variable flow power steering pump that gives you more assistance at lower speeds, like when you’re parking the car. It is better, but still nowhere near as fingertip-light as a Ford Everest.

As for powertrain performance, the 2.8-litre’s ticked outputs mean it is brisk in its acceleration. There’s a bit of clatter to contend with as you accelerate, and some lag from a standstill, too. But it is quick enough and refined enough for this class of vehicle.

The six-speed auto, however, can be somewhat confused at times. Toyota has a tendency to tune in a bit too much aggression with its engine/exhaust brake characteristic, meaning you will hear the engine revving hard when you’re descending a hill. It’s supposed to stop you needing to ride the brakes, and it does, but by golly it’s noisy.

Otherwise, the shifts are pretty predictable and well considered.

The only current transmission option in the Australian-delivered Fortuner is a six-speed automatic (with paddleshifters from GXL up).

In earlier versions of the Fortuner, it was available with a six-speed manual.

The big change for the interior of the Fortuner for 2021 was the sound system. Well, more specifically, it was the touch screen, which now offers the added simplicity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring technology.

All grades come with USB input and AM/FM radio, plus Bluetooth phone and audio streaming. There is no DVD or CD player.

The GX and GXL models have six speakers, while the Crusade gets an 11-speaker JBL stereo with a subwoofer.

It’s no horsepower hero, so don’t go expecting a 0-100 time of less than 10 seconds. There is no official claimed acceleration speed time from Toyota. 

The Toyota Fortuner has a five-star ANCAP crash test safety rating, which is based on 2019 scoring.

The Fortuner range comes as standard with safety features such as auto emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning (from 10km/h to 180km/h), as well as pedestrian and cyclist detection that operates from 10km/h to 80km/h. There is also a lane departure warning system with lane keeping assist, which is operable between 50km/h and 180km/h.

Fortuner has the standard array of traction and stability control systems.

The Fortuner range doesn’t have blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert, unlike some rivals. It’s also falling behind some less hardcore seven seaters in terms of other safety items, like front centre airbags, rear occupant alert and safe exit assist.

The Fortuner has seven airbags fitted: dual front, front side, driver’s knee, and full-length curtain airbags. 

The Toyota ownership promise is pretty decent these days, and could certainly win some buyers over.

There’s a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan for the entire vehicle, while the brand has a standard extended warranty (out to seven years/unlimited km) for the powertrain, if you maintain logbook servicing – you don’t need to service the vehicle with Toyota, just so long as an accredited mechanic’s workshop stamps your logbook, you’re fine.

The maintenance intervals, though, are short, at six months/10,000km. That means you’ll have to be okay with taking your vehicle in for servicing twice a year, and that’s more than average (most competitors are 12 months/15,000km intervals).

You don’t get any free roadside assist included when you buy a new Toyota – you’ll have to pay a state motoring club membership instead.

If ownership promise is important to you, you’re best considering the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, which is backed by a warranty and capped price plan that extends out to 10 years if serviced inhouse, and the maintenance costs are comparatively low, plus there’s four years roadside assist included.

Servicing costs are pegged at $250 per visit (or $500 per year) which again, isn’t the best around. That service surety spans out to three years/60,000km before the prices rise. 

That cost and the requirement to maintain the vehicle more regularly than most rivals has nothing to do with the oil capacity of the engine – which, according to Castrol, is 7.5 litres including the oil filter.

Not quite as good as a Prado or FJ Cruiser!

But on the whole, Fortuner is holding its value well in the used car market. At the time of writing – COVID is still out there, Australians can’t travel overseas for leisure, and 4x4 prices are skyrocketing – you might even pay close to new-car prices for a two-year-old Fortuner. 

There is no such thing as a cheap second-hand Toyota 4WD.