Toyota introduced the Fortuner early in my college days. Yeah, it’s been that long since the previous generation Fortuner has been around, seven years to be precise. I have wanted to drive the Fortuner right since those very days, and coming from a simple family owning a humble Maruti 800 back in the day, I never really got the opportunity to climb inside a Fortuner, let alone drive it.
After receiving an invite for the Fortuner Experience Drive Camp, I was ecstatic about the fact that I would finally have the opportunity to drive the beast, after a rather long wait. Fast forward to the Experience camp and there they were, sparkling clean Fortuners waiting to make an adventurous splash in the slush and mud that awaited as a part of the off-roading course. After a short briefing session by one of the experts we got on to the track laid out by the guys at Off-Road Junkies and hopped onto a Pearl White top-of-the-line Fortuner. We were to be guided by our instructor and subject expert Vidith, who is said to have an experience of 15 years in making SUVs go off the beaten trail.
Click here to read our review of the all new Toyota Fortuner
Beginning with the ‘Expert Only’ articulation area, we got to witness a few rough patches and chicken holes before heading towards the part where the new Fortuner would have its gargantuan wheels suspended in air. And so it did, with the mirrors ahead on either side showing exactly which tyre hanging off above terra firma. The demonstration made us realize how the all new version of the SUV from Toyota locked the wheels that were hanging in the air while passing the drive to the wheels in motion for maximum traction, courtesy the Active Traction Control (A-TRC). After navigating a few narrow roads through the busy streets of Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai; we reached the second leg of the experience camp where the real fun was about to begin.
The first round involved Vidith showing us the track and the abilities of the Fortuner while at the wheel, including steep 45 degree downhill inclines, driving through a patch full of muck and wading through 700 mm of water before finishing the course after a hill climb. This was the time I was waiting for the entire day, or rather all these years to be honest.
Once at the wheel, our expert guided us at each step, which included switching on the Downhill Assist Control (DAC) and changing to the Sequential Shift mode (not Sport mode as the ‘S’ symbol on most automatics usually indicate). The Sequential Shift mode allows the driver to choose gear ranges. Let us say you choose to put the Fortuner in S3, the system will then allow you to drive from 1st gear to the 3rd gear and not just in the 3rd gear as one would normally perceive. Engage the Fortuner into the L4 mode (out of the options such as H4 and H2) and the Fortuner chooses the lower gear ratios for the 4×4 mode.
With not much experience in off-roading, I was rather surprised when Vidith told me to leave the brake pedal and let the SUV roll down a slope all by itself. Courtesy of the DAC, the Fortuner applies engine and wheel braking, and doesn’t allow the speed to go above 5 kmph, avoiding breakage of traction and offering ample grip and control.
The best part of the drive according to me, was the mud pit where the Fortuner showed its muscle power. The task was to go through the slushy pool with a low-traction bed without getting stuck. The Fortuner made its way through the pit in a totally unfazed manner. Another round and back, we were to wade through deep water, 700 mm to be precise. After slowly descending into the section, the Fortuner was partly submerged in the water, with the exhaust note leaving a burbly sound after taking the dip. The Fortuner has been designed to wade through such deep waters without any damage to its mechanicals. Just to give you a perspective, the vehicle’s wheels were fully submerged while tackling the task. To our surprise, not even a drop of water permeated through the doors into the cabin, nor did the engine show any signs of spluttering. The course was disposed like it was a dry piece of tar!
After successfully emerging out of the muddy water, the Fortuner went on to show the safety and convenience it offers with the help of the Hill Assist Control (HAC) that gives you a window of five seconds (much more than one would need) when you’re moving your leg from the brake to the accelerator pedal to prevent a roll-back.
The Fortuner, during our experience at the off-roading event turned out to be a very capable off-roader, with its rugged construction and advanced features that help you tackle a variety of surfaces.
Following is an image gallery of the Toyota Fortuner Experiential Drive Camp Mumbai:
