Generic Car Comparison: Toyota Fortuner vs. two of its competitors

By Martin Pretorius 

With a solid set of virtues and massive customer loyalty towards the Toyota brand, the Fortuner has ruled its market segment ever since the first-generation landed here more than a decade ago. But, with a slew of highly competitive alternatives which arrived over the past two years, its supremacy is currently being challenged like never before. Leaving the soon-to-be-released Isuzu MU-X out of the equation for now, we've selected two opponents from Ford and Mitsubishi: the least-expensive diesel-powered variants with automatic gearboxes from each brand, do battle here.                                                                                          

	Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 Auto	Everest 2.2 XLS Auto	Pajero Sport 2.4 D4 Auto
Engine size (cyl/size)	4-cyl, 2.4-litre turbo	4-cyl, 2.2-litre turbo	4-cyl, 2.4-litre turbo
Power/Torque	110 kW/400 Nm	133kw/430 Nm	118 kW/385 Nm
Kerb Weight	1 924 kg	2 220 kg	1935 kg
Length (mm)	4 795	4 892	4 785
Boot volume (litres)	200 (min)	450 (min)	193
Airbag count	7	6	6
Ave Consumption *	7.9 ℓ/100 km	7.3 ℓ/100 km	8.0 ℓ/100 km
Warranty	3 yr/100 000 km	4 yr/120 000 km	3 yr/ 100 000 km
Price	R 491 100	R 569 995	R 485 300

*Manufacturer's official figures.

Analysis

Who'd have thought that we'd ever see the day when a Fortuner could be considered a budget offering in its class, and a Pajero Sport a premium proposition? It has to be remembered that the Fortuner 2.4 4x2 Auto is essentially a loss-leader for Toyota – a low-priced model to draw buyers into the showrooms. But here's the strange thing: the 2.4 4x2 Automatic is possibly the sweetest spot in the range: there's a smooth-running turbo-diesel with just enough power to avoid becoming frustrating, a fairly comprehensive specification sheet, and all the practicality which made the Fortuner such a hit with customers. It must be said that Toyota's insistence on having the rearmost seats fold up and to the sides does significantly reduce the cargo volume, especially when compared to the cavernous Everest and Pajero, both of which feature third-row seats which fold into the floor.

But if the Fortuner could be considered a budget offering, the Everest 2.2 XLS Auto must be downright bargain, being even less expensive than the Fortuner yet even more spacious. Its roominess does come at a cost, though – the Everest is easily the biggest vehicle in this group, and the heaviest by some margin as well. It's great to have the largest luggage compartment of these three (with all 7 seats in use), but it comes at the cost of a kerb weight which is about 300 kg higher than the others.

This heavy build counts against the Everest in the performance stakes, where its 2.2-litre is seriously overmatched by its heft. Acceleration is leisurely, and not helped at all by an automatic gearbox which is smooth-shifting but lazy to respond. This is where the Fortuner makes back some points, and where the (much more expensive) Pajero Sport demonstrates its superior drivetrain technology. The Fortuner's 2.4-litre diesel and 6-speed auto is a better combination than you'd find in the Ford, but the Pajero's 2.4-litre diesel and 8-speed auto is simply light years ahead of them both.

A glance at the spec sheets shows why. With 133 kW and 430 Nm on tap, the Pajero should really be compared to the larger-engined Fortuners and Everests (which then cost significantly more), and its engine is perfectly matched to the slick-shifting and responsive 8-speed gearbox. There are shift paddles mounted behind the wheel, but they're never needed, because the gearbox programming is so sharp that it knows which gear you need, long before you even know yourself.

The standard specification sheet also favours the Pajero Sport, with niceties such as a touch-screen infotainment system and automatic control for the headlights, wipers and dual-zone climate control adding to its appeal. In contrast, the (much) cheaper Everest has to make do with a fiddly Ford SYNC system, and the Fortuner's big screen audio system doesn't have touch-screen functionality. Neither of them has automatic climate control either. Further justification for the Pajero's inflated price tag comes in the form of excellent LED headlights, which don't even feature on any of the others' option sheets.

That said, when value for money and balanced performance is more important than ultimate roominess and gadgetry, the Fortuner comfortably straddles the divisions between practicality, convenience and value. No wonder it's still a firm favourite, in spite of some really appealing competitors.