Fresh Fortuner - touring South Africa’s scenic route in style

When it comes to cars I’ve always been the kind of person who liked two-door sports cars and hot hatches. Only recently have I started developing an appreciation for burly off-road vehicles and bakkies and its for this reason that I’ve never really understood what motorists saw in the Toyota Fortuner.

Having driven the previous model and recently the newer 2016 released in the beginning of the year and later again at an adventure experience in Knysna, they’ve always left me cold. Not to say that these are bad vehicles, but I just struggled to connect with it.

In a bid to understand what it is that keeps South African motorists buying this behemoth, I asked Toyota if I could have one to take on an epic cross country tour to see what all the hubbub was about.

Toyota happily obliged and a brand new 2.8 GD-6 was delivered. This was their latest release fitted with leather interior as standard, 18-inch wheels and updated lighting. One of the first things that seriously impressed was how quickly the cavernous interior swallowed the luggage of four people. In no time we were packed and hit the long road to Cape Town.

The Tour

I’ve done the 1480km trek from Johannesburg to Cape Town a great number of times and it’s not a trip that I enjoy, as the roads are long and tedious and in places extremely dangerous, but this time it was different. I felt as though I owned the road, not quite thundering along but also not wafting. The drive was purposeful yet strangely refined for a vehicle of this size.

Setting the electric driver's seat to the optimum position and engaging cruise control made the drive actually quite bearable, and for the first time I was able to enjoy parts of the journey, taking in a bit of the beautiful landscape for once, instead of being solely focused on driving.

There is something to be said of a Karoo sunrise, and as beautiful as it was, I felt the need to complete the drive as Cape Town and its beautiful scenic drives awaited.

Cape Town holds the honourable distinction of having seven of the ten best driving routes in SA, as decided by our fans and it was my plan to drive as many of them as I could during my short stay in the Mother City. The Mother City was having none of it, and for the first two days it rained, pretty much putting a damper on any plans I had for the mountains.

Day three dawned bright and clear, and the coastal road around Cape Point called. If I felt that the Karoo sunrise had kick started my connection with the Fortuner then this was were it began to be forged. I noticed that the wallowy nature of the previous generation had all but disappeared as soon as we hit the winding mountain roads. It felt strange to be driving a vehicle that had the dimensions of a cruise ship yet drove like a small family car. Despite it size the Fortuner handled these winding roads incredibly well and brought back memories of the muddy gravel roads in the Knysna wilderness.

Having driven most of the coastal roads on our list and snapping numerous pictures, we decided to head inland to the mountains to really put the Fortuner through its paces.

I am no stranger to the mountain passes in and around Cape Town, having driven them in an array of cars over the years, but it was refreshing to drive them somewhat slower, and in doing so, capture more of the natural beauty surrounding these stretches of road.

Helshoogte Pass, Du Toits Kloof Pass and Franschhoek Pass were just a few of the scenic drives taken, and through all of them the connection with the Fortuner deepened. I did not feel the need to take the Fortuner off road as I’d already driven it there and knew what to expect. What did surprise was how well the 2.8 handled the twisty mountain passes.

The diesel engine and automatic gearbox cruised along and never felt laboured while the extreme elevation changes barely saw our fuel consumption change.
All through our trip we averaged between 9.1 and 9.8 l/100km.

All too soon though it was time to pack up and head back to Johannesburg.
Our small SA tour was over before it even began as the astounding beauty of our country left lasting images in our memories. From scrub desert and coastal roads to mountain passes and beaches we sampled it all, and through all of it the Fortuner quietly accompanied – us, an ever present companion that made the trip that much better.

The Verdict

After almost 6000km with the Fortuner I can honestly say that I get it now.

I finally understand why this is Toyota’s flagship vehicle and why it is a Car of The Year finalist. I can understand why people buy into these cars and the lifestyle that they allow you to live. A go anywhere with anyone, anytime attitude.

The Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 in its new trim package is a brilliant vehicle and for all the reasons I just mentioned, I don’t want to give the keys back…

Model and Price

Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4x4 Auto         R617 900