There are many Australian reviewers who don’t quite like the Toyota Fortuner as much as the Indians do. Fortuner is a 7-seat off-roading SUV that has been a prominent product across various international markets. In overseas markets like Australia and South Africa, it is based on the Hilux pickup. The latter arrived first and the Fortuner thereafter. However, the case is the opposite in India. We received the Hilux after the Fortuner. Hence, there are massive fans of the SUV in our country. People in Australia consider it an SUV version of the Hilux. Let us take a look at the details here.
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Australian Reviewers on Toyota Fortuner
This video comes from aristocar on YouTube. The YouTuber has gathered a compilation of some prominent car experts from Down Under. They are reviewing the Fortuner. Note that some of these have the 2021 model of the SUV. Moreover, the variant lineup is also quite different in some cases. Nonetheless, the overall vehicle, features and specifications are, more or less, the same. The most common complaint that is evident in this video revolves around the fact that the interior layout of the Fortuner is quite old and dated. It is just not as sophisticated as its rivals in these markets.
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They also acknowledge that there is a sense of reliability around owning a Fortuner. However, it is not enough of a reason for its high price compared to some of its rivals like the Ford Everest. In fact, there are cars like the RAV4 in these markets which present a better value-for-money proposition in comparison to the Fortuner. The features on the Fortuner are quite last-gen too. Incidentally, one of the reviewers thinks that the simplicity is what a lot of people like about the Fortuner. In any case, the reviewers are not exactly too impressed by what Toyota is offering in the Fortuner.
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What We Think
We understand where the reviewers are coming from. In a market like India where there are no worthy rivals, one could understand why the Fortuner enjoys massive popularity despite its astronomical price. But in other countries where the competition is fierce and quite compelling, it makes little sense to invest in a vehicle that looks decades old. In fact, SUVs like the Ford Everest have been updated a lot in their latest iteration. Hence, these SUVs make much more sense. All in all, the charm of the timeless interior of the Fortuner is running out. Hence, the Japanese auto giant needs to work on it before it is too late.
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