Toyota Fortuner 2021 review: GX off-road test

The Fortuner 4x4 diesel GX, which we tested on this occasion, is the base spec of the three-variant Fortuner line-up.

Our test vehicle has a few extras – including a sat nav pack ($1000), premium paint (feverish red, $600) and a towing package (towbar, wiring, tow ball $1143.51), so the price as tested ($51,823.50) is a little more than the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $49,080, previously $45,965. The GX price has increased by $3115.

Our test car is finished in "feverish red", which will set you back an additional $600.

All Fortuners have an upgraded 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, part-time four-wheel drive and a rear diff lock. 

Standard features on the GX include cloth seats, 17-inch alloy wheels on all-terrain tyres, as well as a new 8.0-inch multimedia screen (that’s an 1.0-inch bigger than the previous unit), air-conditioning, a six-speaker stereo system, plus front and rear parking sensors.

The GX wears 17-inch alloy wheels. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

New driver-assist tech includes upgraded autonomous emergency braking (with vehicle and pedestrian detection day or night plus daytime cyclist detection), lane departure alert with steering assist, and high-speed adaptive cruise control.

The Fortuner line-up also now has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Maximum braked capacity is up 300kg, from 2800kg to 3100kg.

The Fortuner’s new version of its 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine now produces 150kW at 3400rpm and 500Nm at 1600-2800rpm – that’s a 20 kilowatt and 50 Newton-metre increase over the previous Fortuner.

The 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel now produces 150kW/500Nm. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

It's matched to a six-speed automatic transmission, and the combination works better than it did previously, no longer a sluggish-feeling combo, it now has a fair bit of zip about it.

The 4WD set-up is very effective, with good low-range gearing, a quietly efficient off-road traction control system and a rear diff lock.

The Fortuner is a very capable 4WD and I reckon a lot of Fortuner owners would be rather surprised at just how capable it is off-road. While it is marketed as a family-friendly tourer rather than a rock-crawling monster, the truth is it is pretty handy on the rough stuff.

Before we get stuck into the nitty-gritty, it’s worth mentioning the Fortuner’s off-road measures: ground clearance (216mm), approach angle (29 degrees), departure angle (25 degrees), rampover angle (23.5 degrees), and it has a listed wading depth of 700mm.

Engine braking is good, keeping the Fortuner to a controlled sustained momentum on downhill runs. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

On the way to our 4WD testing and proving ground, along a lightly corrugated and rutted dirt track, the Fortuner’s ladder-frame chassis yielded a very stiff, firm ride, juddering and jarring through surface imperfections. But, again, it’s something you do actually get used to.

The Fortuner’s switchable 4WD system has two-wheel drive (H2), and high- (H4) and low-range (L4) four-wheel drive. There’s plenty of low-end torque for no-fuss low-speed off-roading and the turbo-diesel engine, so unhurried, keeps the Fortuner trucking, without any hassle. 

That torque is on tap across a wide rev range, giving you the confidence to get through or over most natural obstacles. 

The Fortuner is a very capable 4WD. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

The off-road traction control system limits any wasteful wheel-spin and sends torque to the tyres that actually have some traction, in order to keep you moving along. It’s a quietly effective set-up. 

And you can also hit the rear diff lock button to engage that, for more help in the traction stakes.

Engine braking is good, keeping the Fortuner to a controlled sustained momentum on downhill runs.

Wheel travel is pretty decent and if you can get the full extent of suspension flex. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

The GX does, however, miss out on the downhill assist control system which the GXL and Crusade get, but that's not a big minus because it gets comfortably by with the 4WD set-up it has as its disposal.

Wheel travel is pretty decent and if you can get the full extent of suspension flex, and drop any mid-air tyres to the dirt for some more traction, that’ll help to get you moving along safely again.

The standard Dunlop Grandtrek AT tyres are about the only real weakness in the Fortuner’s off-roading gear. They are all-terrains and they’re not bad, they're just not quite aggressive enough, with enough sidewall bite, for my liking. 

That torque is on tap across a wide rev range, giving you the confidence to get through or over most natural obstacles. (image credit: Glen Sullivan)

But as with the previous Fortuner, the mechanicals are fine – its 4WD set-up is very effective – but you have to be mindful of the fact that it doesn't have a whole lot of ground clearance (a claimed 216mm) and the side steps are prone to hitting on the edges of steep and deep ruts, but those factors are easily overcome through considered driving and the purchase of more aggressive tyres. 

New Fortuners have a diesel particulate filter (DPF) Diesel Particulate Filter switch, so you can do a forced burn-off yourself to hopefully avoid any DPF issues. Don’t have any idea what I’m talking about? For more on Toyota’s DPF issues, read carsguide.com.au.

The Fortuner has a 750kg unbraked towing capacity and 3100kg braked towing capacity – that’s 300kg more than the previous version of the Fortuner.

All versions of the Fortuner have a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on the latest 2019 standards.

Safety gear includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (with vehicle and pedestrian detection day or night plus daytime cyclist detection), two second-row ISOFIX child-restraint anchorage points and three top tether anchor points, reversing camera and rear parking sensors, high-speed active cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, and road sign recognition.