Toyota Fortuner vs MG ZS

What's the difference?

The Toyota Fortuner is a family friendly wagon and a very capable 4WD, but it’s looking and feeling decidedly old, especially when cross-shopped against the current highly competitive 4WD wagon market in which vehicles are increasingly stylish, sophisticated and packed with driver-assist tech (that isn't clunky) and standard features (that are extensive).

The Fortuner is practical and easy to live with as a daily driver, and in GXL spec it makes a lot of sense as a functional not flashy off-road tourer, but it’s far from the best family 4WD wagon around.

Until a next-generation Fortuner possibly arrives, there are plenty of Toyota fans who’d happily settle for a current Fortuner – if they haven’t already.

The MG ZS Essence Turbo has a lot going for it. It’s keenly priced, well equipped, spacious and comfortable with good performance, refinement and safety. On the downside, it’s thirstier than it should be, despite a stonking 10-year warranty servicing is relatively pricey and there are some low-level quality concerns. But should it be on your $30-35K small SUV shopping list. One hundred per cent, yes.

The GXL is 4795mm long with a 2745mm wheelbase. It is 1855mm wide, 1835mm high and has a listed kerb weight of 2185kg. It has a 11.6m turning circle.

Not a lot has changed in terms of the Fortuner’s looks over the years and while it stubbornly retains that pleasingly non-offensive exterior of most modern SUVs, it does manage to not be totally bland.

The GXL is a body-on-frame 4WD based the HiLux, so it’s no sports car in appearance whether you gaze at it from the front, side, rear or from a bird’s eye view, but it doesn’t look like a block of rotten wood, so unless you’re looks-obsessed, then you should be okay driving this around.

The Fortuner interior is looking dated and the standard dark grey fabric cloth seats, though well-suited to coping with day-to-day messes and spills, don’t do the cabin any favours either, and – you know what? – I don’t mind any of it. Note our test vehicle on this occasion had black leather-accented seats as part of its GXL Option Pack, but I've spent time in cloth-seat Fortuners.

From its narrow, acutely angled headlights to the deep gill-like inlets sitting either side of its large grille, the MG ZS conforms to the currently popular 'make it look a bit like a shark’ school of front-end car design.

From the nose back, this five-seater’s overall proportions follow a familiar small SUV template, without any significant pulse-quickening deviations.

And by the time you get to the back, the rear door and tail-light treatment is borderline generic. Replace the MG octagon with any number of other mass market automotive logos and you wouldn’t look twice.

That said, the shape is well balanced, the standard 18-inch rims fill the wheel arches nicely and our test car’s rich and lustrous ‘Diamond Red Metallic’ paint finish drew multiple compliments during our time behind the wheel.

The interior is simple with some cool touches thrown in, like the aero-style geometric vents with a bright, brushed finish around their leading edge, a neatly integrated 12.3-inch media touchscreen in the centre of the dash and another of the same size in front of the driver for instrumentation.

There’s a sensible mix of physical and digital controls for major functions and the steering wheel is flat on the bottom and the top. It adjusts for height, but disappointingly, not reach.

Materials around the dash and doors are soft-touch, which is nice, and the synthetic leather seat trim, with lighter contrast stitching and perforated centre panels looks and feels good.

The Fortuner’s cabin has a comfortably familiar feel to it and, thankfully, this interior is all about function not fashion.

It’s a practical space, with standard cloth seats (as mentioned our test vehicle has the Option Pack leather-accented seats, but I’ve spent enough drive time in Fortuners with cloth seats to know how those cope with the mess and dirt of everyday life), carpet floors with rubber mats, and durable plastic surfaces everywhere.

Up front, there’s an 8.0-inch multimedia screen (too small, not clear and bright enough) and that system has USB-connected Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (no wireless anything), and a 4.2-inch colour driver’s display, which is too small, too basic and part of an outdated mix of analogue and not-new-enough digital instrumentation.

There are the usual storage spaces – including a glovebox, a centre console, a tray for your smartphone, pop-out cup-holders on the outboard edges of the dash – and a USB port and a 12V socket for charging purposes.

The Fortuner’s three rows are in a 2-3-2 seat configuration. The 60/40 split-fold second-row seat has a one-touch, tumble feature. The 50/50 third-row seats are able to be stowed away, sort of. When folded to each side they protrude into the load space, reducing the size of what would otherwise be a more useable cargo area.

It’s reasonably comfortable in the second row; I sat behind my driving position and I had adequate head and knee room.

The second row has cup holders in the fold-down armrest, ceiling-mounted controls for the aircon, and two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchor points.

All three rows get aircon – with ceiling-mounted vents – and there are a few storage spaces in the third row, but no cup-holders. 

In terms of comfort, it’s ordinary back here; the seats are flat and unsupportive – and, for anyone other than children, the space is tight. 

Boot space is listed as 200 litres with the third-row seats in use, and in that area there are cargo hooks and a 12V socket.

Stow away the third-row and cargo space increases to 716 litres. But the seats still jut into the cargo area, greatly reducing your actual useable load space, and they also obscure a lot of driver vision to the rear.

With the second and third rows out of the way you have a listed 1080L of cargo area.

At just over 4.4m long, a fraction more than 1.8m wide and a little over 1.6m tall the MG ZS is a little larger than the small SUV norm, but conversely its 2610mm wheelbase is shorter than average.

That doesn’t appear to impact interior packaging, however, with plenty of room up front and more than adequate breathing space between driver and co-pilot.

For storage, there’s a medium-size lidded box (which doubles as an armrest) between the front seats as well as a pair of cupholders in the broad centre console, with a bay for wireless device charging near the gear-shift.

The glove box is generous, there are bins in the doors with room for decent size bottles and a drop-down sunglasses holder sits overhead.

In the back there’s heaps of head and legroom for me (at 183cm) sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position.

Three full-size adults will be getting a little too up close and personal for anything other than short-ish trips, although a trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be right at home.

Big tick for adjustable air vents at the back of the front centre console and storage options include map pockets on the front seatbacks and bins in the doors with room for up to medium-size bottles.

No fold-down centre armrest in the back is a miss given one would typically feature a pair of cupholders.

Power and connectivity options in the front console include a USB-A plug (for power and media connectivity), a USB-C socket (power only) and a 12-volt outlet. Points, too, for a USB-A near the rear view mirror for a dashcam and another for back seaters. But no 12V in the boot (which can be handy when camping or picnicking).

What the boot does have, however, is a class-competitive volume of 443 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright. Enough to swallow the large (124L) and medium (95L) suitcases from our three-piece set.

Remove the cargo tray and the smallest (36L) case will find a home, too. Boot space expands to 1457L with the rear backrest lowered.

The space is well lit, there are tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads and handy wells behind the rear wheel tubs on both sides. A space-saver spare sits under the floor.

And if you’re keen on towing, you might want to think twice about the ZS as it’s limited to a 500kg trailer (braked or not).

Cost of entry for the MG ZS Essence Turbo is $31,990, drive-away, which is a pretty sharp price in one of the most hotly contested segments in the Australian market. Worth noting the sizeable gap to its Essence Hybrid+ stablemate at $40,217, drive-away.   

That low-$30K positioning puts the Essence Turbo up against a swag of well-credentialled rivals including the GWM Haval Jolion Premium Hybrid 2WD ($32,990, drive-away), Hyundai Kona 2WD ($32,500), Kia Seltos Sport FWD ($33,050), Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure FWD ($33,940), Mitsubishi ASX LS ($30,490), Nissan Qashqai ST FWD ($34,665), Subaru Crosstrek 2.0L ($34,990) and Toyota Corolla Cross GX 2WD ($33,980). All prices before on-road costs unless otherwise noted.

To grab a value-for-money edge against this challenging field the MG needs more than just an attractive price tag. And the ZS Essence Turbo boasts an impressive standard features list.

Over and above the safety and performance tech we’ll get to shortly, included are 18-inch alloy wheels, climate control air, multiple drive modes, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and start, a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather trim, six-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat, six-speaker audio, rain-sensing wipers, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity as well as digital radio.

There’s also auto LED headlights (as well as LED DRLs and tail-lights), a leather-trimmed steering wheel, built-in sat nav, adaptive cruise control, a hi-def 360-degree camera view, a reversing camera and auto-fold exterior mirrors. 

At the MG’s price point - drive-away, remember - that’s a strong basket of standard fruit.

Every Fortuner in the line-up has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 150kW and 500Nm – and that’s matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

In terms of performance, the Fortuner is not going to set any hearts a-flutter: it’s sluggish off the mark, it takes a heavy right boot to make it feel like anything other than lacklustre on the move, and the six-speed auto downshifts quite harshly at times, especially when going up or down long, gradual inclines on the highway.

However, the 4WD set-up is effective, with adequate low-range gearing, a quietly efficient (but a tad clunky) off-road traction control system, and a rear diff lock.

As its name implies, the ZS Essence Turbo is powered by a 1.5-litre, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine sending 125kW (at 6000rpm) and 275Nm (at 4500rpm) to the front wheels via a continuously variable auto transmission (CVT). 

It’s an all-alloy unit, featuring direct fuel-injection as well as variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust side which helps optimise engine response.

The Fortuner has official fuel consumption of 7.6L/100km.

On this test I recorded 9.6L/100km.

Going by my on-test fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 833km from this Fortuner’s full 80-litre tank.

The ZS Essence Turbo’s official fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.9L/100km, the 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder engine emitting 161g/km of C02 in the process.

Over a combination of city, suburban and some freeway running we saw an average of 9.6L/100km, which is getting up there for a small SUV. And bear in mind you’re looking at a minimum fuel requirement of 95 RON premium unleaded.

Worth noting its roughly 25 per cent more expensive ($40,217, drive-away) ZS Essence Hybrid+ sibling is not only far more powerful, but significantly more frugal, with an official combined cycle figure of 4.7L/100km. Mind you, it would take a while for that economy to make up for the more than $8K purchase price difference.

Based on the car’s 55-litre fuel tank, theoretical range between refills is close to 800km, which drops to just over 570km using our real-world test consumption number.

On-road, the Fortuner offers up a pretty standard driving experience for a ute-based wagon. It’s on the HiLux ladder-frame chassis, and it has a firm ride, bordering on harsh. Having said that, you do get used to it soon enough and the Fortuner's coil-spring suspension set-up takes most of the sting out of surface irregularities, except for the more severe dips and bumps.

The Fortuner’s driving position offers plenty of visibility – although the A-pillars are bulky and the third-row seats block vision to the rear when they’re folded up to the sides of the cabin.

This 4WD wagon is generally quiet, although there’s noticeable wind-rush noise around the wing mirrors and engine noise builds to a diesel shriek when you use a heavy right boot as is regularly required.

Steering – reach- and rake-adjustable – is adequately light and sharp, and the Fortuner, with its 11.6m turning circle, is reasonably nimble in suburban areas.

Acceleration, from a standing-start or for overtaking, is laggy but available power and torque come in handy during general driving, making the Fortuner more agreeable all-round than previous versions.

The six-speed auto is generally right for the job, but it downshifts harshly, especially when going up or down long, gradually sloping highway stretches. That happens enough for it to be on the wrong side of annoying.

Some aspects of the Fortuner’s driver-assist tech is annoying: active cruise control is too abrupt and pre-emptive, consistently miscalculating the space between the Fortuner and the vehicle in front as accurately as most of its rivals. This clunky application of tech to real-world scenarios works against the Fortuner. 

While driving a lightly corrugated and rutted dirt track o the way to our set-piece off-road tests, the Fortuner’s ladder-frame chassis yielded a stiff, firm ride, bashing and bouncing over any and all surface imperfections. Airing down the Yokohama Geolandar ATs (265/65R17) from 38 psi (pounds per square inch) to 26 psi takes some sting out of the ride.

The Fortuner is a very capable 4WD with standard off-road measurements, including ground clearance (216mm), approach angle (29 degrees), departure angle (25 degrees) and rampover angle (23.5 degrees). It has a listed wading depth of 700mm.

The Fortuner’s switchable part-time 4WD system has two-wheel drive (H2), and high- (H4) and low-range (L4) four-wheel drive. There’s ample low-end torque on offer – on tap across a broad rev range – for controlled low-speed 4WDing and the unfussed turbo-diesel engine keeps the Fortuner ticking along, without any hassle. 

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

The off-road traction control system is an effective set-up, limiting wheel-spin and sending much-needed torque to the tyres with some useable traction, with the aim to keep the vehicle moving along at a safe, controlled pace.

Besides that, the driver always has the option of engaging the rear diff lock for more traction action.

Wheel travel is decent for a wagon like this and if you can get the full suspension flex, and drop any mid-air tyres to the dirt for more traction, chances are you’ll be able to get moving along safely soon enough.

So, the mechanicals are fine – its 4WD set-up is very effective – but the Fortuner doesn’t have a whole lot of ground clearance (a claimed 216mm, standard for a contemporary 4WD wagon) 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 tyres that are better suited to off-roading. 

The standard Yokohama Geolandar AT tyres are somewhat of a flaw in the Fortuner’s off-roading set-up. Sure, they’re technically all-terrains, but I reckon a better bet for you – if you’re planning to drive anything beyond formed trails – is to invest in a set of more aggressive all-terrains with greater sidewall bite. 

If you’re planning to use your Fortuner to tow anything, keep in mind that it has a 750kg unbraked towing capacity and 3100kg braked towing capacity. Remember: to be on the safe side, avoid going loading up to anywhere near those capacity figures.

Payload is 615kg (easily reached when you factor in people, pets, camping gear and more), gross vehicle is (GVM) is 2800kg, and gross combined mass (GCM) is 5900kg.

Stand-out qualities once behind the wheel of the ZS Essence Turbo are its comfy ride, responsive throttle and low noise levels.

Although MG doesn’t quote a 0-100km/h acceleration time, you can expect triple figures to come up in around eight seconds, which is rapid enough for the cut and thrust of city traffic.

And power delivery is satisfyingly linear. There are no laggy clues that a turbo engine resides under the bonnet, although maximum pulling power doesn’t arrive until 4500rpm, which is unusually high for a forced induction engine.

But there’s still plenty of oomph low down and the CVT auto is one of the better examples, keeping the engine on the boil nicely without any engine droning drama. Freeway cruising is a breeze.

That said, a pair of steering wheel paddles for stepped manual ‘gear’ changes would be a nice addition to take maximum advantage of the engine’s willing nature.

But you have to be realistic in terms of standard mechanical spec at a low-$30K price point. If you're in the mood, the switch to ‘Sport’ mode revs things up, though.

Suspension is by struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear, the car remaining well balanced during quick lane changes or through sharp corners.

Tyres are 225/50 Giti ‘GitiComfort’ on 18-inch alloy rims and despite that sizeable wheel diameter (for the class), a relatively cushy tyre sidewall height also helps with overall refinement.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive enough, although the small gap between the headrest and my noggin meant I was constantly bumping against it. Kind of annoying but it may have more to do with my XXXL melon than the restraint design.

The electrically assisted steering is accurate and road feel is fair, although the squared-off wheel design takes a bit of getting used to and its adjustment is stuck in 1994, shifting for height but not reach.

Braking is by discs all around (ventilated front) and they wash off speed effectively with a progressive pedal action.

An 11.2m turning circle isn’t exactly tiny, although all around vision is clear, and parking, assisted by the 360-degree camera view, reversing camera and rear parking sensors, is straight forward.

Niggles? The handbrake has to be applied manually, which may sound like a classic first-world problem, but the majority of new cars now apply it automatically when parked.

A ‘bing-bong’ overspeed warning, related to the traffic sign recognition function, is infuriating, as is the need to shuffle through multiple menus every time you drive the car to turn it off. Hyundai and Kia have recently minimised this issue with a short-cut button, which we suggest MG takes a close look at.

And one misty morning I noticed the bottom four rows of the rear screen demister had gone out on strike, which doesn’t feel great from a quality point-of-view.

In a similar vein, I recently spent time in the ZS Hybrid+ and thought one of the suspending cords on the rear parcel shelf hadn’t been properly fixed. Turns out the small plastic fitting holding the string had pulled out of the tailgate door and wouldn’t stay put when pushed back in. Awkward.

ANCAP has assessed the MG ZS but only hybrid variants. So, even though that resulted in a maximum five-star score, this turbo model is technically untested.

No surprise then that the car is equipped with a full suite of active (crash-avoidance) tech including auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane change and lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, forward and rear collision alert, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, a 360-degree camera view and more.

And it’s important to note these systems are well calibrated in that any micro corrections they make are only sporadic and relatively subtle, even in adaptive cruise mode where less refined systems are often found out.

Then, if despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags onboard - dual front, front side and full-length curtain. Would be nice to see the increasingly common front centre bag but it’s MIA for the time being.

There are three top tether points for child seats across the second row with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

A five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty covers the Fortuner, which is par for the course these days.

If you stick to the relatively short servicing schedule – six months or 10,000km with at authorised dealerships – Toyota says it will cover the engine and driveline for up to seven years. All warranty elements are subject to terms and conditions, so make sure you’re fully aware of those.

Capped-price servicing applies and, for our test vehicle, it was $290 per appointment for the first five, then $377.38, $813.93, $572.55, $478.93 and $377.38.

MG covers the ZS with a 10-year/250,000 km warranty which is way ahead of the mainstream market norm of five years/unlimited km. 

Roadside assistance is complimentary for the first 12 months and automatically extended for an additional year after each annual service at an authorised MG dealer, for the duration of the warranty. Nice.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/10,000km, the latter measure a little short of the more common 15,000km distance.

MG’s ‘Precise Price’ program sets out maintenance pricing for the duration of the warranty, the lowest cost over that 10-year period being $302 and the highest $1463, for an annual average of $686.60. 

Pricey when you consider a similarly specified Toyota Corolla Cross averages $398.68 per service over the same period.