Toyota Fortuner is the best-selling mid-size SUV in India, and also one of the most capable vehicles off the road. Its punchy engines, all-wheel-drive drive system with low ratio gearbox, and high ground clearance make sure the car can be driven anywhere without much hassle. Enthusiasts all over the country love to show their pride and joy negotiating some tough trails, and we sure love watching them!
Here, we have a few videos, featuring various Toyota Fortuners in the wild, doing what they were engineered to do.
Toyota Fortuner Facelift - 5 Different Looks Visualized
Toyota Fortuner Crossing Sutlej River | Saksham Nanda
Wading through deep water is a staple in the off-road community. Everybody does it at least once, but usually through calm, still water. Lakes and ponds are popular choices for such an endeavour. Here, however, we see a Fortuner crossing a Sutlej river! The four-wheel-drive system of the car helps matters, and the high-mounted tailpipe ensures water doesn’t go into the exhaust system and choke the engine.
Extreme Snow Drive to Chanshal Pass
From liquid water, we now upgrade to solid water. The video above shows a Toyota Fortuner battling snow-covered roads of Himachal Pradesh, during a drive to Chansi Pass. The SUV negotiated the challenge with relative ease, helped by the high ground clearance and its powerful engine. The car also has a low-range gearbox, which helps while driving in difficult terrains. To increase grip in such low traction situations, drivers often use snow chains tied to the tyres of their vehicles, which was also employed by the man in the video.
The All-New 2016 Toyota Fortuner Launch - Meydan Hotel Dubai
From water, we now graduate to land. In the video above, a group of Fortuner SUVs is being led into a desert trail in Dubai by one of the best Toyota off-roaders built to date, the Land Cruiser Prado. Not only do the Fortuner survive the desert, they even manage to match their pace with the Prado. The low ratio gearbox can be called into action once the going gets tough, although the normal high-ratio is good enough for some portion of the stretch. To aid traction, desert vehicles are prepped with simple modification- slightly deflated tyres. The lower air pressure flattens the tyres, thereby increasing the contact patch with the ground.
Toyota Fortuner Off-Road Camp | VBO Life
We seen the Fortuners take on water and earth individually. Now, how about the two elements together? The above video shows the Toyota SUV braving its way through mud and slush. This is perhaps one of the hardest off-roading challenges. The wet mud makes the tyres slip a lot, and if the driver tries to power through the situation, there’s the danger of getting stuck. Maintaining momentum is the key here.
Toyota Fortuner steep climb | Micheal Hamilton
One of the most basic and most popular off-road challenges is an incline climb. Driving up a steep slope, how hard can that be? A lot, actually! Turns out the reason why mountain roads are snaky and long instead of being a straight steep line is because most cars can’t drive up the side of a hill. Then again, the Fortuner isn’t most cars. You need lots of torque and patience for this challenge. Slow and steady wins the off-road race.