2024 Toyota Fortuner Crusade review

Toyota is a powerhouse in Australia, and with models like the RAV4, Corolla, Camry, HiLux, and LandCruiser in its arsenal, it’s not hard to imagine why.

However, there are a few models in Toyota’s stable that underperform compared to their cousins.

One such model is the Fortuner off-road SUV, a ladder-frame chassis seven-seater that competes against the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and Isuzu MU-X, but also in the same segment as the much more popular Prado.

So why does it exist? Should buyers be paying more attention to the HiLux-based Fortuner? Or are they better off looking elsewhere for a rugged, off-road-capable family wagon?

Toyota Australia offers up its Fortuner large SUV in three flavours, kicking off with the entry-level GX for $53,775 before on-road costs.

The mid-tier GXL, meanwhile, is priced at $58,895, while the top-spec Crusade – like we have on test – rings the till up at $66,755.

All three grades feature four-wheel drive and are powered by the same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine outputting 150kW/500Nm.

When stacked up next to its ladder-frame chassis seven-seat SUV rivals, the Fortuner cannot beat the soon-to-be-updated Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 4WD (from $49,940–$62,440) or value-focused SsangYong Rexton (from $50,000–$58,000 drive-away).

However, it is right in line with the Isuzu MU-X 4×4 (from $54,900–$65,990) and more affordable than a comparable Ford Everest 4WD (from $58,990–$79,490).

Another left-field competitor is the new 2024 GWM Tank 500 seven-seater, which is also underpinned by a ladder-frame chassis and available from $66,490 drive-away, though it uses a 255kW/648Nm petrol-electric hybrid powertrain as opposed to the diesel powertrains found in rivals.

For the money, the equipment list includes 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and manual-adjustable front seats as standard.

Stepping up to the mid-spec GXL adds keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, in-built satellite navigation, digital radio, rear privacy glass, and chrome exterior flourishes.

The top-spec Crusade, as we have on test, adds 18-inch wheels, LED high beams, leather-accented seats, powered and heated front seats, an electric tailgate, an 11-speaker JBL sound system, a woodgrain dashboard, and extra safety equipment like blind-spot monitoring.

It’s a shame you have to shell out for a higher-spec car to get niceties like digital radio and keyless entry when these are available from the base Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Ford Everest – the latter even gaining dual-zone climate controls and blind-spot monitoring as standard across the range.

And even at the top of the tree, there are no cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, or heated second-row seats with the Fortuner.

Options in the Fortuner Crusade include a choice of eight exterior colours (all options barring Glacier White will incur a $675 fee), as well as a black or tan leather interior (no cost).

Of course, the Fortuner also serves up a 4WD system with low-range for those who like to get off the beaten path, but the equipment levels of Toyota’s off-road wagon are lacking for the price.

Toyota’s Fortuner might not be the biggest model it has in its stable, but it still offers plenty of room for families and gear.

Measuring 4795mm long, 1855mm wide, 1835mm tall, and with a 2745mm wheelbase, the Fortuner is smaller in stature than the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

However, the Fortuner is plenty spacious inside the cabin. The front seats are wide and flat, making them comfortable for long driving periods, and are also clad in a plush leather in the top-spec Crusade.

But storage options are surprisingly lacking for such a large vehicle.

There are the requisite cupholders and underarm storage cubby, but the tray for your smartphone and wallet is shallow and tucked under the centre console.

And because they are positioned right in front of the cupholders, if you have the lid open for drinks, it blocks access to the area, making it very hard to reach in and out.

At least the door pockets are deep and can fit a full-size bottle.

I’ll also call out the multi-material steering wheel, though, which features leather for the sides and woodgrain for the top portion.

It’s a minor annoyance and a personal pet peeve of mine, but it just throws me off when I’m turning the wheel and my grip goes from something pliable and soft to hard and smooth. I’d much rather have an all-leather steering wheel, but of course, your mileage may vary.

Space in the second row is very generous, though, thanks to a seat base that can slide forward and back, and backrests that are reclinable.

And I can attest that children’s seats won’t have any issue fitting in the second row.

There is also heaps of head, shoulder and leg room for six-foot-tall (183cm) adults like myself, while the list of amenities extend to door pockets, a fold-down armrest, 12-volt charging outlet, and even a power socket to keep iPads, Nintendos, and smartphones charged up.

Stepping into the third row, however, feels much less spacious. Taller adults like myself will find space lacking, but for small kids and short adults, there is adequate room. There is also a lack of features in the third row, with only cupholders for passengers.

However, the biggest failing of the Fortuner is the way the third row folds away.

Instead of the traditional fold-flat feature as found in rivals like the Everest and Pajero Sport, seats six and seven of the Fortuner fold up and sideways against the rear windows and secured by a strap. This means useable boot space is severely eaten into by the seats that are suspended in place.

However, Toyota has made these seats removable, which adds to versatility, but should buyers be looking at a three-row large SUV like the Fortuner if they only use two rows of seats if the Prado is right there?

I suspect Toyota is aware of the Fortuner boot’s shortcomings, as it does not quote a volume capacity for the model.

Online research suggests volume with all seven seats in place is around 200 litres, which would be less than the 259L and 311L offered in the Everest and MU-X, but more than the 131L of the Pajero Sport.

I found that the boot was enough for some groceries and backpacks, but if you need to fit a pram or larger items, the third row would need to be folded away.

With the third row stowed, capacity expands to around 716L (again, Toyota does not offer this figure), which would be less than most rivals, but still offers enough for everyday family items.

Keep in mind that the third-row seats do eat into useable space quite significantly, and means you cannot push items like a pram hard up against the side to maximise practicality.

Folding the second row down expands capacity to around 1080L, which is around 50 per cent less than that offered in the Pajero Sport (1488L), and less than half that of the MU-X (2138L).

The Fortuner isn’t the most practical of seven-seat off-road SUVs, then, but for those that don’t need to haul huge loads when camping, or prioritise passenger comfort over outright volume, it will do the job.

With an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, the Toyota Fortuner features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but both will need a cable to function.

While it is a shame there is no wireless option available like there is on the Ford Everest, at least the connection is rock-solid with a wire.

The mid-spec GXL and flagship Crusade also have functionality for digital radio and in-built satellite navigation – handy features to have.

Again, it’s a shame to see the base GX miss out on these features when they are offered as standard with rivals.

The Fortuner’s infotainment screen size is also starting to look small next to competitors, some of which boast screens as large as 12.0 inches, and dates the cabin considerably.

The Toyota Fortuner also comes with the brand’s Connected Services, complimentary for the first three years, which allows owners to track their cars and automatically contact emergency services in the event of a serious collision.

Toyota also offers up a myToyota Connect smartphone application that lets you register your vehicle for reminders about servicing, recalls, and Ampol discounts.

All current versions of the Toyota Fortuner were awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing back in 2019 after retesting the car that was first introduced in 2015. This applies to all variants of the Fortuner.

Of note, however, this test score was derived from testing a mechanically related HiLux, which doesn’t feature third-row seating.

Regardless, the Fortuner was awarded a second-in-class 95 per cent in the adult occupant protection test, trailing the now-discontinued Mazda CX-8 (96 per cent). The child occupant protection test also yielded a relatively high score of 84 per cent, putting it behind the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, but ahead of the LDV D90. Vulnerable road user protection scored 88 per cent, while safety assist systems scored 78 per cent.

The Fortuner, like most new Toyota models, comes with a bevy of safety systems.

Headlining these features is Toyota’s Safety Sense suite, which includes pre-collision warning, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.

Keep in mind, though, the adaptive cruise-control system does not have a stop-and-go function, and only works in high-speed driving.

All versions are also fitted with a reverse-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, trailer sway control, and seven airbags.

However, buyers will need to opt for the flagship Crusade for blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view monitor.

Some of these safety systems should really be standard across the board in 2024, as again, rivals like the Ford Everest offer them at no extra cost.

The only overly eager safety system of note is the lane-keep assist, which very aggressively tried to keep me within the lines if I strayed too far off centre by braking the wheels and nudging the steering wheel.

There are also two ISOFIX mounting points for the second-row outboard seats, as well as a top-tether anchorage point for all three pews.

As with all new Toyotas, the Fortuner comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Scheduled service intervals, however, are every six months/10,000km, which is shorter than the industry standard 12-month/15,000km period.

For the first three years of ownership, or six services, maintenance is capped at $290 each, but extends to $361.82 for service number seven (42 months/70,000km), $779.43 for the eighth service (48 months/80,000km), $547.50 for service number nine (54 months/90,000km), and $457.92 for the 10th service (60 months/100,000km).

This means the first five years of ownership will set buyers back a princely sum of $3886.67, which is well above the cost of ownership of a comparable Ford Everest ($1666) and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport ($2895).

Regardless, comprehensive insurance will run buyers back $2054 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

For reference, the Everest and Pajero Sport are both cheaper to insure at $1986 and $1790 respectively.

Officially, the Toyota Fortuner will sip 7.6 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, and in my week with the car I averaged 8.8L/100km with a mix of inner-city and freeway driving.

Though this is higher than Toyota’s claim, it still beats out the likes of the Ford Everest with a 2.0-litre twin-turbo-diesel powertrain that saw a weekly average consumption of 12.0L/100km.

The Fortuner also has a sizeable 80-litre fuel tank, meaning a theoretical driving range of up to 1176km, which would be enough to drive from Melbourne to Sydney without needing to stop to refuel.

As a high-riding seven-seater, the Fortuner isn’t designed to thrill around corners or outmuscle much in a straight line, and this lazier attitude shines through when behind the wheel.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a criticism, but buyers need to be aware that performance and dynamics are not this car’s strong points, even for its class.

With 150kW/500Nm from its 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, the 2.2-tonne Fortuner’s acceleration is best described as pedestrian. At least the six-speed automatic transmission shifts smartly and smoothly, and rarely gets caught out.

However, sharing the same underpinnings and powertrain as the Toyota HiLux workhorse, the Fortuner doesn’t really move away from those agricultural roots.

The turbo-diesel engine is especially noisy when trying to accelerate hard, and the unwanted clamour is a little at odds with the upmarket cabin touches and high price tag.

The Ford Everest, on the other hand, does a much better job at cosseting passengers in a more SUV-like experience, and feels overall more refined and polished as a family hauler.

The steering on the Fortuner is also quite weighty, which offers great feedback out on an open road, but does mean you are in for a workout when trying to slot the Toyota seven-seater into a tight, inner-city carpark.

The suspension is also very jiggly on Melbourne’s less-than-perfect roads, communicating all manner of bumps, humps, and imperfections to interior occupants.

I did get the opportunity to take the Fortuner onto an unsealed gravel path, and found it much more suited to handling the rough stuff as opposed to the blacktop, but even country buyers can’t avoid roads forever.

Toyota claims the suspension has been tuned and tested for Australian conditions, but I suspect the environments used were rural locations as the Fortuner feels much more at home out of the city than in it.

And the Fortuner has the off-road chops to shine in such terrain too thanks to selectable four-wheel-drive modes including a 4WD-low setting that is borrowed from the HiLux.

Although I didn’t get a chance to fully test the Fortuner’s capabilities, previous tests indicate it has strong off-road credentials and is an able and willing partner when the terrain gets rugged.

Toyota’s Fortuner is rated to tow a braked capacity of 3100kg, making it suitable for hauling caravans, trailers, boats, and more.

Its unbraked towing capacity is 750kg, which is good for small trailers and the like.

Sharing its underpinnings with the HiLux means the Fortuner will easily handle hauling duties, and the standard inclusion of a trailer sway control system adds to its abilities.

The 500Nm of torque is also plenty for towing needs.

Toyota’s Fortuner feels like the forgotten child of the family.

Sandwiched between the Prado and LandCruiser, the Fortuner doesn’t quite offer the same level of appeal as either, but still has the off-road prowess to impress.

The biggest hurdle it has to overcome is trying to find its place in the market, as the Prado and LandCruiser serve buyers after a five-seater and a seven-seater off-road SUV pretty well, leaving the Fortuner a bit in no-person’s-land.

If a Toyota is a must, the two aforementioned models are likely to better suit your needs, while rivals like the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Isuzu MU-X just do what the Fortuner does, but better.

Potential buyers of a Toyota Fortuner should definitely test-drive one before they commit, as well as rivals such as the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and even a GWM Tank 500.

Toyota has indicated there will be a delay in many new-vehicle deliveries as it struggles to keep up with growing demand, and the best way to ascertain whether a vehicle is in stock is to contact your nearest dealer, which you can find here.

Regardless, you can browse Toyota models for sale here, and to stay up-to-date on all the latest Toyota news, you can head here.