The Toyota Fortuner is undoubtedly one of the most popular 7-seater SUVs on sale in the Indian market. In fact, it is the best selling model in the premium 3-row SUV segment. This segment comprises of several globally popular SUVs including the Ford Endeavour. Toyota had launched the updated Fortuner earlier this year, which also gains a new Legender variant.
The new Toyota Fortuner is offered with petrol and diesel engine options – a 2.7L turbo petrol and a 2.8L turbo-diesel – with 6MT and 6AT gearbox options. The new model is priced between Rs 30.34 lakh and Rs 38.30 lakh. In this article, we talk about the top 5 rivals for the Fortuner SUV that includes two upcoming SUVs in our market.
Ford Endeavour
The Ford Endeavour is the closest and the toughest rival to the Fortuner in India. The Endeavour enjoys a wide fan base in our country, as it is claimed to offer excellent on-and off-road capabilities. The SUV is offered in a single 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine with a 10-speed automatic gearbox as standard. This engine is capable of producing 170bhp and 420Nm of torque. The SUV delivers a claimed fuel economy of 13.9kmpl with 4X4 and 12.4kmpl with 4X4 drivertrain system. It is available in the price bracket of Rs 33.81 lakh and Rs 36.26 lakh.
MG Gloster
MG Motors had launched the Gloster full-sized SUV in the country in 2020. The company is constantly selling around 300 units of the SUV per month. It is priced between Rs 29.98 lakh and Rs 37.28 lakh, which makes it a direct rival to the Toyota Fortuner. The SUV is equipped with MG’s iSmart connected car technology, which offers 70 advanced features. It also gets ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System), which offers features like adaptive cruise control, automatic parking assist, forward collision braking, automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot detection (BSD) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).
The MG Gloster is available with two diesel engine options – a 2.0L turbocharged and a 2.0L Twin-Turbo. While the former is good for for 163PS of power and 375Nm of torque, the twin-turbocharged unit produces 218PS and 480Nm of torque. An 8-speed automatic gearbox is offered as standard.
Isuzu MU-X
Japanese automaker, Isuzu had launched the 2021 MU-X SUV in the Indian market. The 2021 Isuzu MU-X is equipped with a BSVI compliant diesel engine along with negligible interior changes. The MU-X is available in two variants – 2WD AT and 4WD AT – priced at Rs 33.23 lakh and Rs 35.19 lakh respectively.
The 2021 Isuzu MU-X is powered by a 1.9-litre turbocharged diesel engine that churns out a maximum power output of 161bhp and a peak torque of 320Nm. A six-speed automatic gearbox is offered as standard, and the SUV is available with 4×2 as well as 4×4 drive train options. The 4×4 trim gets a ‘shift-on-the-fly’ select dial for a better off-road driving assistance.
Upcoming Toyota Fortuner Rivals
2021 Skoda Kodiaq Facelift
Skoda will launch the updated version of the Kodiaq 7-seater SUV in the Indian market in 2022. The production of the new Kodiaq facelift is likely to commence in December 2021. The vehicle will come with refreshed exterior design, upgraded interior and a BSVI compliant petrol engine. It will be powered by a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that produces 187bhp and 320Nm of torque. A seven-speed DSG automatic unit will come as standard. The company is not likely to launch the 4×4 version of the SUV.
Jeep Meridian
American SUV maker, Jeep will launch the Meridian 7-seater SUV in the Indian market in early 2022. It is basically the Commander SUV, which is introduced in Brazil. It will be positioned against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and the Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace.
The new Jeep Meridian sits on a 2,794mm long wheelbase, which is around 158mm longer than the 5-seater Compass. It measures 4769mm in length, 1859mm in width and 1682mm in height. The new Meridian is likely to be offered with 6-and 7-seat options. The India-spec Jeep Meridian is most likely to use the twin-turbocharged version of the 2.0L diesel engine, which should produce around 200bhp and over 400Nm of torque.
