There is a new, extremely popular 4x4 in Thailand: the Toyota Fortuner, a model based on the regular pick-up built in Thailand, but with a host of luxury appointments. So successful has the Fortuner become Toyota has begun exports to other Asian countries, and beginning October this year, the vehicle will be produced in Indonesia for export to the Middle East by PT Toyota at a rate of around 15,000 vehicles a year.

With a choice of gasoline or diesel engines, the Fortuner is sufficiently powerful to master the mountains of Phuket with ease, while its auto transmission can be used as a Tiptronic if required but generally it is best left to its own devices.

The 2.7 liter gas engine produces a healthy 118 bhp (87 kW) with a maximum torque output of 241 Nm at 3,800 rpm. The 3.0 turbodiesel motor, on the other hand, has amazingly strong torque of 343 NM, produced all the way from 1,400 to 3,200 rpm. Max power is still a reasonable 120 bhp.

Interior

The interior of the 4x4 is its most endearing feature, with full leather upholstery, power everything and a decent audio system complete with multi-disc CD autochanger located under the driver?s seat. It?s not as fiddly as you might imagine as the CD cartridge ejects easily, even with the motor switched off, in order to comfortable insert new CDs in the house or apartment. Driver?s side and passenger airbags are standard

In normal configuration the Fortuner is a normal five-seater, but there are two extra foldaway seats located in the rear cargo area for occasional use. And that luggage area itself is positively cavernous and comes with a drop-down protective cover in order to protect the paintwork. The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split to further increase capacity.

Driving the vehicle is easy as the driver sits high up in a commanding position; reversing though is not quite as simple as it is hard to judge the outer limits of the Fortuner. It is all too easy to clout a low wall or other obstacle which is out of a driver?s sight-line. In addition, the steering lock is somewhat limited due to the four-wheel drive set-up, although according to the listed spec it has a turning circle of 5.7 meters, which on the face of it is not too bad. Inevitably, though, a certain amount of shuffling back and forth is sometimes necessary in confined spaces.

Other criticisms? Well, because it is based on a rudimentary pick-up chassis the Fortuner comes with ancient drum rear brakes. It seems a mite penny-pinching of Toyota not to modify the rear axle to take a decent set of discs, but that said, the brakes work well for such a large vehicle.

Toyota is on-stream to become the world?s largest auto maker, having already surpassed Ford to become number two. It is anticipated that by the end of 2007 the Japanese firm will overtake General Motors by a comfortable margin. Interestingly, Toyota has recently been refused membership of the Association des Constructeurs d?Automobiles, the European automakers organisation. Although both Ford and GM are members, Toyota has been denied because, they say, it ?does not have significant manufacturing capability in Europe?.

In Thailand, it is clear Toyota has similar ambitions to become a clear number one; its one-ton pick-ups, along with those of Isuzu already account for over 70 percent of the passenger car market, but Toyota clearly wants the outright lead. The Fortuner will certainly help it along the way. Prices of the new luxury 4x4 start at 1.029,000 baht for the gasoline model, a little more for the diesel.

With a choice of gasoline or diesel engines, the Fortuner is sufficiently powerful to master the mountains of Phuket with ease, while its auto transmission can be used as a Tiptronic if required but generally it is best left to its own devices.

The 2.7 liter gas engine produces a healthy 118 bhp (87 kW) with a maximum torque output of 241 Nm at 3,800 rpm. The 3.0 turbodiesel motor, on the other hand, has amazingly strong torque of 343 NM, produced all the way from 1,400 to 3,200 rpm. Max power is still a reasonable 120 bhp.

Interior

The interior of the 4x4 is its most endearing feature, with full leather upholstery, power everything and a decent audio system complete with multi-disc CD autochanger located under the driver?s seat. It?s not as fiddly as you might imagine as the CD cartridge ejects easily, even with the motor switched off, in order to comfortable insert new CDs in the house or apartment. Driver?s side and passenger airbags are standard

In normal configuration the Fortuner is a normal five-seater, but there are two extra foldaway seats located in the rear cargo area for occasional use. And that luggage area itself is positively cavernous and comes with a drop-down protective cover in order to protect the paintwork. The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split to further increase capacity.

Driving the vehicle is easy as the driver sits high up in a commanding position; reversing though is not quite as simple as it is hard to judge the outer limits of the Fortuner. It is all too easy to clout a low wall or other obstacle which is out of a driver?s sight-line. In addition, the steering lock is somewhat limited due to the four-wheel drive set-up, although according to the listed spec it has a turning circle of 5.7 meters, which on the face of it is not too bad. Inevitably, though, a certain amount of shuffling back and forth is sometimes necessary in confined spaces.

Other criticisms? Well, because it is based on a rudimentary pick-up chassis the Fortuner comes with ancient drum rear brakes. It seems a mite penny-pinching of Toyota not to modify the rear axle to take a decent set of discs, but that said, the brakes work well for such a large vehicle.

Toyota is on-stream to become the world?s largest auto maker, having already surpassed Ford to become number two. It is anticipated that by the end of 2007 the Japanese firm will overtake General Motors by a comfortable margin. Interestingly, Toyota has recently been refused membership of the Association des Constructeurs d?Automobiles, the European automakers organisation. Although both Ford and GM are members, Toyota has been denied because, they say, it ?does not have significant manufacturing capability in Europe?.

In Thailand, it is clear Toyota has similar ambitions to become a clear number one; its one-ton pick-ups, along with those of Isuzu already account for over 70 percent of the passenger car market, but Toyota clearly wants the outright lead. The Fortuner will certainly help it along the way. Prices of the new luxury 4x4 start at 1.029,000 baht for the gasoline model, a little more for the diesel.