Ratings: 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ - Decent in most aspects, except cost

In this article, we’ll dive into the 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ and scrutinise it through the WapCar’s Ratings test. The Toyota Fortuner is a 7-seater SUV that competes against the Mazda CX-8, Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace R-Line, and Hyundai Santa Fe.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Driving Performance – 30/50, strong powertrain

The facelifted Toyota Fortuner gets a new engine that is much welcomed as it fixes the pre-facelift's problem of lacking the grunt to match its weight.

With 500 Nm of torque, pushing its kerb weight of 2,160 kg remains an ease. The Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ picks up speed effortlessly and has no trouble overtaking slower moving traffic.

The Toyota Fortuner dispatches from 0-100 km/h in 12.8 seconds, and needs 49 meters to come to a halt from that speed.

Steering feel is decent from the hydraulic power assist and is well-weighted at all speeds. It also gets the Auto Limited Slip Differential (A-LSD) system that controls braking and when one of the rear wheels start to spin - plenty useful in difficult, low-terrain conditions.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Ride Comfort – 34/50, supple but a little buoyant

In terms cabin noise, the Toyota Fortuner is generally well-insulated from all sources of noise. As with most tall-riding SUVs, wind noise starts to intrude the cabin at triple-digit speeds..

There is a hint of stiffness in the Toyota Fortuner’s suspension, but the thick tyre sidewalls help provide a supple ride. There’s a ladder frame jiggles can be felt, but it’s relatively minor.

The leather seats at the front provide adequate back and thigh support. The rear bench is not as well contoured, and the high floor contributes to a slight crouching sitting position.

Due to the high centre of gravity, lateral movements (rocking sensation) are more pronounced and passengers are more prone to motion sickness.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Quality and Features – 36/50, has everything you’d need

The Toyota Fortuner gets excellent scores in paint thickness and panel gap consistency, suggesting an above average build quality.

Inside, it’s similar to the Toyota Hilux with a few premium touches like the leather finishing around the dashboard, but there’s no soft plastics. Quality wise, it’s sturdy and gives off the impression of durability.

The 9-inch infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and is snappy to use. There’s rear-seat entertainment with a screen that flips down from the roof, and a remote control to match.

Standard passive safety features are all accounted for plus ADAS, which includes ACC, AEB, and LDA. There’s also blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Space and Practicality – 32/50, generous amount of storage spaces

With the second-row seats pushed all the way back, legroom is generous while headroom is average. A 175 cm tall adult has 3 tennis balls of legroom and 1 tennis ball of headroom.

Third row head- and legroom are rather tight; with the second row adjusted to normal seating position (25 cm from the front seat), there is no wiggle room for a typical-sized adult.

The Toyota Fortuner has plenty of cubby spaces and 12 cupholders in total. The centre storage beneath the armrest is rather large despite a small portion of it taken by the wireless charger.

The boot space is rated at 200 litres with the third-row seats up, but can be made larger stowing away the second- and third-row seats. But unlike most other SUVs, the seats fold upwards which affects total cargo space.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Fuel Economy – 9/20, thirsty for a diesel

After travelling 105 km in 50% urban and 50% highway conditions, the Innova used up 14.5 litres of fuel. This gives the 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ a fuel consumption figure of 13.8-litre/100km.

The onboard trip computer displayed an average of 13-litre/100 km, which is not too far off the actual figure.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Purchase and Cost – 17/30, on the pricey side 

The 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ is priced at RM 203,183 (OTR without insurance and SST). The Mazda CX-8 2.2D is slightly more expensive at RM 206,265, but it is more upmarket inside and out.

Warranty given is 5 years/unlimited mileage which is par for the course. Servicing costs tally up to RM 7,367 over the course of 5 years, which is rather high.

2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ: Conclusion – 158/250 pts overall

The 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ scored admirably in comfort, quality and features. It’s also fairly decent in terms of performance and interior space.

However, its fuel consumption was higher than expected from a diesel engine and its RM 200k asking price is on the pricey side, not to mention the above average maintenance cost

That being said, should you require a robust 7-seater SUV, perhaps to due poor road conditions or even lack thereof, then the Toyota Fortuner with its body-on-frame built makes perfect sense.

Full Ratings list: https://www.wapcar.my/car-ranking

Also read:

Pros and Cons: 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ - Floods aren't a problem, but your stuff might be

Review: 2021 Toyota Fortuner 2.8 VRZ in Malaysia; as good as the Land Cruiser?