5 Toyota Fortuner challengers launching soon: Mahindra XUV700 to Ford Endeavour Facelift

The Toyota Fortuner is the king of the premium SUV segment in India. From the regular Indian to the rich and the famous, all have fallen for the Toyota’s charm and reliability over the years.

While the Fortuner is the go-to SUV for those looking for a premium SUV that can handle the rough stuff as well, it doesn’t mean that its rivals are willing to let the Toyota run away with the segment. Let’s take a look at five challengers to the Toyota Fortuner that are set to arrive in the next 12 months.

Mahindra XUV700

The Mahindra XUV700 will be Mahindra’s new flagship SUV. The 7-seater XUV700 is basically a rebadged Rexton SUV, which is built by Mahindra’s South Korean subsidiary Ssangyong. The Mahindra XUV700 will be launched in India in October 2018.

The Mahindra XUV700 will be powered by Mahindra’s tried-and-tested 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine rated for 187 Bhp and 420 Nm of torque, which will be paired to a 7-speed automatic gearbox from Mercedes-Benz. Prices for the 7-seater Mahindra XUV700 are expected to start at Rs. 24 lakhs.

Ford Endeavour Facelift

Ford’s Endeavour has been the biggest challenger to the Toyota Fortuner and the American carmaker revealed the facelifted SUV in Thailand earlier this year.

The facelifted Endeavour features a new grille, plastic cladding on the revised front bumper that now wraps around the large air intake and all-new alloy wheels. Also new are features like passive keyless entry, push-button start, a foot-activated electric tailgate and autonomous emergency braking (AEB). Ford also introduced a powerful new 2.0-litre diesel engines and a 10-speed automatic gearbox though it is still not clear if these new powertrain options will make it to India, where the facelifted Endeavour is expected to arrive in early 2019.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi is finally set to update the Pajero Sport in India. Mitsubishi will bring the facelifted Pajero Sport to India in late 2019 as a CBU which could make it a premium rival to the Toyota Fortuner.

The third-gen Pajero Sport SUV is powered by a 2.4-litre turbocharged diesel engine that produces 178.5 Bhp and 430 Nm of torque, which will be sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel-drive. The third-gen Pajero Sport has already been on sale in international markets since 2015. India will get the facelifted version of the SUV, which brings in a revised grille among other changes that adds to its aggressive design.

Honda CR-V

Japanese carmaker Honda will launch the new-gen CR-V in India on the 9th of October. The new Honda CR-V is powered by two engine options – a 1.6-turbocharged diesel engine rated at 120 Bhp and 300 Nm of torque and a 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 154 Bhp and 189 Nm of torque. The petrol engine comes paired to a CVT automatic, while the diesel gets a 9-speed torque converter unit.

The CR-V gets all-LED lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, an electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, digital instrument cluster, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with power-operated front seats and an electric parking brake. Prices for the Honda CR-V are expected to start at Rs. 26 lakhs.

Isuzu MU-X Facelift

The Isuzu MU-X is the flagship SUV offering from the Japanese carmaker in India. When Isuzu launched the MU-X in India, the facelifted version of the SUV was already out in a few international markets. The facelifted MU-X gets new projector headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights along with revised bumpers, round fog lamps, new alloy wheels, revised taillights and a larger roof-mounted spoiler.

The Isuzu MU-X for India is powered by a 3.0-litre common rail direct injection intercooler unit that produces 174 Bhp at 3,600 rpm and 380 Nm of peak torque from 1,800 rpm, which is paired to 5-speed automatic gearbox. The Isuzu MU-X is expected to arrive in India in early 2019.