Toyota Fortuner STUCK in mud shows why even 4X4 can’t save a SUV with wrong tyres

Although SUVs are quite common in India, only a small portion of SUV buyers actually explore the capabilities of their SUVs. Yes, we are talking about off-roading. Unlike western countries, off-roading is yet to become popular among Indian audience. There are several SUV owners group and off-road groups who take SUVs to unexplored territories to showcase the capabilities of their vehicles. Some of them are heavily modified for off-road while many of them remain stock. Technique and equipment play a crucial role during off-roading and here we have a video that shows why even a 4×4 SUV can get stuck if you are not using the right tyres.

The video has been uploaded by Santosh Hegde on his YouTube channel. This is an old video where a pre-facelift Toyota Fortuner gets stuck in mud. When the video starts, the SUV was already in mud and the driver was trying to get it out. Video does not share whether the driver intentionally took the SUV to mud to show off Fortuner’s off-road capability or unintentionally got stuck.

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This is a 4×4 Toyota Fortuner and first thing that you would notice is that it looks like a brand new SUV. The mud where the Fortuner is stuck is so sticky that the wheels are not able to find any grip. Toyota Fortuner comes with Highway Terrain tyres and that is of no use in such conditions. These tyres are not apt for off-roading. An All-Terrain Tyre of MT tyres would have been great in this situation.

The driver has already engaged 4×4 but, the wheels are unable to find traction. The driver takes SUV to the front and then reverses it to create a path. He slowly starts making progress. The tyres can be seen spinning freely in the mud. Toyota Fortuner is a heavy SUV and the one seen in the video also had occupants in it. In such situations, it is always a good idea to ask occupant to get out of the vehicle.

The Fortuner had ample ground clearance and for the same reason, it was not getting anywhere. The driver finally made progress and started moving forward. As he moved ahead, the SUV gets stuck in even more sticky mud. By this time, a person who looks like a local had arrived at the spot and started helping the Fortuner driver. He guided the Fortuner driver to avoid deeper sections and after several tries the SUV finally came out of the mud.

Fortuner is a very capable SUV and we have seen the same in several online videos. The reason why it was difficult for Fortuner to get out of the mud in this videos was simply because of the tyres. If the owner had fitted it with AT tyres, it would have been much more easier for them.

There was no backup vehicle in this video which is not a good idea. If the Fortuner was not lucky enough to get the vehicle out from the mud, he along with other occupants would have been stranded there. It is always recommended to have a backup vehicle when you are driving in such terrains. If anything goes wrong, back up vehicle can actually pull you out of the situation.

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