Toyota Fortuner vs Mahindra Thar, Isuzu V-Cross, Ford Endeavour & Jeep CJ3B in an off-road battle [Video]

Toyota Fortuner is the largest selling SUV in the segment, in India. There are many reasons as to why the Fortuner has an advantage over its competitors. Apart from the Toyota brand value, the Fortuner’s sleek looks and no-fuss maintenance makes it the king of the segment. But can it really be the king when it comes to hardcore off-roading? Here is a video of Jeep CJ3B, Toyota Fortuner 4X4 diesel automatic, a modified Mahindra Thar, Isuzu D-Max V-Cross and a modified older-gen Ford Endeavour with ARB air locker, that offers a comparison.

What’s happening here?

The video shows all the five cars facing different obstacles and challenges. While all the off-road spec SUVs are put through their paces, it is the Toyota Fortuner 4X4 automatic that completes all the challenges successfully. Even the old-gen Ford Endeavour that gets the ARB air-locker gets out of the game after the front differential conks off. But the new-generation Fortuner completed all the challenges without any problem whatsoever.

The Indian version of the Toyota Fortuner does not get a rear differential lock, which can be a major downside while doing hardcore offroading. But as seen here, even without the rear differential lock, the Toyota Fortuner manages to complete all the challenges whereas the other SUVs face problems in various obstacles.

The Fortuner gets the A-TRC system, which is an Active Traction Control system instead of the rear-wheel differential lock. The A-TRC system senses the traction loss in a wheel and applies the brake on that wheel automatically. This allows all the power to go to the other wheel of the axle. This works similar to the differential lock but the power delivery is not as smooth.

A lot of credit has to be given to the driver of the Toyota Fortuner too. The constant and smooth throttle input ensures that the car has enough power to overcome the challenge without digging holes at one spot. The Toyota Fortuner that we see here is in stock condition, which makes it even more interesting.

The car is powered by a 2.8-litre diesel engine that generates a maximum of 175 Bhp and 450 Nm. Interestingly, the engine produces 30 Nm more torque than the manual version. It gets a 6-speed automatic transmission with a low-ratio transfer case.

Video courtesy Anshuman Bishnoi