Toyota Fortuner

The rugged Fortuner has always struck a chord with Indian SUV buyers. The all-new second-generation model off-roader takes the game a big step ahead.

- Shapur Kotwal

The road that leads up the mountain fills me with dread. It’s only wide enough for a single car and there are sharp drops all along the way. But what really gives me the shivers is that the road isn’t consistently wide. There is a bit of a shoulder on each side, and this does provide some relief, but I’m wary of the blind corners. Trusting the other driver is not something I’m particularly comfortable doing here in Kerala, not with every third driver thinking he’s chasing a time on a rally stage.

What also makes this a particularly bad fit is the fact that the Fortuner isn’t exactly size zero. It’s wide enough around the hips to ‘break-the-internet’, it’s tall enough to brush low-lying branches and it’s so long, I’m genuinely worried about scraping its sculpted sides on some of the tighter corners here. What was Toyota thinking?

BREAKING GROUND

So, initially, I approach the road gingerly, on tippy toes. Yes, I’ve driven the new Fortuner before and I know it is a bit more agile, but this still feels like threading an elephant through an alley; it’s tight.

I crawl through the first few bends, and am almost at a standstill around some of the blind corners. So, progress isn’t easy or effortless initially. In addition, there are the potholes, hairpins, rock walls and overgrown bushes to contend with.