SUVs are in much demand in South Africa, but let’s explore which is the recent top-selling one in South Africa and how safe it is.
Toyota Fortuner, the top-selling SUV1,2
This SUV was the top-selling SUV of 10 SUVs in December 2019. The going price then was R506 600. The Fortuner will take you on great adventures. It’s available as a 4×4 or a 4×2 drivetrain, powered by either a petrol or diesel engine that is married to a 6-speed manual gearbox, or 6-speed automatic transmission.
The Toyota Fortuner in more detail3
This SUV is now into its second generation.3 The Fortuner’s incredible success can be attributed to its whole design. In one aspect it is like a very well-built Toyota commercial vehicle, while it also has a robust ladder-frame chassis. The Fortuner has been designed like this for many years before it eventually arrived to South Africa’s shores in 2006.
‘Trekker’, the forerunner of the Toyota Fortuner3
The design of the Fortuner is based on the third-generation ‘Trekker’ in 1981. What appealed to the South Africans is that the Fortuner exemplifies a great combination of ruggedness as well as practicality. It is quite different from the Hilux, and has the image of a smaller family SUV. Almost from the outset, the Fortuner took off to be in the top-ten. All Fortuners offer 7 seats as standard, while the last row folds towards the rear of the vehicle when not used.
Let’s explore the various safety aspects of this SUV.
A jam-protection function in the back door2
A jam-protection mechanism in the back door picks up anything that is in the way. It achieves this via pulses transmitted from the door motors when the door is opened or closed.2
Alarm system2
To prevent theft, any intrusion to the Fortuner including breaking glass, sets off a siren. The SUV is also equipped with an immobiliser.
Door locks2
The automatic door locks are initiated when the Fortuner reaches a certain speed, while child locks for the rear doors are standard.
Airbags2
The Fortuner has curtain airbags, which are critical in preventing head damage in an accident. A standard fitting is an airbag each for the front driver and passenger. The driver also has an airbag to protect the knees.
Safety belts2
Recently fitted Isofix safety belts control the point of tension compared to the impact.
ABS brakes and EBD provide crucial safety2
The anti-locking braking system (ABS) and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) provide excellent stability to the SUV in an emergency.
VSC provides additional stability2
Vehicle-stability control (VSC) ensures that when the Fortuner is moving, there is sufficient stability to prevent the initiation of any of the emergency mechanisms.
No matter how safe the Fortuner may be while travelling or in an accident, it still requires the protection of sufficient insurance cover. Perhaps consider affordable car insurance with PMD, which includes unique benefits such as reduce to zero excess* and fixed premiums*. So why not contact them to find out more? *T’s and C’s apply.
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
Sources:
2https://www.toyota.co.za/specs-compare/fortuner?model=A41