Motoring speak is often like a foreign language—what with all the acronyms! So it was with great interest that I accepted an invitation to drive a “B-SUV”. Now, we all know and understand the term Sports Utility Vehicle and we’ve come to accept the Americanism (SUV) to describe these station wagon 4x4’s that mostly populate the car parks in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. But a B-SUV? I thought back to my early days as an employee of Nissan, when we cut the rear cab off a “bakkie” and literally glued a fiberglass “wagon“ section with a rear door on. That invention became the station wagon 4x4, known and loved by South Africans as the Sani. Today there are still many Sanis on the road, which is a glowing testament to South African ingenuity. Suddenly I realized what B-SUV meant! It meant I was going to be driving a SUV that has been derived from a “bakkie”— in this case Toyota’s new Foretuner, derived from the highly successful Hilux. The Fortuner model I drove was the face-lifted turbo diesel derivative, which now boasts larger 17” tyres and comes with vehicle stability control (VSC, if you will) and a revised rear suspension.

I was impressed at how well built this vehicle is and the quality of the finishes it offered — even though the trim (which originates in Thailand) is a bit light in colour for my taste. This light interior is all the rage in the East and the consolation is that any serious off-roader is going to fit seat covers anyway. Nevertheless, this car offers serious value for money when compared to other vehicles in this price range. The turbo motor puts out a respectable 120kW with 343 Nm of torque at 1400rpm, which is excellent for off-roading and towing. It has permanent 4WD with low range and both centre and rear diff–locks. Externally, the styling is pleasing to the eye, yet maintains the authentic looks of a true off-road vehicle.

The stance is aggressive and the 220mm ground clearance is more than adequate. Pleasing too are the Bridgestone tyres which are readily available across SA and Africa. But, cutting to the chase, what’s it like to drive? Considering that it had rained solidly for four days prior to me driving the vehicle, the route was interesting to say the least. There were some nice fast tar sections, good gravel and a tight off-road trail! On tar the vehicle was impeccable with passenger car-like road holding and on gravel it handled well with the VSC (see earlier acronym) ironing out the tendency to kick the back out when cornering or hitting a verge. The rear suspension has been noticeably tweaked and was near impossible to get the back to drift out at any speed. Off-road handling was impressive and wheel articulation was adequate and even though the trail featured some tight turns, axle twisters and steep slopes it wasn’t necessary to engage the rear locker. In fact, I enjoyed myself so much that I begged to do this section over and over again!

Interior space is adequate and the driver’s seat adjustment, which even allows height adjustment, is cool. When used as a seven seater though, the space is tight but having the ability to carry extra passengers is a great mom and dad option when hauling kids off to soccer or parties. And at 80 litres, the fuel tank is adequate for local travel but a serious off-roader will have to supplement this with roof mounted jerry-cans or a long range tank.

In summary, I enjoyed the day I spent with the Toyota Fortuner and honestly feel it offers good value to a consumer, while being a highly capable off-roader able to tackle the best that Africa can throw at you!