Toyota Fortuner Legender

Launched in 2021, the Toyota Fortuner Legender was placed as a premium variant above the standard Fortuner. It came with fancier Lexus-like styling and added features over the standard version. Fast forward to 2025, Toyota has updated the Legender nameplate with the option of a mild-hybrid 4x4 powertrain and some new features to help it justify its mighty Rs 50 lakh + price tag. But is that upgrade enough for you to pick the Legender over other more sophisticated and premium rivals like the Skoda Kodiaq and Jeep Meridian? Let’s find out:

One thing that is guaranteed with the Toyota Fortuner Legender is sheer presence. It looks beefy and butch and has plenty of road presence – not merely because of its size, but also because of its Lexus-like fascia, dual-tone alloys and the Audi-like dynamic indicators.

It has an angry face with its arresting waterfall-like lighting pattern on the quad LED headlights and the gloss black trims, which form a sweet ‘X’ shape as it extends from headlamps and into the bumpers. The bumpers house the LED fog flights and daytime running lamps that double up as turn indicators.

The SUV stands tall in profile with a flat gloss black roofline and tapered chrome window line. It also gets chrome finished outside door handles, which look elegant with its 18-inch alloy wheels. The 4x2 variant gets smaller 17-inch alloy wheels.

Compared to the front, the rear has a similar design to the standard Fortuner. The changes come in the form of a black skid plate, sporty L-shaped inserts on the rear bumper and a gloss black strip connecting the tail lamps.

In terms of colour options, there are none. You only get the choice of one single pearl white shade with a black roof, and we do wish Toyota offered some more shades for the Legender in India. For reference, markets overseas get multiple options, including a bright red or dark grey body colour with a black roof.

Overall, if making a statement ranks high on your priority list, the Legender should suit you just fine. The big money that you spend on it won’t get you premium or chic looks, but it does get you unparalleled road presence.

Design and Quality

The cabin of the Toyota Fortuner Legender follows the same design as the standard Fortuner, but with a different dual tone black and maroon theme, which feels premium and sporty. The cabin feels rugged with a strong and reassuringly solid build quality, but misses out on that premium feel that you would expect at this price point.

There’s no soft touch materials on the dashboard, but you do get smooth leather wrap for the steering wheel and the plush leatherette upholstery. Even the centre console gets a leatherette wrap and the ambient lighting integration does add some suave.

Front Seats

Despite the side steps, getting in and out will require some effort, especially for elderly people. But once inside, I found the front seats to be large and supportive, ensuring comfort during long drives. The front armrest also aids in long-distance comfort and power adjustment for the driver seat (including height adjustment) along with tilt and telescopic steering adjustment makes it convenient to set the desired driving position. 

Even in the lowest setting, you sit tall and tower over almost everything else on the road, which is a reassuring feeling to have, especially for newer drivers who might be worried about the size of the vehicle.

Rear Seats

Second Row

The second row has ample space for all kinds of passengers, but three people won’t be very comfortable on long journeys. I appreciate the slide and recline function which helps improve space and comfort. If there’s nobody in the third row, you can push the seats all the way back and have generous space in the second row to easily sit crossed legged. There’s no scarcity in terms of the sense of space either; and that is despite the missing sunroof.

Third Row

As for the third row, it is fairly simple to get inside with one touch tumble function for the second row. Adults can actually sit here if required. However, be prepared for a lack of underthigh support as one tends to sit in a ‘knees up’ position. Headroom too is strictly adequate. Naturally, kids and pets will be a lot more comfortable here. 

Storage & Practicality

Storage spaces inside the Fortuner Legender are adequate for a family of five. For your water bottles, there are door pockets on all four doors. There are two small cupholders hidden away in the central console as well. The dashboard gets dual gloveboxes, while you get storage underneath the central armrest too. The upper glove compartment gets a cooling function as well.

Rear passengers can make use of the seat back pockets to store their magazines or tablets, while they get a slot in the central tunnel in between the seats to store their phone. They also get two retractable cupholders in the central armrest. Both the seat backs also feature hooks which can be used to hang loose items. Third row passengers only get an open space on the left side of the body trim.

Charging Options

The front occupants in the Legender get a USB port and a 12-V socket. The rear passengers get two type-C charging ports. There is also a wireless phone charger available for the front passengers.

Overall, the Fortuner’s cabin might miss out on that rich feel that its rivals offer, but there are no issues in terms of space and practicality. The quality is acceptable and in fact, the build feels so solid that you won’t feel bad in case your usage is a little rough and tough.

Features 

The Fortuner and even the Legender were always lagging behind in terms of the creature comforts on offer, and that stays true even after the latest update for the Legender nameplate. 

For the infotainment system, it gets an 8-inch unit, which isn’t only smaller than what you get in cars that cost a quarter of the price, but the experience of using it also feels outdated. The resolution isn’t as crisp as you’d expect, and the response times are also a bit laggy. Even Android Auto and Apple Carplay are wired, not wireless. The 4x2 diesel AT variant gets an average 6-speaker sound, the range topping variants feature a 11-speaker JBL sound system which offers a good sound experience.

As for the driver’s display, there’s a small MID display between the analogue dials. It might not look modern, but is functional and gets the job done. 

With the recent update, Toyota has also added a 360-degree camera to the features list, which comes as a welcome addition, especially considering the massive size of the vehicle. Rookie drivers will appreciate it while parking the car into tight spaces.

Another highlight is front seat ventilation, which functions as intended. You can select between three fan speeds. This works silently and quickly cools your back on a warm day.

All the safety features in the Fortuner Legender are offered as standard, irrespective of the drivetrain. The list includes seven airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, hill-hold control and ISOFIX child seat mounts. 

The Fortuner has not been crash tested by GlobalNCAP or BharatNCAP. However, in a crash test conducted by the ASEAN NCAP in 2021, it received a full-five star rating for both adult occupant and child occupant protection.

With all the three rows up, the Legender’s boot space is good enough only for a few laptop bags or small suitcases. But the boot space offers a lot of flexibility with a 50:50 split and flip up third row. The seats can also be stowed away on the side, which opens up a lot of space. 

Even the second row gets a 60:40 split, after folding which, you won’t even need packers and movers to shift houses in case you need to.

The Legender is available with a single diesel engine — a 2.8-litre, four-cylinder engine that’s available with a manual or automatic. There’s an optional ‘mild hybrid’ version on offer as well, available only with the automatic. 

And finally, the new addition is the mild-hybrid powertrain, which makes use of a 2.8-litre diesel engine paired with a 48V mild hybrid system. It gets a 6-speed automatic transmission, which can send power to all four wheels (4x4).

City Performance

With upto 500Nm of torque being practically available throughout the RPM range, the Fortuner Legender is effortless to drive in the city. The automatic provides for a smooth experience in the city and even if you put the car into ‘Eco’ drive mode, the dull throttle response is good enough for regular city commutes.

In fact, it’ll also help you with the fuel efficiency, as you can expect a figure of around 10kmpl if you drive it sensibly. Not too bad for a big and heavy automatic SUV.

Highway Performance

This diesel engine offers adequate performance on the highway too. In gear acceleration is strong, thanks to the loads of torque, which helps in making those high speed overtakes.

You might feel a delay from the automatic transmission when you want a quick downshift, but you can use the paddle shifters to drop a gear timely and make that overtake quickly.

This engine will return you a fuel efficiency of around 14kmpl on the highway.

Note: Legender NeoDrive 

This powertrain combination is perfect for people who are a little fuel conscious, but at the same time don’t want to sacrifice on the effortless and capable traits of the Fortuner’s diesel 4x4 combination. The mild-hybrid Fortuner Legender is expected to be slightly more fuel efficiency compared to the non-hybrid versions. You can expect 1-2kmpl extra overall.

Ride Quality

The Legender’s ability to go over bad or non-existent roads effortlessly never ceases to amaze me. There’s only some side to side movement over the rough stuff, which is acceptable for a ladder-frame SUV. But it otherwise cushions you over regular speed breakers and potholes really well.

With a generous amount of ground clearance, you don’t really need to slow down for bad roads at all and the car won’t mind if you went flat out over bad or even non-existent roads. 

The 2WD Legender is more than capable of taking you practically everywhere, but you will need the 4WD system if you get really adventurous. Deep sand, snow, and heavy muck is tackled with ease in the low range drive mode.

Handling

Despite its stature, the Fortuner Legender is surprisingly easy to drive in the city. The steering is slightly heavy, and is a little slow to turn directions. So you do have to turn in more than you would in a regular SUV, but it doesn’t take a lot of learning to adapt to.

It handles like any big SUV. There is significant body roll if you’re taking corners at a fast speed, but it gives you enough confidence to go hustling up a ghat.

To sum up the ride and handling of the Fortuner Legender, it has this indestructible, go-anywhere feel that none of its rivals offer. Sure, it might not be the epitome of comfort, but its 4x4 capabilities and ruggedness offers an unparalleled freedom.

The Toyota Fortuner Legender is offered in a single variant only. However, you have multiple drivetrains to choose from.

The Legender builds on the Fortuner’s robust reputation and brings a unique look to the package. It doesn’t have the hi-tech features or the comfort of a few of its rivals, but its sense of reliability and ability to go on tirelessly are hugely appealing. However, justifying its premium for the few additional features or the new mild-hybrid system is tough, and the only real difference over the standard Fortuner comes in the form of visual differences. If you don’t mind paying the hefty premium for those attributes, then you can consider the Legender.

Other cars to consider instead of the Toyota Fortuner Legender

Jeep Meridian

Reasons to consider

• More premium and feature loaded

• More affordable

• More comfortable ride

Reasons to ignore

• No petrol option

• Limited space in the third row

MG Gloster

Reasons to consider

• Spacious third row

• Rich features list

• Better ride comfort in the city

Reasons to ignore

• No petrol option