Toyota Fortuner voted 'Best Small SUV' by Autocar Middle East

The award was open to any Small SUV that had been launched, or face-lifted, during the period January - November, 2005. From the vehicles that met this criterion, the independent panel of judges selected five finalists. The independent judging panel was made up of motoring journalists, and motor industry Executives from the Middle East and Europe.

The five finalists were then statically judged on a wide range of key criteria, including their build quality, quality of paintwork, quality of the interior, specification levels, luggage carrying capacity, interior space, font and rear legroom, ease of passenger access, clarity of instrumentation, their prices, and many more criteria.

The winning finalist, was then test driven at the Dubai Autodrome, where it was assessed on additional criteria, including driveability, cornering, handling, acceleration, braking, ride and comfort, and how well overall the vehicle met the needs of the consumers for whom it was designed.

Tony Barlow, the General Manager of Sales & Marketing at Al-Futtaim Motors, said that he was extremely pleased that the new Totoya Fortuner had been selected for this prestigious award by Autocar Middle East.

"With the Fortuner, the all new RAV 4 that we launched at the Dubai Motorshow, and the very strong customer loyalty to the existing Land Cruiser and Prado ranges, we are confident that our extended range of SUVs will meet the continually changing needs of UAE motorists, and provide them with even more choice. We are experiencing high customer demand for the Fortuner, and this strong stable of thoroughbred SUVs will help ensure our continued overall market leadership in the SUV sector."