When it comes to midsize SUVs, it’s practically a no-brainer to choose a diesel-powered model over something with a gas engine, at least in the local setting. Either way, you won’t have much of a choice here since there are no gas/petrol options in the popular pickup-platform vehicle class. Sure, Toyota hung on to it a little bit longer, but eventually dropped the 2.7-liter VVT-i a few years ago.
But in other parts of the world, there is still a demand for gas-fed midsize SUVs. Case in point, the Middle East market has V6-powered versions of two popular SUVs over there, namely, the Mitsubishi Montero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner.
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For our readers based in the Middle East, this isn’t new to them. After all, gas-powered midsize and large SUVs are the norm in that region. But for readers here, it’s a fascinating thing to know and piques one’s curiosity. So, how much power do the V6 versions of these popular SUVs put out? Let’s start with the Montero Sport.
The Montero Sport V6 uses a 3.0-liter unit that’s good for 215hp and 285Nm of torque. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s essentially the same engine in the short-lived Montero Sport MIVEC V6 sold locally about a decade ago. While it’s way ahead of the diesel in terms of horsepower, the V6’s torque is far away from the 2.4-liter MIVEC turbodiesel’s 430Nm. And while having six cylinders won’t win any fuel economy awards anytime soon, at least this V6-powered Montero Sport benefits from the diesel’s eight-speed automatic. That should help it claw back a few kilometers per liter.
But if you want even more power, you’ll have to take a look at the Toyota Fortuner V6. For starters, the Toyota packs an even bigger 4.0-liter mill shared with the gas-powered Prado. Okay, the Fortuner V6 doesn’t get the full 271hp and 381Nm rating from its bigger brother. It’s detuned for the Fortuner, bringing down the power to 235hp and 376Nm of torque. That gives the six-pot Fortuner a 34hp advantage over the 2.8-liter diesel, but down by 124Nm in terms of torque. That said, it’s still a lot beefier than the Mitsubishi, especially when it comes to torque, and it’s all thanks to the larger engine capacity.
There’s zero chance of the V6-powered Fortuner and Montero Sport ever coming to the Philippines. After all, these SUVs are sold in countries where fuel is cheap, and remains less expensive compared to everywhere else. But still, it’s fascinating to see that large engine options exist for these popular SUVs.
If any of our kabayans over in the Middle East have any experience with these SUVs, we would love to hear from you.
