The Fort is heavier than the Innova by about 150 kg, but that's not the biggest reason why these MT Fort drivers had a hard time going up Baguio. I've driven heavier and weaker cars up slopes that are steeper than Baguio's.

The usual reason why MT drivers feel their diesel car is too weak is because they don't compensate for turbo lag.

A heavy car with a full load on an incline will be greatly affected by turbo lag (usually anything below 1500 rpm for turbodiesels). To compensate, you have to ride the clutch a little and make sure to launch above 1500 rpm from an inclined standstill. Most drivers simply release the clutch as they would on a flat road, which will obviously result in bogging down if done on an incline.

If you would observe an automatic in the same situation, the car would also launch at a higher rpm. The transmission is smart enough to know that the engine doesn't generate enough torque at low revs to have the necessary momentum. Most people don't notice since they just step on the pedal like they always do and it's the car that adjusts.

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