Toyota Hilux
Toyota Hilux
For many people the Hilux is more than just a vehicle; it enables them to reach the next village a few hundred miles away, transport valuable supplies and ensure that they don’t get stranded in the middle of nowhere.
And it’s this last quality that has afforded the Hilux such a wide fanbase. Toyota is synonymous with reliability, and the chunky all-rounder that is the Hilux is reliability and durability personified.
With all this talk of durability and reliability, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Hilux is a dull, characterless tool. Not so. In its latest incarnation Toyota’s best-selling pick-up boasts rounded corners, high levels of refinement and SUV-like responsiveness.
Toyota’s not stupid when it comes to marketing this Hilux. It knows that not all prospective buyers will use it solely as a work tool. The boom in ‘lifestyle’ recreational pick-ups has grown in recent years, and it wants a chunk of the market.
The SUV-like driving behaviour is part of the package, as is a car-like interior complete with car-like creature comforts and safety kit. Then there are the EU4 compliant diesel engines, especially the 169bhp 3.0-litre unit.
Now, most people will likely go for the Hilux with the 2.5-litre, 118bhp diesel engine. The smaller unit gifts the Hilux a smaller price tag yet is more than adequate for general tasks. But with the lifestyle angle in mind, the bigger unit affords the Hilux an increased towing capacity for those jetskis or a boat and makes long distance cruising a more relaxed activity. Factor in an optional four-speed auto gearbox for the 3.0-litre variant and you’ve got yourself a rugged all-rounder with the ability to stomp through rough terrain one minute and simmer with fellow travellers the next on the urban commute.
How do I know this? I know because I’ve done the off-roading, pounded highways and, crucially, travelled along unsurfaced roads at speeds that would be silly in anything other than a proper four-wheel drive vehicle. Fortunately the Hilux is just that - a proper four-wheel drive vehicle.
But I never slummed it. Thanks to a decent stereo, airbags, electric windows and anti-lock brakes I could have been in a regular middle order ’soft-roader’. Only I don’t think a ‘faux-wheel drive’ car would have coped as well with rutted tracks, stone-strewn slopes and the aforementioned dirt roads. I just stuck the Hilux in four-wheel drive (high and low ratio) and got on with the task in hand.
And the tasks were made all the more challenging by extreme heat, lots of dust and the interesting behaviour of some fellow road users - especially the four-legged ones. Yup, we’re not in Blight anymore. Try South Africa for size, the reason being that Toyota has a major factory out there.
Here’s the thing: for all the wildlife spotted (plenty), unusual cuisine (ditto) and stunning scenery, after many days behind the wheel the Hilux impressed. This pick-up is no bucking bronco on the road and is no more agricultural in behaviour than a conventional SUV.
It’s swift enough in 3.0-litre guise to be able to easily keep up with regular traffic, happily hums along at motorway speeds and boasts enough in reserve for towing or hauling a heavy load thanks to the engine’s generous 343Nm of torque from 1,400rpm.
You can use it day in, day out - I did - without feeling like it’s a big compromise. If you want the best all-rounder you’re going to have to get a Hilux - 12 million users can’t be wrong. Safe, economical, reliable and good value, the single and extra cab variants might be the traditional workhorses but the 3.0-litre Double Cab successfully bridges the lifestyle gap.
A Mars bar might have once helped you to ‘Work, Rest and Play’, but I know of something that’ll last longer and won’t ruin your appetite.
Verdict: Rugged Hilux offers credible alternative to an SUV for active lifestyle types
Please distribute so others can see reviews: :Welcome to the unofficial Toyota UK site, with New and Used Toyota Car reviews, articles, blog, forum, owners and other Toyota information.
