Toyota has updated the Hilux. What can we expect from the ever-unyielding workhorse?
Toyota offers the Hilux in the Netherlands with two different engines, the 2.4 liter diesel was already available and from now on there is also a 2.8 liter diesel. This Hilux is equipped with the new 2.8-liter diesel, which peaks at 204 hp and 500 Nm but is equally more economical than Toyota’s 2.4-liter. In eco mode, the 2.8 D-4D makes a somewhat sluggish impression. Things are smoother in power mode, the response to the accelerator pedal becomes more direct and the six-speed automatic transmission keeps one gear lower. The machine does its job adequately, although that does not exactly go with the silky smooth refinement of a Lexus. Keeping up with the traffic is fine, with this machine you are certainly not condemned to a permanent stay on the right lane. With only rear-wheel drive, the pick-up goes a long way off-road. However, vigilance is required. You will find here in vain electronics that distribute the drive forces over the four wheels fully automatically, as we are used to with luxury SUVs. You have to switch on the front wheels at your own discretion with a button on the center console. For example, you have to switch on the low-terrain ratio yourself or block the differential of the rear axle with the push of a button to keep things moving. The initiative always lies with you.
In class
A rigid rear axle with leaf springs is standard in this class. This is not ideal for handling, but it is the solution to be able to carry heavy loads under rotten conditions. Unladen, the Toyota is really tough. It gets smoother with the necessary kilos in the back. On hilly terrain, the Hilux wheels seem to stay in contact with the ground for a long time. A refined steering experience is hard to find with this car. The Toyota steers light and somewhat distant. Those who appreciate having the car do the work as much as possible: in terms of safety and assistance systems, the workhorse is perfectly in line with what we know from the average passenger car. Depending on the equipment level, the pick-ups are equipped with a reversing camera, an automatic emergency braking system, active cruise control and lane assistance. The Toyota electronics are also fine with the lesson. With an empty cargo bed, it takes little effort on wet roads to seduce the rear of the Hilux to step aside. However, an ESP intervention is already taking place before it gets that far.
No back seat
To respond as much as possible to individual needs, the Toyota is available with a single cabin, one and a half cabin or a double cabin. In the first case, you have a seat and a variety of storage compartments on either side of the center tunnel, that’s all. In the second case, the cabin is slightly longer but you still have two seats. You now have narrow rear doors (with the hinges at the rear) that provide access to the extra space between the seat backs and the cabin rear wall. We see the third variant (the double cabin) in this test with the Hilux. However, the full-fledged rear doors do not provide an easy entry for rear passengers, as there is no rear seat at all! In order to qualify for a gray license plate and the associated tax benefits, the length of the body is too short for the version with the double cabin. That is why in the Netherlands the rear seat is removed and you get – at the expense of the all-round view – a partition wall behind the front seats. Where normally the back seat is, you now have a neatly upholstered luggage space that is more generous than the trunk of many an adult station wagon and simply counts as cargo space for the tax authorities. This is ideal for items that you would rather not take with you in the large cargo box. Those who prefer the original rear seat will be served at Toyota by the way, but will have to pay a sloppy 30 mille extra.
The length of the bodies also varies with the length of the cabs. The total length of the car is always the same, regardless of the length of the cabin, namely 5.33 meters. Thus, the Hilux is available with body lengths varying from 1.5 to 2.3 meters. The Toyota is equipped with an – optional – roller shutter. This offers the advantage that you can also take items with you that protrude above the edge of the container if necessary. What is less pleasant is that the tray in which the hatch rolls up takes up the necessary space.
Sober
Everything in the cabin is focused on functionality. In the Hilux we only see a profile pressed into the plastic that reminds us of stitching in the distance. Finish and use of materials are aimed at staying whole for a long time, nothing more, nothing less. The layout of the dashboard is sober: instrument clusters, clearly readable analogue meters, it couldn’t be much clearer. Toyota uses a panel on the center console with unmissable physical buttons to operate the air conditioning. The Hilux has a mature multimedia system and its functionality is comparable to what we know from, for example, the Toyota Corolla.
The Hilux with short cab is only available in combination with the 2.4-liter engine with a manual gearbox and as a starter also only rear-wheel drive. With the 2.8-liter power source you always have 4WD and at least the half-long cabin. In combination with the automatic transmission, you then have a Hilux from € 55,673 including VAT, bpm and roadworthiness costs.