Toyota Hilux Review: The Invincible

Toyota India has promptly brought the new-gen Hilux to the country, proving that the Hilux is truly a global product. Since it will be a CKD and one of the four locations around the world where the Hilux will be assembled for the global market, India remains key for the Japanese carmaker. But in its current avatar, the Hilux is trying to capture the share of buyers who want a big pickup for their lifestyle rather than its utility. It may be the most formidable SUV out there for when the roads start to disappear, but most buyers won’t venture out of the concrete jungle most of its life. Or maybe use its pick-up bed more often than simply taking it to no man’s land. That’s where the 4x2 version will play a role. But for the rest of the line-up, what’s changed and is it enough to keep it relevant? Let’s find out

Exterior and Styling

When it comes to the styling, the new Hilux has truly gone modern. The fascia is now more imposing than before. Its sharper looks are faster and more athletic than the more rounded and chubby appearance of the outgoing generation. The tall nose isn’t something you’d want to see in your rear-view mirror. The sleek LED headlamps make it familiar to Toyota’s global design direction, but move to the side, and not much has changed. Not much has changed under the skin either, but we’ll talk about it in a few minutes.

The dimensions remain unchanged, so does the twin-cab body, the bed length and the overall wheelbase and height. The alloy wheel size has gone down by one inch, and that will upset a few buyers, but true enthusiasts know that doesn’t matter one bit. There are six colour options.

At the back, the new tail lamp signature makes it feel modern. But the rear bumper design is where Toyota has shown its ingenuity. Long-time owners complained that there’s no easy way to get in the loading bay, so Toyota carved out a step into the bumper design to solve that problem. Simple and brilliant, just the way it should be.

Interior and Features

When you get inside, there’s that feeling of towering over everything else on the road. That’s why you buy a large pick-up in the first place, right? But then you look at the dashboard laid out up front. It’s a typical Japanese affair – no fuss, more function. The steering wheel is large but doesn’t adjust for reach. It has physical buttons, more than we are used to. And they feel soft to operate and a bit bland to feel. More tactile and richer feel to it (like piano finish, or contrast inserts) would have helped. But I think Toyota knows what they are doing here. Behind it sits a basic all-digital driver’s display which gives you only the necessary information, and nothing more.

The centre cascading console has physical buttons, but again the cabin feels more utilitarian and could do with richer inserts and fancier materials. The floating touchscreen isn’t something to write home about either. The seats offer good support and have a bigger scope of adjustment, but it's all manual, and no leatherette, just cloth upholstery here.

The second row isn’t improved over the outgoing model either. There’s an upright bench, just enough legroom, decent headroom and two USBs, AC vents and cupholders as the only creature comforts at the back. This is one place where I thought the new-generation Hilux would improve upon, but that’s not the case.

Powertrain and Performance

As I had mentioned earlier, not a lot has changed under the skin. Globally, you get a mild hybrid now, but here Toyota continues to offer the trusty 2.8-litre GDI four-cylinder diesel making almost 200bhp and 500Nm. It has undergone slight revision, which makes it feel more relaxed and refined at highway speeds. But that’s all you need to know about the engine. It's reliable. Can outlast generations. And is capable of changing world history.

But the steering is where Toyota could have made some changes. Globally, you get electronic power steering now, but still not in India. So it continues to feel heavy at slow speeds. That said, it’s on the highway where it feels effortless, more communicative and easier-going than before. The suspension setup is also revised, but it still feels like a trusty ol’ ladder-frame setup. Its damping is now more sophisticated, preventing it from bottoming out and stabilising quicker than before.

And as for its off-road credentials. If you have to ask, you know nothing about the Hilux.

Verdict

For an on-road price of almost Rs 44 lakh, there are many better choices out there. But not half of them, err… most of them can achieve half of what the Hilux has achieved, and what this one is capable of. For over six decades, this name has been slowly turning the wheels of the world without us even knowing about it. In India, we treat it as a big chunk of metal that few prefer to take to their farmhouse on any long weekend they can manage too.

Some actually use it for off-roading or hauling stuff the way it is supposed to. But the fact remains that the Hilux isn’t for everyone. The new one is trying to change that fact a bit by offering the 4x2 derivative, but more on it when we drive that one. In the Hilux scheme of things, this was a good opportunity for Toyota to offer the higher variant, especially when they are marking it as a lifestyle vehicle. And that’s the only complaint we can have with it. For everything else, the name is enough.

Pictures by Vaibhav Dhanawade