Toyota Hilux

Hilux is still hard as nails – but now with a touch of refinement, too

The Toyota Hilux has developed a sensitive side to go with its macho image, says Andrew Walker

At the beginning of 2021, the choice of pick-ups on offer to potential UK customers shrunk with the demise of the VW Amarok and Mercedes-Benz X-Class, to be joined in the not too distant future by the Mitsubishi L200. The good news for pick-up fans is that the daddy of them all, the Toyota Hilux, has just been improved and we got to try one out recently.

In essence, the new Hilux is now offered with a new 2.8-litre powertrain, offering improved performance both on and off-road. Inside, the range features improved instrumentation and multimedia technology, with Toyota plainly aiming to cash in on the lifestyle sector through the Hilux Invincible X, which gains bespoke styling and premium equipment features.

Hilux’s frontal design has a completely new look, with a more powerful, three-dimensional treatment of the grille and bumper. According to model grade, new front and rear LED light clusters are available, plus 18” alloy wheels with a contrast machined/ black finish. There is also a striking new colour option – Titan Bronze metallic.

The upgraded cabin features a new-design instrumentation with an 8” multimedia screen mounted on the centre console. The multimedia system has faster software and screen response and also enables easy smartphone integration using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Where practicality is concerned, Hilux’s one-tonne payload and 3.5-tonne towing capacity are delivered across all three body types: Single Cab, Extra Cab and Double Cab.

Customers can also choose from a wide range of accessories to personalise their Hilux and equip it to suit their specific work or leisure requirements. Items include a range of hard tops and roll covers, a locking tailgate and a 12V power supply mounted on the deck.

Hilux’s powertrain range has been bolstered by the addition of a more powerful 201bhp 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine, which generates 500Nm of torque and can accelerate Hilux from 0-62mph in 10 seconds – up to 3.2 seconds faster than the current 2.4-litre unit.

The new powertrain is available with six-speed manual or automatic transmission and all UK versions have all-wheel drive, with off-road performance enhanced with the lowering of engine speed at idle from 850 to 680rpm. The vehicle stability control has also been updated and a new tyre angle monitor has been adopted.

In order to capitalise on the lifestyle pick-up sector, Toyota’s engineers focused on improving on-road comfort, while preserving its legendary off-road capabilities. Hilux remains one of the few vehicles to still use a body-on- frame construction, a design that is hard-wearing and better able to withstand the twisting forces encountered in extreme off-road driving.

Comfort and driveability have been enhanced through improvements to the suspension and power steering. The front and rear shock absorbers have been retuned, there’s an improved leaf spring design and new bushing.

We were testing the range topping Invincible X, 6-speed manual, finished in Titan Bronze. Invincible X comes with Toyota Safety Sense, which is a pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, road sign assist and automatic limited-slip differential.

Standard pick-up fixtures, also include emergency brakeforce distribution, vehicle stability control, trailer sway control, downhill assist control, active traction control and hill-start assist control.

While the improvements to the Hilux are aimed at making it more on-road friendly, there’s no doubting it’s ‘hard as nails’ off-road capabilities. Our NGMW colleague (http:// themudlife.co.uk), who knows the North West’s green lanes better than most, proved this with some proper workouts, while CC&V took a longer look at its improved on-road credentials.

A good place to begin is on the motorway. The Invincible X featured a six-speed manual gear box and to be fair, it’s pretty good. The gear change gates are short, making the shift into sixth-gear easy and once up to motorway speed, adaptive cruise control which comes with the X, makes short work of the motorway miles. And, unlike many similar systems it’s really simple to engage. The 2.8 engine is quieter than the 2.4 version as well.

What impressed us most was the Invincible X’s road holding, which even on tight motorway bends was exemplary. The improvements to the suspension and power steering also shine through, making the latest Hilux far more driver friendly.

In town, or driving along more local roads, Invincible X shows improved road manners with little or no body roll nor bouncing, things that the previous version could sometimes be guilty of. Of course, any pick-up will always feel more stable as well as more comfortable with a sizeable load in the rear. Thanks to lockdown, we had to make do with just a click and collect from IKEA, transporting 50kg of cabinets to try this out, utilising the lashings in the floor to stop them shifting around.

As far as fuel economy goes, Invincible X has a claimed economy of 31.3 – 32.8 mpg. Driving in sub-zero temperatures in February, we averaged 27.8 mpg, so a little below but not entirely unexpected as most of our work was motorway miles.

If Toyota was aiming to make the latest Hilux more car-like to drive, then it’s succeeded. The new 2.8 engine is definitely a more refined motorway cruiser, which if you’re in one every day, has to be a good thing. We couldn’t fault the more comfortable ride, better equipped cabin and latest safety and infotainment either.

CC&V VERDICT

Toyota has succeeded in making the Hilux more car-like inside and more refined as a whole. But don’t worry, it’s still got the off-road grunt that means it will go places where others fear to tread. CC&V RATING: N N N N N