Monday 10th November

New 'tough and agile' Toyota Hilux revealed

An electric Hilux is here for the first time - and hydrogen is coming soon

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Everyone makes a pickup these days, but only Toyota makes a Hilux. There aren’t many other nameplates on four wheels so famously associated with durability, robustness and no-nonsense ability; you don’t get to create an ‘Invincible’ trim level (and people accept it) without a good few years of being unburstable. So this latest, ninth-generation Hilux (one more than the Porsche 911, in fact) doesn’t attempt to rewrite the pickup rules. It’s just aiming to be a better one than what came before, as well as the glut of alternatives. 

This will also be the most electric Hilux there’s ever been. As part of Toyota’s multi-pathway ultimate people pleaser approach, and as previewed last year, there will be a hydrogen fuel cell Hilux launched at about the same time as BMW’s hydrogen X5 (the two having partnered on FCEV tech for more than a decade now.) It will sit alongside the familiar 2.8 diesel (which has some 48v mild hybrid assistance) plus a new Hilux EV, which is part of the range from launch. 

While Toyota is keen to point out that battery power has been achieved ‘without sacrificing any of the model’s renowned Quality, Durability and Reliability (heaven forbid), the specs sound modest by electric car standards: it’s expected to have 1,600kg of towing capacity, 150 miles of range and 59.2kWh of battery in its belly. No doubt it’ll reach the end of the earth as any Hilux might, complete with the same 700mm wading depth as a combustion truck, but with less torque than the diesel, the Hilux BEV looks like being a small seller in the range. Let’s see. 

As for the 2.8, it hasn’t changed much given the introduction of mild hybrid tech earlier this year; Toyota says that other engines will be offered ‘in Eastern European markets only, ensuring regional customer needs are catered for’, so there really will be a Hilux for everybody. Regional variation even extends to steering; the Hiluxes sold here will get electric power steering, to make it easier to drive in the city and off the beaten track, but once more those Hiluxes in Eastern Europe will get a hydraulic setup. Strange. Maybe a committed bunch of Hilux purists out there…

Toyota suggests the Hilux redesign is ‘tough and agile’, so the front end gets an angrier appearance (complete with the old school ‘TOYOTA’ font) and the electric truck gets its own look. The bigger refresh has been inside, said to benefit from a Land Cruiser-style ‘all-round elevation in sensory quality’. So hopefully everything will feel, look and maybe even smell a bit nicer; screens are now up to 12.3-inches for both driver and dash, there are more USB ports than before and safety features are everywhere, from Low Speed Acceleration Suppression to Safe Exist Assist. More will follow over the air in time; told you this was a throughout modern makeover of the Hilux. 

The new truck will only be offered as a double cab (even in Eastern Europe), because that’s overwhelmingly the most popular model. Expect info on UK prices and availability some time in the new year, probably with an increase over the current £44k that an Invincible kicks off at. Soon after that will surely follow another Arctic Trucks overhaul…

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• UK-built Toyota Hilux FCEV begins testing
• Toyota Hilux gets new Dakar-inspired makeover

[sneezer212]

A vehicle designed for the public sector and their contractors. Network rail, here we come.

[andy43]

sneezer212 said:

A vehicle designed for the public sector and their contractors. Network rail, here we come.

After the changes on BIK and double cabs for businesses, yep, the public sector will be the only buyers apart from the EV versions which might sell quite well to businesses until the next tax change is dreamt up.

[fooman]

'Tough and agile' look like the same pointless kind of surpuralitives that get put on food packaging these days 'sweet and crunchy' salad 'smooth and crramy' cheese etc.

[Motormouth88]

Have always loved a Hilux…not anymore

[Night Owl]

fooman said:

'Tough and agile' look like the same pointless kind of surpuralitives that get put on food packaging these days 'sweet and crunchy' salad 'smooth and crramy' cheese etc.

It's inversion, because it is less tough and less agile than previous ICE equivalents.

Inversion is everywhere these days.

[siony1974]

These double cabs are seen more on the school run than the tip run. Look at the accessories pages for all these double cabs and they are all 'lifestyle' options not work options. The load bed is fairly useless as you can only get a small mixer or a bag of sand in there but not both. If you can't get an 8 x 4 sheet in it what's it for. We've run single cab Rangers for near 20 years and each new generation gets better and better. We've looked at single cab Hilux a couple of times as its a great machine so pretty sad we won't even have it as an option if we wanted to change in the future.

[DeejRC]

Speak for yourself siony, they are ubiquitous and everywhere down here in Devon. We use ours everyday, straw and hay bale transporting this weekend.

[SuperPav]

siony1974 said:

These double cabs are seen more on the school run than the tip run. Look at the accessories pages for all these double cabs and they are all 'lifestyle' options not work options. The load bed is fairly useless as you can only get a small mixer or a bag of sand in there but not both. If you can't get an 8 x 4 sheet in it what's it for. We've run single cab Rangers for near 20 years and each new generation gets better and better. We've looked at single cab Hilux a couple of times as its a great machine so pretty sad we won't even have it as an option if we wanted to change in the future.

Dunno, round here in the sticks (Cotswolds), Hiluxes are not uncommon, but almost exclusively work vehicles (builders primarily, but also some farmers).

Yes, lots have "lifestyle" addenda added, as the builders use the cars as their personal cars too and suspect they want the look/features, but genuinely I don't know anyone around here who has a Hilux purely as a personal car "without purpose".

As for seeing them on school runs.... I'm going to make a wild assumption here that tradespeople have kids that need dropping off on the way to work too...

[Konan]

I'd always looked over EV pickups because of the drop on range when towing or laden.

But actually, I can see one being pretty handy as a farm truck, they tend to do about 15 miles a day over about 300 journeys carrying odds and sods about and it ends up being an inconvenience taking them to the nearest filling station on the occasion they're empty.

[Pica-Pica]

DeejRC said:

Speak for yourself siony, they are ubiquitous and everywhere down here in Devon. We use ours everyday, straw and hay bale transporting this weekend.

Mostly Isuzu around me.

[Pica-Pica]

I am not sure the Taliban will be interested in a BEV Hilux

[nismo48]

Pica-Pica said:

I am not sure the Taliban will be interested in a BEV Hilux

Assault and Battery

[WH16]

For farm or estate work 150 miles range is plenty.

[theicemario]

Ah yes, looks most agile that. Just need to slap some stickers on it to the tune of DERANGED or INVINCIBLE and the mouth-breathers will be all over it.

[Gecko1978]

150 mile range I assume that's not with full load in the back etc. So arguably this might do a days journey for a builder turning up to say a new housing estate down some motorway.....yeah I think this falls short

[andyj007]

we just need a simple work truck with a low level loading bay and none of the utter crap this comes with..
engine good fi 550k miles , gearbox , wind up windows , and a car play stero.. give us a work truck..cheap > 20k not a ladies frock !

[charles-m9g8q]

SuperPav said:

siony1974 said:

These double cabs are seen more on the school run than the tip run. Look at the accessories pages for all these double cabs and they are all 'lifestyle' options not work options. The load bed is fairly useless as you can only get a small mixer or a bag of sand in there but not both. If you can't get an 8 x 4 sheet in it what's it for. We've run single cab Rangers for near 20 years and each new generation gets better and better. We've looked at single cab Hilux a couple of times as its a great machine so pretty sad we won't even have it as an option if we wanted to change in the future.

Dunno, round here in the sticks (Cotswolds), Hiluxes are not uncommon, but almost exclusively work vehicles (builders primarily, but also some farmers).

Yes, lots have "lifestyle" addenda added, as the builders use the cars as their personal cars too and suspect they want the look/features, but genuinely I don't know anyone around here who has a Hilux purely as a personal car "without purpose".

As for seeing them on school runs.... I'm going to make a wild assumption here that tradespeople have kids that need dropping off on the way to work too...

I've lived in Devon and the Cotswolds and most seem used as they should be. It could be argued that the Range Rover has a far lesser use case for it's size and weight for the majority of buyers than any pickup, but its the pickup that gets people riled up. What always puzzled me was the move to the crew cab, if you wanted say the extended cab which seemed the best compromise if you seldom carried more people and gave you better bed space, you had to go for lower specs including engines, a real shame.

As for the electric version, I assume the issue is GVW and you see the same issue with vans. To fit in limits you end up with a small battery I suppose.

[LooneyTunes]

WH16 said:

For farm or estate work 150 miles range is plenty.

But 1600kg towing is not…

[Jader1973]

The fact they are calling this “new” is a joke. It’s a
heavy facelift of the existing model - same cabin. It’s a pretty poor effort from Toyota. Maybe they were budget limited and the money went on EV and hydrogen development.

I’ll be interested to see how it reviews and compares to others in the segment, especially because it is vying with the Ranger for biggest selling “car” here.

[oilit]

<3.5t towing is a big miss