Monday 9th May 2005

Toyota revs 'indestructible' pickup

Top Gear couldn't break the previous version...

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Toyota's 'indestructible' Hilux pickup

You wanna tuff tuff pickup? The Toyota Hilux was the vehicle the Top Gear TV team couldn’t destroy. Now an all-new model has arrived.

According to Toyota, it combines the toughness of its predecessor with more room in the cabin, extra load-carrying capacity and better quality all-round.

The sixth generation Toyota’s second best-selling global model made its European debut this week at the Barcelona motor show. Sales in Europe and the UK will start in October.

The first generation Hilux was launched in Japan in 1967 and since then it has undergone continuous development and built a reputation for toughness, reliability and power, according to Toyota.

Toyota reckoned its target was to develop a vehicle for business, leisure and adventure that included its predecessor's strengths. so the new model has more interior space, improved driving characteristics, greater comfort and improved quality. It will be available in single cab and double cab body styles.

The pickup is built on an all-new ladder frame chassis, for better off-road capability. The chassis is unique to the model and uses a larger box section than the current Hilux with torsional stiffness increased by 45 per cent. An impact brace between the front and first cross-members absorbs impact forces and protects other chassis components from damage in the event of a collision.

The front suspension features independent double wishbones with coil springs which provide maximum travel and bump absorption and maintain good straight line stability and feel. Traditional leaf springs are used at the rear to maintain an excellent load carrying capacity and avoid intrusion into the flat bed.

Major body panels are made of high-tensile sheet steel which increases strength, durability and crash protection. An anti-chipping coating has been added to exposed areas such as the door sills and underbody to protect against corrosion.

Aerodynamic styling has helped improve fuel consumption and reduce noise levels with elements such as an engine undercover and wind deflectors.

Engine and transmission

The new Hilux will initially be offered with Toyota’s 102bhp 2.5-litre D-4D diesel engine with second-generation common rail injection and swirl control system. It delivers a maximum torque of 192lb-ft, or 148lb-ft for two-wheel drive models.

The five-speed manual transmission has been made smoother and easier to use, with a better gear change feel, said Toyota. The powertrain line up will be expanded in the future starting with an intercooled version of the 2.5 D-4D next year.

The transfer gearbox enables four-wheel drive and a rear axle limited slip differential is fitted as standard to give improved traction in slippery conditions. Selected grades will also offer a differential lock.

Dimensions

The new Hilux is much bigger than the model it replaces. Double cab and single cab with both two and four-wheel drive transmissions will be available. Both models offer more space, particularly in the cabin.

The new Hilux is 5,130mm long, making single and double cab versions 340mm longer than the current model. It is also wider, up 60mm for the single cab, 45mm for the double cab. Height remains unchanged. Most of the additional length is in the wheelbase, extended to 3,085mm, most of which has been allocated to the interior space.

The load deck is bigger, the vertical sides allowing width to increase by 50mm -- 55mm in single cab -- and it’s longer, too: up by 155mm in single cab and 165mm in double cab. Total load lengths are now 2,315mm for the single cab and 1,520mm for the double.

So there you have it. If you need to lug building materials and kids around, Toyota's making a bid for your wallet. The intercooled version might be a tad more fun though.

[DustyC]

Speed matters?

[dinkel]

www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/prog28/toyota.shtml

www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/prog28/hilux_narrowband.ram

Big laugh: the startup after the sea had washed it . . .

[AndySA]

For Speed you will need the 4.0 V6 Petrol version avalable in South Africa. Engine comes from the Land Cruiser Prado.

[anonymous-user]

Not sure about the durability of the drive train in this new model, but it certainly won't be anywhere near as indestructible as the last. Simply because of the fact that so much safety legislation requires deformable this and collabsible that. I can't see it coping with half the things TG threw at the old model.

[kevinday]

If it is bigger, is it also heavier? If so have they cut the loadweight figure to keep it within the parameters for PLG?

[phase90]

Hilux? So is that what they call the Tacoma over in other parts of the world?

[busa_rush]

It's also looking too swish, to clean, the Hi-Lux is supposed to be an ugly bas*ard workhorse.

[Trooper2]

phase90 said:

Hilux? So is that what they call the Tacoma over in other parts of the world?

Hilux was actually a model name (like SR-5) for Toyota pick-ups here in the states as well, I used to work with a gent that had a '67 or '68 Hilux pick-up with a Ford 289 C.I. and a C-4 auto tranny grafted into it, pretty fast little truck.







>> Edited by Trooper2 on Monday 9th May 19:14