Hey Dad, how’s the Hilux going?
Toyota Hiluxes are a go-to vehicles for tradies. So Nile Bijoux called in his old man to give a no-nonsense, expert opinion.
Toyota updated the longstandinghilux earlier in the year, giving the ute a shot of go-faster juice under the bonnet of the diesel models, some fresh looks inside and out and a higher level of tech.
That’s all well and good but how does it perform in the real world? And by real world, this time I don’tmean ‘‘the twisty roads outside Auckland’’. I mean the dusty, bluecollar worksite of a carpenter.
Obviously, that’s notmy regular office. But it is the office for my father, Davemccarthy, so I pitched the idea of lending a new Hilux to him for a few days to see how the rehashed ute goes in one of its natural habitats. Toyota said yes and here we are.
As a bit of background, I had the base diesel model, the SR (silver), and Dad had the mid-spec SR5 (red). Above that is the SR5 Cruiser and then the range-topping Mako.
The SR has rubber and plastic absolutely everywhere, making it ideal for tradies and farmers, or anyone who rates durability over comfort. In hindsight, this should have been the one Dad took, but whatever.
Moving up to the SR5 gets you carpeted floors, LED lights, soft-touch plastics, a nicer air-conditioning control panel and leather covering the steering wheel, arm rests and other bits in the cabin. It’s the one Toyota is pitching as a do-it-all ute for a reasonable price for thosewho want a middle ground between the rock ’em, sock ’em SR and the towny SR5 Cruiser.
After a few days doing our separate things, Dad and I reconvened over a coffee and discussed our findings. Turns out, they were largely the same, in both the pros column and the cons.
The refined engine is a beaut, now offering 150kw of power and 500Nm of torque, up 10kw/50nm over the old model. You do feel that extra twist too, particularly at low revs. The engine is happy to rev up to the redline, without any major struggle or dip in power.
Not only that but extra care has been taken
Toyota Hilux
Base price: $49,990 (SR), $53,990 (SR5)
Powertrain and economy: 2.8-litre turbocharged diesel four-cylinder, 150kw/ 500Nm, six-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 7.5 L/100km, CO 192g/km (source: Rightcar).
Vital statistics: 5325mm long, 1855mm wide, 1815mm high, 3090mm wheelbase, 17-inch steel (Sr)/alloy (SR5) wheels.
We like: Ultra sharp pricing, great kit, new engine a peach
We don’t like: Adaptive cruise control doesn’t go below 30kmh, messy displays
to reduce noise, vibration and harshness. The diesel doesn’t havemuch of the usual rattle at all, making for a quiet, pleasant ride at all speeds.
Emissions have been improved too, Toyota claiming a 10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and 11 per cent lower CO 2 emissions. We both saw consumption figures around the 9L/100km mark.
Toyota’s six-speed isn’t quite as quick on the draw as Ford’s 10-speeder but I prefer it anyway. Ten cogs just feels excessive tome.
Toyota added a new variable flow pump in the steering tomake it heavier at motorway speeds, and therefore less twitchy, but lighter at low speeds to aid manoeuvrability. It’s still hydraulic though, whichmeans the Hilux can’t nudge itself back in lane using the steering.
Dad loaded the tray of the SR5 up with a bunch of tiles, totalling just under 400kg. He reported the Hilux didn’t seem to care there was extra weight, the new powertrain easily coping with the load.
Toyota added an extra leaf in the rear suspension to help ride quality while there are also re-tuned shock absorbers, spring rates and suspension bushes. All of these contributed to a comfy ride with and without a full tray.
Hiluxes from the SR model up get Toyota’s Safety Sense suite, including adaptive cruise control, with pre-collision safety and autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert and road sign assist. However, as mentioned, the ute can’t steer itself if you near the edge of the lane, instead using the brakes to shunt itself back in line.
But probably the biggest niggle with the new Hilux as awhole is the adaptive cruise control system, which deactivates at speeds below around 30kmh.
This is, to be frank, a pain in the arse, especiallywhen driving in traffic. Chances are, ute drivers will experience traffic moving below 30kmh and having the system switch itself offwith one beep to warn the driver is pretty poor, particularly when utes from Ford, Izusu and Mazda all have cruise control systems that can go down to zero. And electric steering for proper lane-keep assist.
Another con is the infotainment system and in-dash display. Toyota crams somuch information in both of these that they become quite convoluted and unintuitive. Of course, it’s easy enough to plug your phone in and use Apple Carplay or Android Auto instead.
Coffee finished, Dad and I agreed that the SR is a better bet for typical tradies who don’t need any extra comfort. The SR and SR5 have the same performance credentials so it makes sense to save the money and get the more durable SR. However, if you can swing the four grand difference, opting for the SR5 is a tangible upgrade with few downsides.
At a glance