The Toyota Hilux is finally here! We’ve been reading about the Toyota Hilux in magazines, web sites, social media for years, and such is the impact of the car, it’s got everyone at the evo India HQ hyped up! The Isuzu D-Max V-Cross seems to be the Hilux’s only direct rival, but we also feel that it’ll go up against the horde of mid-size and full-size premium SUVs. Pre-bookings for the Hilux have commenced from today, with a price announcement coming later at its launch in March 2022.
Toyota Hilux Design
Simply based on pictures, the Toyota Hilux takes your breath away, and we just cannot imagine how the impact will be when we do see it in the flesh — it’s just so brutish, muscular and brawny! There are traces of the Fortuner, and to some extent the Innova Crysta owing to family resemblance, but we are certain you will not mistake the Hilux for anything else simply because of the toughness in its design! As expected, it does receive the trapezoidal grille with a chrome surround , and the headlights are similar to the ones on the Crysta. The India-spec model also seems to get a skid plate with silver inserts. The wheel arches receive black cladding, and there are 18-inch alloy wheels on offer, although we don’t know what tyres are they shod on. The door handles get chrome treatment, and the side profile, while distinctive in its own right, has glimpses of the Fortuner to it. This is a double-cab model, so it will seat five people easily.
Coming to the rear, it is, well, as ‘pickup’ as it gets — there’s a massive loading bay which can be covered with a hardtop canopy as the unveil livestream suggested. The tail lamps are vertically stacked and are all-LED units.
Toyota Hilux Powertrain
Underpinned by the IMV platform, the Hilux will have quite a lot in common with the Fortuner under the skin. For example, the powertrain is the same 2.8-litre turbo diesel unit that we’ve always loved in the Fortuner, which produces 201bhp and 420Nm of torque with the manual transmission, and a whopping 500Nm of torque with the automatic. Transmission options include a six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic. Of course, you do get 4x4, a low-ratio transfer case, and an automatic limited slip differential as well.
Toyota Hilux Features and Equipment
Toyota revealed some of the equipment that it will be offering on the Hilux, and we suspect that some more will be revealed at the launch. Some of the equipment the Hilux receives includes dual-zone climate control, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, front parking sensors, tyre-angle monitor, two drive modes (eco and power), active traction control, and an electronic differential lock. The instrument cluster gets twin analogue dials for the speedometer and tachometer, but there is a small multi-information digital display placed between the two dials.
Toyota Hilux — should I wait for it?
Absolutely, it’s a standout offering! Now Toyota hasn’t announced any prices yet, and we do not know how many variants will the Hilux be offered in. For now, its only direct rival may seem to be the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, but the Hilux will also have to fight against the horde of mid-size and full-size SUVs, which may be easier said than done. With the D-Max V-Cross priced at Rs 21.98 lakh (ex-showroom, Chennai), we expect the Toyota Hilux to be priced somewhere around Rs 25 to 28 lakh. We’re just hoping Toyota gets the pricing correct!