Toyota HILUX Review & Prices

The new Toyota Hilux is a pickup truck with big shoes to fill, because the Hilux name is synonymous with reliability, ruggedness and dependability - ever since BBC Top Gear tried (and failed) to kill one back in the early 2000s. The new model adds a few modern comforts, though, with a posher cab and mild hybrid diesel engine.

It’s like modernising an Army vehicle - things need to get safer and more high-tech, but the old models’ simple toughness has to be retained or it’s no longer fit for purpose.

The Hilux goes up against other pickup trucks including the Isuzu D-Max and KGM Musso, but it’s closest in price and positioning to the Ford Ranger. You might see the new Hilux advertised as ‘Hybrid’ or ‘48V’ but don’t let that fool you - there’s a bit of electrical assistance but for the most part this is a traditional diesel pickup truck, rather than a proper hybrid like the Ford Ranger PHEV.

The new Hilux gets a significant exterior makeover which to our eyes is a bit less ‘grr’ than it was before. Instead of the big, prominent front grille, you get slim LED headlights and a honeycomb grille, though the big, burly wheelarch extensions remain on all but the most basic models.

Inside, the changes are much bigger and bring the Hilux in line with Toyota’s latest passenger cars. The front seats are big and comfy, and electrically adjustable on top trims, while there’s a pair of screens for driver information and infotainment. These are okay, but even on the top trim the graphics look quite low-rent and the layout is a bit haphazard. Plus, you have to delve into the driver’s display with a huge array of impenetrable acronyms to try and switch off all the annoying safety gear.

Gratifyingly, there’s still a nice amount of physical switchgear. You get a proper climate control panel, a chunky drive selector for the six-speed automatic gearbox, and a panel with all the off-road controls easily to hand. Much easier to adjust than on the GWM Poer300.

The front is very comfy, but passengers in the rear of the Hilux will feel a bit cramped. There isn’t much foot room under the front seats, and you sit quite high so taller adults will also struggle for headroom.

The load bed is a bit longer than the previous Hilux, and identical in width, so it’s a good size. All models can carry the full tonne required for VAT exemption, and tow over 3,500kg, so it’s well in line with all the diesel-powered opposition.

To drive, it’s business as usual. The engine is unchanged from the previous Hilux automatic, which means that while it’s quite gruff at lower speeds it has plenty of low-down shove and feels well up to pulling a fully-laden truck or towing the full 3.5-tonne allowance.

It’s quite bouncy when unladen, though, much moreso than the Ford Ranger and even more than the Isuzu D-Max. With a few hundred kilos in the bed things calm down, but it’s not as comfortable over long distances as the best pickups.

The new Hilux has electric power steering rather than the hydraulic system of the old truck, which means it’s lighter in town but a bit less reassuring at high speeds. Still, it has no effect on the rough stuff, where excellent off-road systems, good ground clearance and capable four-wheel drive make things really easy.

Verdict

The new Toyota Hilux doesn’t move the game on too much, but it’s still a capable pickup truck that’ll go off-road with all but the best of them. It’s a shame the new interior isn’t easier to use, though, and as a pure work truck it’s difficult to argue that the cheaper and more capacious Isuzu D-Max isn’t a better bet.

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Hilux prices kick off at just over £34,000 ex.VAT for the Active grade, which gets 17-inch steel wheels, LED headlights, a rear-view camera and the smallest screens on the inside - 7.0 inches for the driver display and 9.0 inches for the infotainment. Stepping up to Icon gives you a beefier look with those wheel arch extensions and side steps, plus heated front seats and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. There’s also some extra off-road kit.

The Invincible model costs nearly £41,000 ex.VAT but gets 18-inch wheels, part-leather upholstery, the bigger 12.3-inch driver display and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat. And the top-spec Invincible X gets a rollover bar, front and rear heated seats, a JBL audio system and a surround-view camera capable of showing you what’s directly underneath the truck.

That price puts it on a par with the Ford Ranger, and over the Isuzu D-Max, so it’s not cheap. All models are automatic though, which is worth a few thousand. A company car tax-friendly version, with the same double cab but the rear seats removed, will arrive soon.

The Hilux’s diesel engine feels beefy, but the gearbox isn’t as good as the Ford Ranger’s

Driving the Hilux is very familiar. It certainly feels its size, and doesn’t have the agility of a Ford Ranger - but it’s not so unwieldy you wouldn’t want to use it every day. In town, the key thing you note is that the bonnet feels very high up, so visibility out the front is a bit more limited than you might like.

It’s quite bouncy over bumps whether you’re going at slow speeds round town or faster on the motorway, but with a bit of weight in the load bed this soon smoothes out. It’s the same case on most of the Hilux’s alternatives, but the Ford Ranger is more comfortable laden or unladen.

There’s one choice of engine - well, apart from the fully electric Hilux BEV. It’s a 2.8-litre diesel with mild hybrid assistance (effectively a particularly beefy stop/start system) and a six-speed automatic gearbox. It’s rear-wheel drive as standard, with a switchable all-wheel drive system including a low range gearbox, differential locks on all but the base model, and plenty of off-road kit.

And it certainly works off-road. The Hilux won’t go quite as far as a dedicated mud-plugger like Toyota’s own Land Cruiser, but the four-wheel drive system works extremely well and is capable of finding traction just about anywhere. There’s a selectable terrain system which tailors driving for the surface you’re on, as well as hill descent control. There are also locking differentials for when things get really mucky. The result is a truck that will manage just about anything the British countryside can throw at it.

Round town, the auto gearbox is a bit slushy-feeling, without the quick shifts of the Ford Ranger’s ten-speed gearbox. But there’s enough power at low range that it doesn’t constantly shift around trying to find the right ratio. On the motorway, it’s quiet enough, but again, not quite as good as a Ranger - it makes a D-Max feel very noisy in comparison, though. The steering is light at low speeds, but doesn’t have the reassuring weight you’d like from a big vehicle when you’re travelling faster.

The Toyota’s bed and payload are just fine for the class, and qualify it for VAT exemption - but a load bed liner isn’t standard until the very top-spec truck

Every Hilux can carry over a tonne in its load bed, so it qualifies for VAT reclaim if you’re purchasing it for business use. Max payload is 1,065kg on the Icon model. There’s a sturdy moulded bed liner on top-spec models as standard, but this is optional on the other three grades. The tailgate is only damped on Invincible and Invincible X models, too, though on all versions it can take the weight of a person - so you can unload from within the bed without worrying.

Toyota Hilux internal and external measurements

Exterior dimensions

Length: 5,320mm
Width: 1,855mm
Height: 1,865mm

Load bed dimensions

Length: 1,555mm
Width: 1,540mm
Height: 480mm

Towing capacity

All versions of the Hilux (bar the electric model) can tow the full 3,500kg allowed by law, so it’s well in line with alternatives. We’ve towed with the previous model and found it excellent, though the slightly twitchier steering on this new model may mean a different experience.

Payload

The ‘Icon’ grade has the highest payload at 1,065kg, dropping to 1,035 in the Active model. This is fine, qualifying it for VAT exemption and topping some alternatives by a few kilos.

A much improved cab over previous Hilux generations, but alternatives are more modern and easy to use

The new Hilux gets a cab inspired by the Land Cruiser with a pair of big screens and a row of physical climate controls. Underneath these is a panel of off-road controls, while the buttons on the steering wheel have been grouped together so they make a bit more sense.

Build quality is rock solid throughout, as you’d hope for from a Toyota - and though the materials used aren’t as plush as they are in a Ford Ranger, they definitely feel like they’ll last a lot longer.

The driver’s display measures 7.0 inches in the lower two trims and 12.3 in the two ‘Invincible’ grades. The central infotainment screen is 9.0 inches in the Active model and 12.3 in all others.

Though both are bright, clear and responsive, the software could do with work. The central touchscreen uses the huge amount of space available to it quite poorly - there’s a lot of wasted space, and the interface feels extremely basic and low-rent at times. It even lacks a real homescreen, which is more annoying than you’d think as there’s nothing neutral to have when you’re not navigating or streaming music.

At least wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard so you can bypass Toyota’s interface, and there’s a wireless phone charging pad on all but the base model. And storage is great - there’s a big central cubby, twin gloveboxes, and cupholders galore.

The driver’s display presents information clearly enough, but navigating through its menus using the steering wheel controls is a pain. Plus, if you want to turn off all the safety kit - which you’ll probably want to do because they’re very annoying - you have to go through sub-menu after sub-menu. Once you’ve found the right list, you’ll just be presented with a meaningless set of acronyms and symbols. Not very user-friendly.

The front seats are comfortable but those in the rear will feel quite cramped, especially compared to those in a Ranger who get notably more space.

Toyota claims up to 29.1mpg is possible from the Hilux. However, when we tested this exact engine in a previous-generation model, we beat the claimed fuel economy and saw 35mpg on a long run. As soon as we get the new Hilux for an extended time in the UK we’ll be able to test this out.

Qualifying for VAT exemption is one thing but the Hilux has high emissions, meaning it’s not much good as a company car option any more. However, a version is on the way that swaps the rear seats for a storage area, meaning it will qualify for commercial vehicle company car tax again - bringing the rates down to much more favourable levels. Even so, the high purchase price means cheaper trucks will make better options here.

Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the new Hilux and last tested the previous model over a decade ago, so there’s not much to be gleaned from its ratings. Toyota’s vehicles often perform quite well in crash testing though, and the Hilux comes with a long list of safety equipment as standard.

As well as LED headlights, there’s the usual glut of advanced driver assistance systems, including proper lane-keeping assist for the first time thanks to the new electric power steering. There’s adaptive cruise control too, and every model gets an electric parking brake capable of bringing the truck to a smooth stop if the driver is incapacitated.

There’s also blind-spot monitoring and safe exit assist, which warns you if you’re about to open your door into the path of a cyclist or another car.

Toyota’s reputation with the Hilux is enviable, and hard to live up to. It’s fair to assume that this new model will prove to be extremely reliable, especially as the engine is unchanged from the previous version where it was very well-proven.

As further reassurance, the Hilux comes with Toyota’s ‘Relax’ warranty. This means you get three years cover as standard, but every time you take it in for a service at an authorised Toyota dealer you unlock another year up to a total of 10 years and 100,000 miles. This is transferable to the next owner, too. It’s the best warranty of any pickup truck in terms of time, though the GWM Poer300 covers you up to 125,000 miles. Toyota’s servicing network is far more extensive, though.