Never gonna give you up...
We drive the Hilux and see how it fits into the local urban and suburban scenario. Let’s find out how it fares
Jim Gorde
The term “living legend” is normally accorded to a different species but, like Rick Astley, the Toyota Hilux makes a point and a good one, with an enviable history and desirability factor that set it apart from the rest. The fact that it is a pick-up truck helps it stand out head and shoulders above the rest without a shadow of a doubt. So, what makes the Hilux all that awesome? We drove the automatic version in Rishikesh early last year and, now, we get to sample the good ol’ manual version, with that incredible turbo-diesel workhorse of an engine, around more familiar territory in the city of Pune.
For a truck, the Hilux is quite accommodating, to say the least. It’s easy to get comfortable in, five adult passengers can be seated in comfort for drives short and long, and it has all the goodies and equipment of a proper premium SUV—being a Fortuner with the third row replaced by a truck bed measuring 1,450 x 1,450 millimetres.
The ladder frame remains with the body on top, but the rear suspension is a set of leaf springs. More significantly, the wheelbase is 340 mm longer and the overall length is, thus, 5,325 mm— making it more than half a metre longer than the Fortuner. Plus, it has a generous ground clearance as well as approach and departure angles.
The equipment in this “4x4 High MT” variant is more or less identical to that of the AT’s, the major change being the third pedal and a manual gear-shifter.
The on-the-fly shift for the 4x4 transaxle remains, with both high (4H) and low (4L) ranges available. Not that difficult situations are a task at all for the Hilux, even in rear-wheel drive (2H) mode. The gear-shifter has a unique element to it. For reverse, one does not need to lift something or push the knob down but, rather, push it further
left from its usual left-most position into a special slot; I must say it was a first for me.
On the move, the 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, high-pressure common-rail directinjection, turbo-diesel—industrial as it seems—is absolutely effortless. The “1GD-FTV” engine in this facelift eighthgen Hilux produces a massive (for a diesel truck) 204 hp at a lowly 3,400 r/min, with a peak torque of 420 Nm (in the manual, down from 500 Nm in the AT) arriving between 1,400 and 3,400 revs—a meaty spread across a 2,000rpm band and an improvement on its previous facelift, too. For the most part, stick the Hilux in second and it functions almost like an automatic. There is a deluge of torque from low down and there is never any shortage of acceleration which, even for a low-revving
diesel, feels like an unrelenting surge catapulting this two-plus-tonne truck forward with authority.
One sits high in here with a commanding view and that means visibility is excellent, though getting comfortable with the massive proportions takes some time. I soon found myself piloting it around with ease. One aspect to be wary of is when reversing. The long overhang at the back can be deceptive sometimes and it’s easy to wipe out a two-wheeler or two in the process— without even realising it! The cabin insulation is good and the only real noise comes from the combination of whirr and whoosh from the diesel accelerating hard (around 2,800-3,000 rpm in first, usually). This is a fun car to drive.
The essential bits are all there for a good time and the lack of gimmickry is appreciated beyond measure in the day and age of automobiles being turned into gadgets. There is a weighted steering feel, the brakes are quite excellent and bring this behemoth to a stop confidently.
These are edited excerpts. Read the full articles in June edition of Car India magazine. Visit their website to subscribe.