Toyota rolls out all-new Hilux

MANILA, Philippines - Toyota Motor Philippines ushered in last week its latest model of its proclaimed King of Pickups—the all-new Hilux. The King is now completely reinvented, exuding toughness without sacrificing refinement, while combining style and functionality inside the cabin.

Quick to justify its title as “King” was TMP President Michinobu Sugata’s declaration that “the Toyota Hilux was first introduced in the Philippines in 1993...and it has registered 66,417 units for 22 years now—a clear indication of how this model has been loved by thousands of our customers, giving it the name of ‘King of Pickups.’ In fact, the name Hilux itself is already an acronym for ‘high’ and ‘luxury’—a clear description of how the brand prioritizes to deliver a product that is bold and strong yet designed with comfort in mind.

This 8th-generation Hilux now sports either a new 2.8L or 2.4L 4-cylinder, 16-valve VN Turbo Intercooler diesel CRDi engine that is gentle yet commanding, and versatile enough to please its passengers should they be going for a leisurely drive—with notably good NVH (noise, vibration & harshness) on the road—or decide to go off-roading (while having the confidence of possessing sufficient torque, power and reliability).

Its new efficient engine that can provide a maximum output of 174ps at 3,400 rpm and maximum torque of 450Nm at 1600-2400 rpm also promises even better fuel consumption than ever, alongside what is so far its best acceleration and performance.

The Toyota Hilux remains consistent with its reputation of providing consistently good ground clearance. Its front and rear bumpers are designed with high approach and departure angles, making steep ascents and descents on off-road terrain a breeze.

Moreover what sets this pickup apart is its new shift technology—an intelligent Manual Transmission System that was incorporated into the vehicle transmission to encourage smoother shifts by automatically blipping’ (or matching the engine speed with the transmission speed) during gear changes in the 4x4 G MT model.

But perhaps the biggest premium that the all-new Hilux has to offer to the market this time around, is that for the 4-wheel drive, it is the only one in its class to have a rear differential lock, which is considered to already be an extreme off-road function (you can engage it only when you are on 4Low). It’s an industry first to offer such premium features in a vehicle of its class. And as extreme off-road enthusiasts have attested, the new Toyota Hilux is delightfully well-geared for off-road use—Its first gear ratio is extremely low, which is excellent for control on rough and tricky terrain.

Furthermore, all the standard safety equipment applies—ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), vehicle stability control (VSC) with active traction control (A-TRC) [for the 4x4 G automatic], front passenger and driver airbags, and additionally now with Hill Start Assist Control, which basically inhibits vehicle rollback when climbing up a slope.

The Toyota Hilux G model starts at P1,208,000 (for the 2.4L manual transmission) and comes in six colors: Super White, Attitude Black, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Crimson Spark Red Metallic and Orange Metallic.