Category: Pick-ups 
Price Range: No data available
Indestructible mechanicals, huge space, tough image, a leading power figure with the 169bhp three-litre.
Too big for some, not that clever inside, low max towing weight, cheap plastics.
For some a pick-up is a Hilux and, for them, the new model won't disappoint. But Nissan and Mitsubishi have a better trucks and a smarter approach to selling them.
Toyota's Hilux is the longest-running 4x4 pick-up in Britain, now into its sixth generation. It has long been overtaken by the Mitsubishi L200 and Nissan Navara in the UK, but the new one is unrecognisable from the early farmer specials and globally it's the company's biggest selling vehicle after the Corolla.
Built on an all-new ladder-frame chassis, it is much more rigid than before, giving improved handling and better ride comfort. Noise levels are down, the interior design is a world apart, fit and finish is better and there's substantially more space.
That's because this Hilux is over a foot (340mm) longer than its predecessor, something rear passengers will be eternally grateful for, even if those driving it aren't so pleased.
The first models of the new generation came with Toyota's 102bhp 2.5-litre diesel engine with a measly 192lb-ft of torque, but from the start of 2007 that's been improved to 118bhp and 240lb-ft thanks to the fitment of an intercooler. Starting at £17,500 for the double cab 4x4, it's available in just two specs.
That's because Toyota is confident most will go for the new 3.0-litre with 169bhp and 253lb-ft of torque. Available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto, the range stops with the well-priced Invincible at £22,170.
The single cab and double cab versions are built in South Africa, with only the extended 'Extra' cab coming from Thailand.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Toyota Hilux
wrote on 04 03 2007