Toyota Hilux Review

The Big, Brutish Pickup That Still Refuses to Behave Like an SUV

There are cars you buy because they make sense. Then there are cars you buy because they say something about you. The Toyota Hilux belongs firmly in the second category.

For nearly six decades, the Hilux has cultivated the sort of reputation that makes ordinary reliability statistics look rather pointless. This is the pickup that has become folklore in some of the world's nastiest environments, and Toyota has now brought its latest-generation machine to India with a sharper face, a more contemporary cabin and, crucially, the same old-school mechanical attitude underneath.

 Toyota describes the new Indian Hilux as the ninth-generation model, based on the company's IMV body-on-frame architecture, with the Hilux lineage dating back to 1968 and has accumulated around 28 million units globally. But the more important point is that this is a profoundly evolved version of a very old idea: build a pickup properly, make it extremely difficult to kill, and let civilisation worry about the rest. And it looks the part.

Toyota calls the design theme 'Cyber Sumo', drawing inspiration from the stable, powerful stance of a Japanese sumo wrestler.  While I’m not particularly convinced about the "cyber" bit, the Sumo description is bang on. The new Hilux is gloriously butch, with a square-jawed front-end, a broad grille, prominent Toyota lettering, chunky surfacing and the sort of stance that suggests it would happily park across three spaces and then ask the parking attendant what his problem is.

 The styling is more than mere theatre, though. Toyota has retained the ladder-frame architecture and 4WD hardware that gives the Hilux its fundamental character. The 4X4 models get H4 and L4 ranges, an Electronic Differential Lock and Downhill Assist Control, while the suspension continues with double wishbones at the front and leaf springs at the rear. That last bit is important because the Hilux isn't pretending to be a crossover.

 

The mechanical bits that matter

Power comes from the familiar 2.8-litre, four-cylinder BS6.2-compliant diesel, producing 204PS and 500Nm, paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic. This combination is impressively refined, with low NVH levels, strong pulling power and an automatic gearbox that works particularly well in Sport mode. And that is perhaps the biggest surprise here. The Hilux may look like it is preparing for the collapse of civilisation, but its diesel engine is surprisingly civilised.

There is also an 80-litre fuel tank, which makes the Hilux particularly well suited to long-distance expedition-style travel.  Toyota has also introduced a 4X2 version, making the pickup slightly more accessible to buyers who like the idea of owning a Hilux but don't necessarily intend to spend Sunday afternoon buried axle-deep in mud.

The 4X2 is actually an interesting move. Toyota has effectively broadened the Hilux's lifestyle appeal while retaining its workhorse credentials. In other words, you can now buy the truck because you like the way it looks, rather than because you regularly need low-range four-wheel drive. Which brings us neatly to the elephant in the room.

 

Reality check: this is still a pickup

The Hilux is built for a certain breed of owner who wants to project a particular lifestyle, while there are other drivers who will genuinely exploit its off-road capability. That distinction matters enormously in India.

Because beneath all the leatherette, infotainment and lifestyle positioning is a ladder-frame pickup with a live rear axle and leaf springs. And while that hardware is precisely what makes the Hilux tough enough to cross places where Google Maps simply gives up, it doesn't make for especially plush urban motoring.

Bluntly put, the ride leaves something to be desired, particularly because of the body-on-frame construction and rear suspension arrangement. It might be acceptable for enthusiasts heading out for a few days of adventure, but using it as a daily driver isn’t going to be the easiest task. The suspension's ability to absorb serious punishment off-road is impressive, but the ride remains bouncy, particularly if you’re not carrying around significant weight in the rear bed.

So no, this isn't a Fortuner with a luggage tray. It has substantially more attitude and substantially less interest in pampering its passengers.

 The cabin itself is considerably more modern than before. There is a 12.3-inch infotainment display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Toyota i-Connect, an eight-speaker audio system, wireless charging, cruise control, multiple drive modes and seven airbags.

 Despite the new technology, the Indian Hilux misses several comfort features expected at this price, including automatic climate control and powered or ventilated seats. That is where the Hilux can feel a little agricultural in an increasingly pampered segment.

 

So, who is it actually for?

Toyota has priced the new Hilux from Rs 31.99 lakh, with the GX 4X2 AT at Rs 31.99 lakh, GX 4X4 AT at Rs 33.69 lakh and VX 4X4 AT at Rs 36.69 lakh, ex-showroom. That's serious money. But then the Hilux has never really been about rational purchasing decisions.

It is about presence. It is about durability. It is about knowing that underneath the flashy new face is a machine engineered around the rather old-fashioned principle that mechanical robustness matters. And perhaps that is why the Hilux remains so appealing. In an age when SUVs are increasingly becoming luxury cars wearing hiking boots, the Toyota still feels like the genuine article.

You can take it across the Himalayas, or deep into the Thar desert and expect it to emerge on the other side with considerably fewer existential concerns than its driver. Just don't expect it to glide through a Pune pothole like an Innova.

The new Hilux isn't perfect. It isn't particularly cheap, it's too big for tight urban environments, its ride remains compromised when empty, and its equipment list isn't quite generous enough for the money. But perfection was never really the point. The Hilux is a gloriously unnecessary, immensely capable, faintly ridiculous machine. And in a world increasingly full of sensible choices, that's exactly why it has character.