Selwyn Times: November 25, 2020

36 Selwyn Times Wednesday November 25 2020
Toyota Hilux helps home renovation
WE’VE BEEN busy at the Kiddie
household.
There’s new timber on the
house, new windows are going in,
there’s fresh paint, and in readiness
for a the painters to give the
fences a tidy-up I’ve had to trim
back a succession of shrubs and
small trees.
That on top of some landscaping
work I needed to do after a
drain was repaired. Throughout
all of these enhancements I’ve put
two new Toyota Hiluxes to good
use. I took the foliage to green
waste processing, building debris
to the transfer station, and I’ve
also been to the garden centre to
uplift two loads of pebbles to finish
the landscaping.
That’s the versatility today’s
double cab pick-up/utility offers,
it is the quintessential vehicle for
the everyday role, yet doubles as
a versatile carry-all when tasks
need to be completed, not to
mention it’s towing ability and
payload capacity – 3500kg and
around one-tonne respectively.
This evaluation focuses on
the SR specification Hilux, I had
two double cab variants in a
row – one a cab-chassis with an
aluminium flat deck, the other
was a standard wellside.
Toyota has done considerable
work on the Hilux, there’s been
an extensive change of look, it is
bolder and more aggressive on
the outside, while major interior
changes incorporate new display
graphics and the addition of a
larger touch screen in the centre
of the dashboard proper.
Mechanically, the mainstream
turbo diesel engine has had a big
boost in power, thanks to a larger
turbocharger. Toyota now claims
150kW and 500Nm a 15 per cent
increase for power and 11 per
cent increase in torque.
Of course, you can still buy the
Hilux with petrol power if you so
wish, but that option is limited
to two entry-point Workmate
models, both with just twowheel-drive.
The other 16 variants are all
diesel-powered, but you do have
the choice of manual transmission
in some of those, along with
just 2WD options.
Both variants I drove were
four-wheel-drive capable and
fitted with a six-speed automatic
gearbox.
While the Hilux is destined for
a working role, what Toyota have
done on the inside is to keep it
family-friendly, there are all the
VERSATILE: An aluminium flat deck on the cab-chassis
model provides a multitude of load carrying options
including carrying a load of pebbles for the Kiddie
landscaping project.
TOYOTA HILUX SR: Built for a working role.
features and there is as much
comfort as you can expect for
something built over a ladder
chassis and load-bearing suspension.
There are many car-like features
fitted to the Hilux and, of course,
the Toyota suite of SafetySense
technologies contribute to a
five-star Australasian New Car
Assessment Program rating.
I can also safely say the new Hilux
is smoother, while the power
is boosted remarkably, it hasn’t
lost its finesse, the engine throbs
away in typical diesel fashion,
but it isn’t loud and doesn’t seem
stressed when building towards
the top part of the rev band.
Interaction between the engine
and gearbox is fluid, shifts are
clean and smooth. Drive, of
course, is normally channelled
rearwards, electric switching will
engage the front axles in both low
and high ratio depending on the
driver’s preference.
It must also be mentioned
that the SR Hilux gets all of the
four-wheel-drive trickery that is
demanded in the working role. I
only used it for a short evaluation
purpose, and there are no surprises
there, even without deeptreaded
tyres the Hilux ute will
scale humps and mounds without
fear of getting stuck nor becoming
grounded thanks to 286mm
of clearance underneath.
On that subject little has
changed in terms of suspension,
• Price – Toyota Hilux SR
cab-chassis, $48,490
(wellside, $49,990)
• Dimensions – Length,
5255mm (5325mm);
width, 1855mm; height,
1815mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
four-wheel-drive,
2755cc, 150kW, 500Nm,
six-speed automatic.
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
10sec
• Fuel usage – 7.9l/100km
the rear axle is still located by leaf
springs, while a civilised independent
wishbone system is fitted
up front.
My loads didn’t measure up to
anything that would challenge
the payload rating of the two
utes, but I can report both laden
and unladen the ride is perfectly
acceptable, so for those who
need to travel long distances
recreationally it’s good to know
the family will be well looked
after, even those seated in the
back will find there is satisfactory
rake on the seats.
I took both SR variants on a
high country run through the
Malvern Hills, with the boost in
engine outputs the Hilux feels
free and doesn’t require much
energy from the driver to keep
relaxed motion, and if you need
that mid-range boost for a highway
overtake, it fairly scampers
when the accelerator is given a
nudge.
Toyota also claims an 11 per
cent decrease in fuel usage, the
Hilux in SR form is rated with
a combined cycle average of
7.9-litres per 100km. At 100km/h
the engine isloping over at just
1800rpm, returning a 7l/100km
instantaneous figure, resulting in
around 9l/100km for both models
when I took them back to the
dealership.
One of the most notable
features about SR specification is
that it arrives with steel wheels.
This is something Toyota has
done with Hilux for a few years
now, if you want alloy wheels
you’d need to upgrade. I’m a big
believer in steel, they are stronger
and lighter and don’t detract
much from the aggressive look
of the new model. However, it is
something buyers might consider.
I’m due to drive two SR5
variants soon, and that is the high
grade specification rounding out
the series at $58,990. If SR-only
form is preferable you’ll save
around $9000, and with the cabchassis
model listing at $48,490
there are a wealth of considerations.
It’s always been that way
with Hilux, there is a ute for
every purpose and that’s why
it’s so popular, there are choices
that easily fill the working or
recreational role.