Bay Harbour: January 20, 2021

PAGE 18 BAY HARBOUR
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday January 20 2021
Toyota Hilux a ute for all the team
DURING THE summer months
my weekends start quite busy.
You see, I’m the coach of a team
of young cricketers, and watching
the 11 and 12-year-olds playing
sport and enjoying themselves is
something I’m very passionate
about.
It’s not always easy for the
parents to be transporting their
children to the games, and I’m
often picking up or dropping off
as circumstances dictate. Just
recently I had three boys to pick
up – and all of their kit, along
with my gear bag. Thankfully, I
was driving a double-cab Toyota
Hilux pick-up, the rear deck area
was well utilised and with four-up
inside we were all comfortable,
there’s as much space in a doublecab
ute as there is any modern
mainstream car.
There’s a new Hilux in dealers’
showrooms now and it has had
a fairly hefty makeover for 2021,
notably more power under the
bonnet, better economy, and a
heap of cosmetic changes that
continue to give the ute buyer
more of a traditional driving
experience.
The latest to come my way was
the range-topping SR5 Cruiser.
Hilux buyers of the past will relate
to the high-grade interior of the
SR5; the Cruiser adds even more
spec, it is high on fitment. Major
items to note are keyless entry
and ignition, satellite navigation
(8in touch screen), full leather
trim with heated front seats,
electrically adjustable front seats
and superb JBL audio. There’s
also a lot of cosmetic detail in the
Cruiser variant, there are piano
black trim details, charcoal and
matte black exterior trim items
and, of course, Cruiser graphics.
That’s a package that will lure
those who like their utes to stand
out in a crowd, it’s not overly
invasive visually but it will draw
attention, the test car was painted
black as well, and it showed real
presence.
A lot of the latter goes to down
to the big wheels, at 18in they are
an inch in diameter bigger than
its SR5 stablemate, and that also
has grip advantages.
All SR5 models are four-wheeldrive
capable, in-cabin switch
gear gives you a multitude of
options if or when you do leave a
sealed surface.
During my testing time I left
the highway just for a short burst
alongside the Waimakariri River,
there’s a nice track that runs
parallel for several kilometres,
but caution and awareness are the
key ingredients for many motorcyclists
fulfil their recreational
needs on those tracks.
Off-road the Hilux’s
mechanical elements provide
surety in the loose, and it is
RUGGED: The Toyota Hilux SR5 Cruiser can handle a
payload of around 940kg.
TOYOTA HILUX SR5 CRUISER: Working and recreational role.
competent and capable when
elevation is presented.
Just like the multitude of pickups
in this part of the market, the
Hilux gets a leaf spring-located
live rear axle. While this may
seem primitive it is by far the best
suspension for a load-bearing
model. It works pretty well, there
is a major articulation on uneven
ground and that gives the best
possible chance of keeping wheel
contact to the ground.
At city speeds the big Dunlop
Grandtrek tyres (265/60) soak
up the bumps and ruts, and
there are still plenty of those in
Christchurch, there is a little
jiggle over the worst of it but,
by and large, the suspension is
supple and absorbent and that’s a
combination hard to get right in
a model that is also destined for a
working role.
On that subject, the payload
capacity of the SR5 cruiser is
940kg, and like all Hilux models
will haul up to 3500kg on the
towbar.
Taking care of the load is
Toyota’s uprated four-cylinder
turbocharged diesel engine,
power is now up to 150kW from
130kW and, more importantly,
torque has been boosted to
500Nm from 420Nm, increases
of 15 per cent and 11 per cent
respectively and, what’s more,
the torque pattern has been
broadened providing much
greater mid-range response and
• Price – Toyota Hilux SR5
Cruiser, $58,490
• Dimensions – Length,
5325mm; width, 1900mm;
height, 1815mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
four-wheel-drive,
2755cc, 150kW, 500Nm,
six-speed automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
10.5sec
• Fuel usage – 7.9l/100km
pulling power.
Driving through a sixspeed
automatic transmission,
the engine feels willing and
comfortable, it doesn’t throb
unnecessarily, and even when
hauling to the red line it is well
boosted without turbo lag.
Not only has Toyota got the
engine to work with a broader
power spread, it is also far more
fuel efficient, by 11 per cent to
exact.
The 2755cc unit is now rated
with a combined cycle average
of 7.9l/100km compared to
9l/100km of the previous model.
By my calculations, over time
that would lead to considerable
savings if you are a user who
spends much time on a daily
basis behind the wheel.
When I took the Cruiser back
to the dealership the fuel usage
readout was sitting at 8.9l/100km,
which wasn’t that far distant to
Toyota’s claims, and was good
given that I spent a lot of distance
travelling and commuting at city
speeds. On the highway you can
expect a 7l/100km instantaneous
reading with the engine loping
over casually at just 1800rpm.
At highway speed the Hilux
cruises gently and isn’t a handful
when the long straights run
out. On 18in wheels there is
considerable steering feel, and
that’s a hard thing to get right
when there’s a host of rugged
mechanical elements sitting
underneath.
Composure in a corner is
acceptable and stability at the
rear end is enhanced due to a
comprehensive traction control
system.
Toyota has never sat back and
let sales take care of themselves.
As a company it is constantly
refining and further developing
product. The Hilux is a classic
example of that, and while
it gets the benefits of further
specification enhancements,
it has also had the mechanical
upgrades that will keep it as one
of the Kiwi favourites in the pickup
market.
With 17 models to choose
from there’s a truck for all
requirements, the SR5 Cruiser
tempting the discerning buyer,
one who likes just a little bit more
in a ute without going to hyper,
although I’m sure with Toyota’s
extensive aftermarket option
packages that could be arranged.