Test Drive: 2010 3.0L D4-D Toyota Hilux.

Vehicle : 2010 Toyota Hilux
Specs:
- 3.0 D4D 1KD-FTV with Variable Geometry Turbocharger, Common-Rail diesel
- 4x4 Automatic transmission
- Limited Slip Differential
- Full leather option (leather seats, shift knob, steering wheel)
- Full power options (powered windows, power steering, power wing mirrors, powered driver's seat adjustments)
- CD player/MP3 player

I've been watching the Toyota Hilux for some time now, but I've always put it in the back of my mind, due to the relatively more expensive list price of the truck (as compared to other pickups with similar trim). I'm aware of the resale value of Toyota's, as well as the reputation for reliability & dependability of these trucks (a la' Jeremy Clarkson and his failed attempt to kill a toyota hilux on Top Gear) but I've always wondered how could they justify their high price.

I got my answer when I test drove the Hilux this past weekend.

First Impression
It's a tall truck! Usually the top of my head would be just about level with the roof of my frontier and I stand at 5'6. The hilux towered over me by a few inches, and gave the impression of being a much larger truck than it really was. From far away the high stance of the truck gives an impression of massive ground clearance. The front fascia was recently tweaked in 2009, but IMO I preferred the sleeker grill from the 2005/2006 era model. The sleek lines of the body give an image of sportiness and that this should be a fun vehicle to drive should you be fortunate enough to be able to afford one.

In the Cabin
The driver's seating position gave an even greater feeling of being tall and up-in-the-air. Road visibility was excellent, I felt like I was at a very high vantage point - my frontier felt positively low to the ground in comparison. The view outside from the cockpit was excellent in all directions except for the back - the tray blocked the lower 1/3rd of the rear windscreen. But this is a truck after all, this is to be expected.
The steering wheel felt small in my hands, similar to aftermarket performance steering wheels in sports sedans. Seating support was good, with very good lumbar support. The dashboard layout was sporty, if a little bit ostentatious. I'm guessing this is toyota's attempt at appealing to the younger crowd; i.e. the target market for these "lifestyle" pickups. The agreeable beige colour all over the cabin would sit well with almost anyone. The leather felt premium-level, as well as the build quality and materials throughout the cabin. Toyota charges a premium for the leather options, and it shows in the workmanship & quality. Even the doors would shut with a nice, solid "thunk", giving you the satisfaction of money well spent.

Around the Outside
I must say that the exterior styling of the truck is quite sleek and sporty (did I say sporty enough times already?). This is in keeping with the rest of Toyota's lineup of vehicles, which started with the 2006 corolla and it big-headlight & minimal grill combination. Chrome is kept to a minimum except to highlight body lines, which I liked (unlike the huge chrome grill on the Navara).
The OEM sidesteps which actually come as standard on our Hilux models came in very handy when entering/exiting the truck. The tray appeared huge at first glance, probably just as big as the Navara and as long as the Ranger's. My first remark on seeing the tray was "yeah this'll hold a LOT of stuff... I like it." No rollbar supplied as standard though, this is an additional $5000 TTD option. Trayliner is available as an option for $3000, not supplied as standard.
TTTL sells the hilux with factory 17-inch 5-spoke rims with a bright silver powdercoat. I like the design on these rims, they look sturdy and ready for off-road action with good on-road manners. However, these rims come shod with 245/70R17 Bridgestone Dueler A/T's, which have a reputation of having decent grip on dry tarmac but slide easily in wet conditions. Oh well, these will have to come off and be replaced with a pair of BF-Goodrich A/T's in 265/70R17's, me-thinks.
For some reason TTTL wants you to pay $1300 TTD just for foglights - which doesn't make sense to me, seeing that foglights are standard on other trucks like the Navara/Ranger/L200.


Performance & Ride
This is where the Hilux really shines. Ride quality is excellent, despite the Hilux being a ladderframe workhorse pickup truck. The front suspension consists of coil-over springs, which give a much smoother and civil ride over the traditional torsion-bar setup as found in the Ranger, BT-50 and DMax. Even over the potholes & bumps in front of Toyota Trinidad & Tobago Limited's barataria office were no problem for the Hilux's suspension. The ride was as smooth as any SUV with hardly any road-irregularities translating into the interior cabin. I didn't have much chance to try to break out the rear of the truck to test the leaf-springs, but I think Toyota used special dampeners to give the leaf-springs some measure of road manners.
Steering was solid and on target. Not as responsive as say, a sports sedan but more than adequate for a pickup truck. I felt quite confident in pointing the Hilux wherever I wanted to go, and though it took about 3 1/2 turns lock-to-lock, the Hilux's 11.4m turning circle was small enough to maneuver through the backroads of barataria without fuss. The steering servo's did their job well, making turning the wheel almost effortless. This was pleasing to me; if I did have the moolah to afford one of these trucks, I'd at least be able to navigate the tight streets & corners of Port of Spain with very little worries (and be able to parallel park too!).

We took a cruise up to El Soccoro traffic lights, did a U-turn at the turnoff and headed back towards Barataria. I gunned the engine, and the speedometer quickly rose from 10km/h all the way up to 130km/h. Torque came in a smooth, civil flow. The power didn't come as a punch in the gut like the powerhouse-Navara, but there was ample torque to push you back into your seat (in a pleasant, refined manner). If the Navara was a bucking broncho racehorse that was chomping at the bits to thunder down the racetrack, the hilux was then a stately mare that jumped the obstacles and carried little women in red suits, black hats & black riding boots. It got the job done quickly and with style.
Again the suspension turned the ride into a smooth experience, we sat in quiet comfort as the engine droned away. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to hear the familiar "fwiisshh" of the VGT turbocharger coming from the engine as it rammed inducted air into the common-rail diesel powerplant. I definitely felt all 170hp, 260lb/ft & 352NM of torque as the auto-transmission sailed through the gears.
As we pulled the tall truck back into TTTL's parking lot, I looked down at my frontier as I passed it and felt a bit dirty, like I was cheating on it and it was seeing me with an outside mistress.

(perhaps the horse-analogy was a bit "lame". Put it this way - if the Navara was the Milennium falcon, full of power yet not so refined, the Hilux was the Enterprise).

Verdict
All in All, I loved the driving experience with the 3.0L hilux. The interior was well appointed, the design & build appropriate for the asking price, and the driving experience was smooth to say the least. If I had the money, I'd definitely spring for a 3.0 D4D hilux, probably with the chrome "hilux" branded rollbars, and perhaps spray-on duraliner as well as more aggressive tyres. Oh yeah, and a manual 4x4 transmission to get that starship-quality engine to really pump out some power & control.
Toyota really justified their asking price for the Hilux, and I now think it's worth the money (if your bank account is fat enough). Plus you can't deny that resale value - look at how many hilux Vigo's are being sold for almost ridiculous prices on www.trinicarsforsale.com


Prices
- 3.0D4D 4x4 Manual, Fabric seats, LSD, Fully powered, no accessories besides factory side-steps = $230,000 TTD
- 3.0D4D 4x4 Automatic, leather seats, LSD, Traction control, fully powered, no accessories except factory side-steps = $265,000 TTD
- 2.5D4D 4x2 Manual, fabric seats, fully powered, no accessories except factory side-steps = $199,000 TTD
- 2.5D4D 4x4 Manual, fabric seats, fully powered, LSD, no accessories except factory sidesteps = $202,000 TTD

Website: http://www.toyota-trinidad.com/



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