Toyota's HiLux continues to lead the market as Australia's most popular car.
Story Bruce McMahon
Toyota's HiLux ute is Australia's most popular vehicle, even in uncertain times. Long the country's best-selling ute, the HiLux has now topped all annual car sales since 2016, in one of the world's most competitive markets.
That ongoing sales success is built on a number of factors, which begin with Toyota's history as a reliable manufacturer with a country-wide dealer and service network. Add to that the HiLux's workhorse heritage and a loyal customer base, from farmers to builders.
There is also a swag of options in the HiLux range - from basic two-wheel-drive, single cab utilities to well-dressed 4WD dual cabs. All this means a substantial business market - from corporations to governments - as well as a sizeable private market.
This Toyota commercial has an excellent track record and widespread customer base. While some rivals have closed the sales gap and even pipped the HiLux in certain niches, this remains Australia's little truck.
Leading the range are 4WD dual-cab versions. There is widespread appetite for this type of four-door vehicle today - one which can double as workhorse and play horse, especially with the addition of more safety, comforts and conveniences to soften the agricultural underpinnings for family folk.
The SR5 is the upmarket version of this Toyota, the one regular 'luxury' version with bright body colours, splashes of chrome plus alloy wheels. The interior also tries for a premium look and feel.
The four-door body and tray take up 5.3m x 1.8m. The 4WD ute rides high, with 279mm of ground clearance. It has a little muscled-up style though there may be some body design tweaks around the corner in a mid-life update.
Climb into an SR5 cabin and most ideas of a commercial vehicle fly out the (electric) windows. This is a well-fitted and finished interior, with softer surfaces than the average ute. It has monotone blacks from front to back adding to an impression of quality.
As with most Toyotas, it all works well although there is myriad buttons to consider, from those dozen on the steering wheel to air-conditioning controls, plus switches for traction control, hill descent and rear differential locker on the centre console. The audio controls could do with an old-fashioned button for volume control. Steering wheel buttons are small, and the slide control on the touch screen can be frustrating when accessing functions from stereo to phone connectivity and navigation.
HiLux SR5 safety gear includes an excellent rear view camera and lane-departure warning system, which can be switched off. This assist can be annoying on the open road, beeping and then tugging at the steering wheel when too close to a white line. Unfortunately, where there are no markings, it doesn't work out scrub - a feature that could be handy before drivers veer off a road's edge and into the mulga.
With car-like features and fittings, this is a quieter, more relaxed drive over a standard ute, although there's no disguising that leaf-sprung rear end and nervousness down back over rougher roads. Steering and handling, while respecting the limitations of a tall, commercial-based vehicle, are fine at regular speeds.
The HiLux runs with a 2.8L, turbocharged diesel engine, good for 130kW and 450Nm of torque. This gives adequate, if not always urgent, performance through the six-speed auto gearbox. These figures may be bettered in an update reportedly due sometime in 2020. The current HiLux arrived in 2015 and most utes have around a 10-year life so a mid-life refresh could see minor mechanical and design tweaks.
Average fuel on this one runs around 10L/ 100km and drivers need to be aware Toyota's diesel particulate filter (which collects exhaust soot) can want a decent burn/clean out at highway speeds at times.
As always, the HiLux is a decent 4WD machine with ladder chassis and good gearing through a two-speed transfer case operated by electronics for high or low range. More serious off-roaders would likely swap the SR5's highway-biased tyres for more aggressive treads and perhaps give the ute more ground clearance, yet this stock Toyota will get most workers, or adventurers, where they want to when the bitumen disappears.
The Toyota HiLux SR5 is an obvious choice for many - more comfortable than ever, yet still a competent and practical utility for a range of customers from bush to beach.
This story excerpt is from issue #131
Outback Magazine: June/July 2020
