Toyota’s trusty Hilux pickup has been making history for over 55 years now, and it’s probably not going away anytime soon.
Throughout the whole of the automotive industry, no other vehicle is quite as simple and requires less explanation than the humble Toyota pickup truck – otherwise known as the Hilux.
For 55 years, the Hilux has served as the trusty, go-to pickup truck that has impacted millions of lives around the world, both on and far off the road. The effect this Toyota truck has developed is simply incomparable to any other truck ever produced.
Here are ten reasons why the Toyota Hilux was, and still is, the most badass truck of all time.
10 It’s Affordable
One of the key aspects of the Hilux is the fact that it’s still an affordable truck over half a decade since its first iteration.
Despite the fact the Hilux was removed from the American market in 1995, it starts from £26,000 ($31,000) in the UK which makes it a decently affordable truck for people who need one for work or other agricultural purposes.
The Hilux was designed to be affordable to the masses, and it represents a sensible starting price compared to the influx of premium, luxury trucks that American manufacturers seem to be producing – which simply aren’t as affordable as they should be.
9 It Can Easily Be Modified
One of the great aspects of the Toyota Hilux is the fact it can very easily be modified and adapted for rugged use in any condition. Need to explore the depths of India on rough ground? The Hilux can do it. Need to attend a meeting in a Siberian winter? With the right mods, the humble Toyota truck can get there.
The Toyota Hilux is one of the most adaptable vehicles ever produced, and it’s little wonder they are so popular on a global scale.
8 It Was Built With One Purpose In Mind
As stated in the introduction, the Hilux doesn’t have to explain itself. It was designed with only one purpose in mind; and that was to be a no-nonsense, easy-to-maintain pickup truck built to last. A lot of pickup trucks nowadays are designed to be a lot of things in one package, be it a powerful 700-hp muscle truck like the Dodge Ram 1500 TRX, a luxurious $70,000+ barge like the Chevrolet Silverado High Country, or possibly a combination of both.
But the Hilux is true to its form and still maintains itself as a simple, dedicated workhorse, and you have to respect Toyota for that.
7 It’s An Analogue Truck In A Digital World
One of the reasons why the Hilux lasts for so long is because Toyota engineers it in such a way, that every important component doesn’t represent technological progress, but instead represents longevity.
For example, it uses a conventional gear shifter and a mechanical handbrake. Because even though rivals are going digital with these things, the analog controls work. They will continue to work properly decades into each Toyota truck’s life and this makes them especially unique in today’s market of trucks that are becoming ever more premium.
6 It Has A Humble, Yet Great History
The Hilux came into fruition in 1968 as a means to replace the ute versions of Toyota’s existing Corona, MKII, and Crown models. This was economically effective at the time as Toyota was in a position to expand into global marketplaces and would become the driving force in the import market in the USA.
Toyota trucks were simple, cheap, and most importantly, very reliable which helped them impact the U.S. market and disrupt the big three at Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.
The Hilux was a simple truck made for simple purposes, and as a result, it was hugely successful eight generations later.
5 They Can Be Seen All Over The World
Because of the durability and adaptability of the Hilux, don’t be surprised if you travel in remote corners all over the globe and there’s at least one or two humbly traveling down the roads.
Toyota trucks have always served as supply vehicles for poverty-truck communities, they also serve as police vehicles, ambulances, and pretty much anything else you can think of in every part of the developing world. Some even use Hiluxes as military vehicles. The Land Rover was the car that discovered these remote areas. But it was the Toyotas that stayed and continue to serve to this day.
4 It Was The Other Star In Back To The Future
Of course, the DeLorean time machine was the main star in the iconic Back To The Future trilogy. But in the first installment, it was the blacked-out, badass Hilux SR5 that Marty McFly dreamed of owning – and eventually did.
The SR5 is an unmistakably cool Toyota truck and its mods were so typically aspirational 1980s. It is perhaps one of the most underrated movie vehicles out there simply because it never received the same recognition as the DeLorean did.RELATED:10 Of The Most Iconic Movie Cars Ever
3 It Can Tackle All Terrains
Part of the reason why the Hilux is regularly seen in all corners of the globe is that it is capable of tackling all kinds of terrain without assistance. It can cross streams, mud baths, and rough tracks and still be capable of doing it repeatedly.
With the right modifications, it even got the team from Top Gear to the North Pole in the famous 2007 special episode. One of the camera crew cars even made an appearance again and climbed up an Icelandic volcano. The Hilux can do it all, can’t it?
2 It’s Very Practical
With a simple bed and the availability of a single or crew cab, the Hilux is naturally practical when it comes to carrying loads and traveling long distances. Throw any tools or components into the back, and you’ll be on your way.
Of course, any pickup truck is capable of carrying things and traveling long distances, but the toughness and reliability of the Toyota truck make it ever so more dependable, and one of the most important Toyotas ever produced.
1 It’s Completely Indestructible
Finally, we come to the main reason why the Hilux is the king of the pickup hill. No matter what you throw at them, they are completely and utterly indestructible. Unless you drop one from 10,000 feet high of course.
Nevertheless, citing Top Gear again, it survived a drowning in the sea, a blaze of fire, and most famously, a drop from a collapsing tower block. Toyota Hiluxes are built to last and survive the most strenuous of situations that every other truck would dream of, and you have to respect Toyota for building such a thing in the first place.
Sources:
Toyota Media
Chevrolet USA
Dodge Media
Hotcars
