Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Toyota Hilux shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Toyota Hilux offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Toyota Hilux at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Toyota Hilux? Wrong! If the Toyota Hilux is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Toyota Hilux then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Toyota Hilux? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Toyota Hilux and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Toyota Hilux wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Toyota Hilux then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Toyota Hilux site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Toyota Hilux, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Toyota Hilux, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
This article is about the Pickup truck sold in North America until 1994, and international markets as of today. For the 1995-present small pickup sold in North America, see Toyota Tacoma.
{{Infobox Automobile| image = | name = Toyota Tacoma| manufacturer = Toyota Motor Corporation
NUMMI (1991-1995)(North America)
Hino| successor = [Toyota Tacoma (North America)], Japan
Hamura,
JapanTahara,
Aichi, Japan
Fremont,
California-->The Toyota Hilux, and Toyota Tacoma, are compact [pickup trucks built and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The Hilux name was adopted as a replacement for the Stout in 1969, and remains in use worldwide. In
North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck, until it was renamed the Tacoma in 1995. One popular option package, SR5 (Sport Rally), also became synonymous with the truck, even though it was used on other Toyota models as well. In 1984, the Trekker, the camper version of the Hilux, was changed to the Toyota 4Runner in North America and Australia, and as the
Toyota Hilux Surf in Japan. The 4Runner, now a full SUV, shares few visual cues with its brother Tacoma in more recent models.
As the Hilux name was dropped in the US in 1976, any details listed here purporting to relate to the Hilux from that date may not be entirely correct when applied to the vehicle that continues to be marketed by Toyota as the Hilux throughout the rest of the world.
The product lines for the US and elsewhere diverged at that point and in many cases on a year for year basis the vehicles sold in the US only resemble the Hilux, with major mechanical/chassis differences.
On July 25 2007, the
BBC aired a special episode of Top Gear (current format) where two of its presenters,
James May and
Jeremy Clarkson became the first ever people to reach the 1996 Magnetic North Pole in an automobile, the Toyota Hilux.BBC –
Top Gear's Polar Special 25 July 2007
1935
The original Toyota pickup was the 1935
Toyota G1 Truck. It shared many components with the company's Toyota A1 Sedan, and was a 1.5 ton stake-bed commercial truck.
1947
After World War II, Toyota returned with a compact pickup truck, the Toyota SB. This was the true ancestor of the Hilux, and remained in production from 1947 through 1963.
Engine:
- 995 cc Straight-4, 27 hp (20 kW)
1964
Toyota entered the American market with the 1964 introduction of the
:ja:トヨタ・スタウト. It was larger than the similar
Datsun and Mazda compact trucks, and looked like a
Chevrolet C/K.
Engine:
- 1964-1968 - 1.9 L (1897 cc) Toyota R engine#3R Straight-4, 85 hp (63 kW)
1969
The Hilux name was coined in 1969, but it was a highly-luxurious vehicle only when compared to the Stout. Hilux was engineered and assembled by Hino Motors, replaced Hino Hino Briska,
Toyota Briska and Toyota Light Stout. The only body style was a regular cab short bed and all were
rear-wheel drive. It used a typical truck setup of
A-arms and
coil springs in front and a
live axle with
leaf springs in back. A 4-speed manual transmission was standard.
Engine:
- 1969 - 1.9 L (1897 cc) Toyota R engine#3R Straight-4, 85 hp (63 kW)
- 1970-1971 - 1.9 L (1858 cc) Toyota R engine#8R SOHC Straight-4, 97 hp (72 kW)
- 1972 - 2.0 L (1968 cc) Toyota R engine#18R SOHC Straight-4, 108 hp (81 kW)
1973
In the middle of 1972, the 1973 Hilux was released. A more-comfortable interior was specified along with exterior updates. A 7.5 ft (2.3 m) "long bed" was optional for the first time.
Engine:
1975
The truck was radically redesigned in 1975. Larger and more luxurious in every way, the truck also introduced the
Toyota R engine#20R engine and SR5 upscale trim package. A 5-speed manual transmission was optional. The Hilux name was dropped in America in favor of "Truck" the next year. Buyers of the Hilux in America found that their owners' manuals named it as the Toyota "Pickup".
Engine:
1981
The 1981 model year saw a vehicle development deal between Toyota and
Winnebago Industries (primarily) and two other aftermarket customizers. Toyota was attempting to enter the Sport utility vehicle market. The vehicles which resulted from this collaboration were the Toyota Trekker (Winnebago), Toyota Wolverine, and the Toyota Trailblazer (Griffith). All three employed the Toyota Hilux 4x4 RV cab and chassis, and an all-
fiberglass rear section (the Trailblazer had a steel bed with a fiberglass top). There were at least 1,500 Trekkers, 400 Trailblazers (only 41 currently registered by the DMV), and an unknown number of Wolverines sold in North America. Research and development work on the Trekker lead to the development of the
Toyota 4Runner (The 4Runner was also sold in the United Kingdom)(called the Toyota Hilux Surf outside North America), which was released in 1984.
Engines:
- 1981-1983-2.4 L(2366 cc) 22R SOHC I4, 96 hp (72 kW) at 4800 rpm and 129 ft·lbf of torque at 2800 rpm.
- 1981-1983-2.2 L Diesel I4, 62 hp at 4200 rpm and 93 ft·lbf of torque(SR5 long bed only.).
1984
The big news for the 1984 redesign was the introduction of the Xtracab two-row extended cab option. Also two diesel engines were offered, the 2L and the turbocharged 2L-T. The diesels were discontinued in the U.S. after the 1985 model year, for unknown reasons. The next year saw the introduction of an optional
fuel injected engine, the
Toyota R engine#22R, and a
Turbocharger option, the Toyota R engine#22R. The solid front axle was swapped out for an independent front suspension/torsion bar setup in the 4x4 model in 1986, and optional automatic locking front hubs and an electronic transfer case was added as well. A
V6 engine was introduced in 1988.
Engines:
- 1984-1988 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC Straight-4, 96 hp (72 kW) at 4800 rpm and 129 ft·lbf (174 N·m) at 2800 rpm
- 1984-1986 2.2 L 1Toyota L engine (2188 cc)Diesel Straight-4, 62 hp (46.2 kW) at 4200 rpm and 93 ft·lbf (126 N·m) (SR5 long bed only)
- 1984-1985 - 2.4L (2446 cc) Diesel I4 2L SOHC, 83 hp (62 kW) at 4200 rpm and 122 ft·lbf at 2400 rpm; 2L-T (2446 cc) SOHC, 92 hp (69 kW) at 4000 rpm and 159 ft·lbf at 2400 rpm
- 1985-1988 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC fuel injection Straight-4, 112 hp (78 kW) at 4800 rpm and 137 ft·lbf (185 N·m) at 2800 rpm
- 1985-1987 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC fuel injection turbo Straight-4, 135 hp (101 kW) at 4800 rpm and 173 ft·lbf (234 N·m) at 2800 rpm
- 1988 - 3.0 L Toyota VZ engine#3VZ-E V6, 150 hp (112 kW)
1989
The next redesign, in 1989, saw a longer-wheelbase option, 122 in (309.9 cm) versus 103 in (261.6 cm) for the regular wheelbase. The V6 Xtracab SR5 earned
Motor Trend magazine's Motor Trend Car of the Year award that year. Production began at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California,
California in 1991.
Engines:
- 1989-1995 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC fuel injection Straight-4, 112 hp (84 kW) at 4600 rpm and 142 ft·lbf (192 N·m) at 3400 rpm
- 1989 - 3.0 L Toyota VZ engine#3VZ-E V6, 150 hp (112 kW)
Volkswagen even signed a deal to build and market them under the Volkswagen Taro name; this agreement ended in the late 1990s.Image:1992 Toyota V6.JPG|Toyota Pick Up 4WDImage:ToyotaTacoma.jpg|Toyota Pick Up 2WD
1995
The name Tacoma comes from an
Lushootseed word for the volcano Mount Tahoma in the Cascade Mountains, known as Mount Rainier in English language, which is visible from the
blue collar city of Tacoma, Washington.
The Tacoma differs framewise from the Hilux, although both appear similar from the outside. Both the Tacoma and Hilux variants are sold in Mexico.
The ninth generation of compact pickup trucks from Toyota, was radically updated, with a new frame and body, new suspension, and new engines. All versions now featured
coil springs in front with a
live axle and leaf springs in back.
The Tacoma was restyled in 1998 when the front fascia and the frame were the primary changes as well as the addition of new badging. It was also restyled in 2001 when a new "double cab" (crew cab) option was added, and a flashy S-Runner was offered as well.
Engines:
Image:Toyota-Tacoma-ext.jpg|Pre-facelift Toyota Tacoma extended cabImage:Toyota-Tacoma-extended.jpg|Toyota Tacoma extended cab with second faceliftImage:1995-97 Toyota Tacoma.jpg|Facelifted Toyota Tacoma
2005
Both the Tacoma and the Hilux were updated in 2005. The Tacoma was based off the new Land Cruiser Prado chassis, while the Hilux rides on a refreshed version of the ladder frame found on previous versions. The new Hilux got bigger, now classified as a mid-size pick up. The Tacoma had a new 4.0 Liter V6 engine that produces 236 horsepower and 266 ft·lbf torque. Its design was very similar to the Toyota 4Runner. Hilux sold in European, Australian, Asian and South African Markets are built and assembled in
Thailand, those sold in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico, are made in
Argentina. The Hilux platform was used as the basis for Toyota's IMV program which spawned the
Toyota Innova MPV and Toyota Fortuner SUV/PPV.
The new Tacoma won the
Canadian Car of the Year Best New Pick-up award and was
Motor Trend magazine's
Car of the Year for 2005.
Engines (markets):
- 2005 2.0 L gasoline VVT-i DOHC Straight-4 (South Africa, Indonesia)
- 2005 2.5 L diesel D-4D DOHC Straight-4, 134 hp - 156 hp (Asia, Europe, South Africa, South America)
- 2005 2.7 L gasoline VVT-i DOHC Straight-4, 160 hp (Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, USA)
- 2005 3.0 L diesel D-4D DOHC Straight-4, Turbodiesel, commonrail 16-valve direct injetion, 171 hp (Asia, South Africa, South America, Australia) (soon in Europe). This version is crafted at the Toyota Argentina facility in Zarate.
- 2005 4.0 L gasoline VVT-i DOHC V6, 228 hp - 236 hp (Australia, South Africa, USA)
Image:Tacoma-regular-cab.jpg|Current Toyota Tacoma (regular cab)Image:Tacoma-DoubleCab-2.jpg|Toyota Tacoma Double CabImage:Hilux vigo.jpg|Extended cab Toyota HiluxImage:Toyota Hilux (eleventh generation) (front), Serdang.jpg|Double cab Toyota Hilux
Reputation
The Toyota Hilux has gained a reputation for exceptional sturdiness and reliability, even during sustained heavy use, and is often referred to as "The indestructible car". This was further reinforced when on the third series (programme five) of the revamped
BBC motoring show
Top Gear (current format), a 1988 Toyota Hilux with 190,000 miles (308,000km) on the clock, was subjected to a succession of extraordinary abuse, which included driving it down the steps behind Bristol Cathedral, scraping buildings in
Bristol, crashing it into a tree, tying it up to a
jetty to be washed out to sea by the incoming tide, driving it through a garden shed (a.k.a the Top Gear production office), dropping a Travel trailer#Caravan (Europe) onto it, hitting it with a wrecking ball, setting the cabin and bed area on fire, and placing it on top of a 240-foot block of flats that was subsequently destroyed by a
controlled demolition. Amazingly, although it was now suffering from severe structural damage (there was already significant body corrosion when it was purchased), the truck was still running after being repaired without spare parts and only with typical tools and equipment that would be found in a car's toolbox, such as
spanners,
motor oil, and a monkey wrench. The Hilux currently resides as one of the background decorations in the newly revamped Top Gear Studio from Season 8. Top Gear - Toyota Hilux destruction attempts - part 1
Top Gear - Toyota Hilux destruction attempts - part 2
In the 2006 series (Series 8, Episode 3), a Hilux was chosen by
Jeremy Clarkson as his platform for creating an
amphibious vehicle. With assistance, Clarkson rigged the truck with a massive outboard motor and steering mechanism in the pickup bed. The truck, redubbed the "Toybota", was driven by Clarkson over several miles by road and two miles across open water, before capsizing during a quick turn. Once recovered, the vehicle was moved back to the Top Gear Studio, where a confident Clarkson stated that he would be the only one capable of driving his car home, since it was the indestructible Hilux. However, Clarkson could not get the Hilux started which led his co-hosts to believe that Clarkson had finally destroyed the "indestructible".
In 2007,
Top Gear ran a special program in which Clarkson and
James May raced a customized 2005 model Hilux to the magnetic north pole from Northern Canada against
Richard Hammond with a pack of dogs, making the truck the first car to make it to the magnetic North Pole.
Outside television, these vehicles have been known to exceed 300,000 miles (~500000 km) with regular maintenance. It is also infamous for being used as an
technical (fighting vehicle) by militias and irregular military forces, especially in
Third World conflicts (the Toyota War between Libya and
Chad was so named because of the use of Toyota Hilux trucks as light cavalry by the Chadian army).
Hilux in Popular Culture
The fictional characters and toys from
Transformers (toy line),
Autobots Trailbreaker and
Hoist (Transformers), were based on the Toyota Hilux (possibly the 1983 model). Trailbreaker, the Autobots' defensive strategist, transformed into a Hilux camper (produced shortly before Hilux/"4Runners" were sold in America), while Hoist, the strict maintenance specialist, chose the appropriate disguise of a Hilux tow truck.
In the
1999 film
Toy Story 2, the Pizza Planet truck that the toys commandeer is shown to be a
1978 Toyota Pickup. This can be determined by a combination of the letters on the tailgate of the truck (T YO ), the styling of the truck both inside and out, and the model year on the manual (labeled "GYOZA") that Hamm the piggy bank is seen to be reading. It is important to note, however, that on the
owner's manual, the number 1978 is followed by gibberish (presumably to protect copyright).
In the 1985 film
Back to the Future,
Marty McFly's (
Michael J. Fox) dream car is a black 4x4 Toyota Pickup extended cab with a manual transmission. After slightly altering his parent's history in 1955 and returning to 1985, he discovers that he finally owns one. The truck also appears in the beginning of Back to the Future Part II and the end of
Back to the Future Part III of the film trilogy.
In the 1989 comedy film
Nuns on the Run, Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle use a hijacked Toyota Hilux to escape from the convent.
At the end of the 2006 movie
Pulse (2006 film), the two surviving main characters escape in a 1984 Hilux.
A modified Toyota Hilux was used to get to the magnetic north pole for the fist time, "Top Gear Polar Special"
Notes and references
See also
External links
- South African Toyota Hilux owners' forum
- Hilux Pickup Owners Club and Online Community
- Tacoma Offroad Forum
- 2005+ Tacoma Forum
- Tacoma World
- Toyota Nation - Tacoma Forum
- Trails Less Traveled - technical articles about high-performance aftermarket products for Toyota trucks
- English Translations of Japanese-manufactured Hilux recalls at DogAndLemon.com
- Toyota Hilux Club or Victoria (Australia)
- New Hilux Web Site, Hilux owners themselves put up photos and info about their vehicles online, there is also a popular forum to use
- Hilux / Tacoma / 4WD community - 11.000-member-forum, gallery, tips and tech
- FREE TOYOTA Truck Repair Videos
- Detailed specs and pics of Toyota Hilux Vigo
- Online community with over 100 custom Hilux Toyota's
This article is about the Pickup truck sold in North America until 1994, and international markets as of today. For the 1995-present small pickup sold in North America, see Toyota Tacoma.
{{Infobox Automobile| image = | name = Toyota Tacoma| manufacturer = Toyota Motor Corporation
NUMMI (1991-1995)(North America)
Hino| successor = [Toyota Tacoma (North America)], Japan
Hamura,
JapanTahara, Aichi,
JapanFremont, California-->The
Toyota Hilux, and
Toyota Tacoma, are compact [pickup trucks built and marketed by the
Toyota Motor Corporation. The Hilux name was adopted as a replacement for the Stout in 1969, and remains in use worldwide. In North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck, until it was renamed the Tacoma in 1995. One popular option package, SR5 (Sport Rally), also became synonymous with the truck, even though it was used on other Toyota models as well. In 1984, the Trekker, the camper version of the Hilux, was changed to the
Toyota 4Runner in North America and Australia, and as the Toyota Hilux Surf in Japan. The 4Runner, now a full SUV, shares few visual cues with its brother Tacoma in more recent models.
As the Hilux name was dropped in the US in 1976, any details listed here purporting to relate to the Hilux from that date may not be entirely correct when applied to the vehicle that continues to be marketed by Toyota as the Hilux throughout the rest of the world.
The product lines for the US and elsewhere diverged at that point and in many cases on a year for year basis the vehicles sold in the US only resemble the Hilux, with major mechanical/chassis differences.
On July 25
2007, the
BBC aired a special episode of
Top Gear (current format) where two of its presenters,
James May and Jeremy Clarkson became the first ever people to reach the 1996
Magnetic North Pole in an automobile, the Toyota Hilux.BBC –
Top Gear's Polar Special 25 July 2007
1935
The original Toyota pickup was the 1935
Toyota G1 Truck. It shared many components with the company's Toyota A1 Sedan, and was a 1.5 ton stake-bed commercial truck.
1947
After World War II, Toyota returned with a compact pickup truck, the Toyota SB. This was the true ancestor of the Hilux, and remained in production from 1947 through 1963.
Engine:
- 995 cc Straight-4, 27 hp (20 kW)
1964
Toyota entered the American market with the 1964 introduction of the :ja:トヨタ・スタウト. It was larger than the similar Datsun and
Mazda compact trucks, and looked like a
Chevrolet C/K.
Engine:
- 1964-1968 - 1.9 L (1897 cc) Toyota R engine#3R Straight-4, 85 hp (63 kW)
1969
The Hilux name was coined in 1969, but it was a highly-luxurious vehicle only when compared to the Stout. Hilux was engineered and assembled by
Hino Motors, replaced Hino Hino Briska,Toyota Briska and Toyota Light Stout. The only body style was a regular cab short bed and all were
rear-wheel drive. It used a typical truck setup of A-arms and coil springs in front and a
live axle with
leaf springs in back. A 4-speed
manual transmission was standard.
Engine:
1973
In the middle of 1972, the 1973 Hilux was released. A more-comfortable interior was specified along with exterior updates. A 7.5 ft (2.3 m) "long bed" was optional for the first time.
Engine:
- 1973-1974 - 2.0 L (1968 cc) Toyota R engine#18R SOHC Straight-4, 108 hp (81 kW)
1975
The truck was radically redesigned in 1975. Larger and more luxurious in every way, the truck also introduced the
Toyota R engine#20R engine and SR5 upscale trim package. A 5-speed manual transmission was optional. The Hilux name was dropped in America in favor of "Truck" the next year. Buyers of the Hilux in America found that their owners' manuals named it as the Toyota "Pickup".
Engine:
- 1975-1978 - 2.2 L (2189 cc) Toyota R engine#20R SOHC Straight-4, 96 hp (72 kW)
1981
The 1981 model year saw a vehicle development deal between Toyota and
Winnebago Industries (primarily) and two other aftermarket customizers. Toyota was attempting to enter the Sport utility vehicle market. The vehicles which resulted from this collaboration were the Toyota Trekker (Winnebago), Toyota Wolverine, and the Toyota Trailblazer (Griffith). All three employed the Toyota Hilux 4x4 RV cab and chassis, and an all-
fiberglass rear section (the Trailblazer had a steel bed with a fiberglass top). There were at least 1,500 Trekkers, 400 Trailblazers (only 41 currently registered by the DMV), and an unknown number of Wolverines sold in North America. Research and development work on the Trekker lead to the development of the Toyota 4Runner (The 4Runner was also sold in the United Kingdom)(called the Toyota Hilux Surf outside North America), which was released in 1984.
Engines:
- 1981-1983-2.4 L(2366 cc) 22R SOHC I4, 96 hp (72 kW) at 4800 rpm and 129 ft·lbf of torque at 2800 rpm.
- 1981-1983-2.2 L Diesel I4, 62 hp at 4200 rpm and 93 ft·lbf of torque(SR5 long bed only.).
1984
The big news for the 1984 redesign was the introduction of the Xtracab two-row extended cab option. Also two diesel engines were offered, the 2L and the turbocharged 2L-T. The diesels were discontinued in the U.S. after the 1985 model year, for unknown reasons. The next year saw the introduction of an optional fuel injected engine, the
Toyota R engine#22R, and a Turbocharger option, the
Toyota R engine#22R. The solid front axle was swapped out for an independent front suspension/torsion bar setup in the 4x4 model in 1986, and optional automatic locking front hubs and an electronic transfer case was added as well. A
V6 engine was introduced in 1988.
Engines:
- 1984-1988 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC Straight-4, 96 hp (72 kW) at 4800 rpm and 129 ft·lbf (174 N·m) at 2800 rpm
- 1984-1986 2.2 L 1Toyota L engine (2188 cc)Diesel Straight-4, 62 hp (46.2 kW) at 4200 rpm and 93 ft·lbf (126 N·m) (SR5 long bed only)
- 1984-1985 - 2.4L (2446 cc) Diesel I4 2L SOHC, 83 hp (62 kW) at 4200 rpm and 122 ft·lbf at 2400 rpm; 2L-T (2446 cc) SOHC, 92 hp (69 kW) at 4000 rpm and 159 ft·lbf at 2400 rpm
- 1985-1988 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC fuel injection Straight-4, 112 hp (78 kW) at 4800 rpm and 137 ft·lbf (185 N·m) at 2800 rpm
- 1985-1987 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC fuel injection turbo Straight-4, 135 hp (101 kW) at 4800 rpm and 173 ft·lbf (234 N·m) at 2800 rpm
- 1988 - 3.0 L Toyota VZ engine#3VZ-E V6, 150 hp (112 kW)
1989
The next redesign, in 1989, saw a longer-wheelbase option, 122 in (309.9 cm) versus 103 in (261.6 cm) for the regular wheelbase. The V6 Xtracab SR5 earned
Motor Trend magazine's
Motor Trend Car of the Year award that year. Production began at the
NUMMI plant in Fremont, California,
California in 1991.
Engines:
- 1989-1995 - 2.4 L (2366 cc) Toyota R engine#22R SOHC fuel injection Straight-4, 112 hp (84 kW) at 4600 rpm and 142 ft·lbf (192 N·m) at 3400 rpm
- 1989 - 3.0 L Toyota VZ engine#3VZ-E V6, 150 hp (112 kW)
Volkswagen even signed a deal to build and market them under the Volkswagen Taro name; this agreement ended in the late 1990s.Image:1992 Toyota V6.JPG|Toyota Pick Up 4WDImage:ToyotaTacoma.jpg|Toyota Pick Up 2WD
1995
The name Tacoma comes from an Lushootseed word for the volcano Mount Tahoma in the Cascade Mountains, known as
Mount Rainier in
English language, which is visible from the blue collar city of
Tacoma, Washington.
The Tacoma differs framewise from the Hilux, although both appear similar from the outside. Both the Tacoma and Hilux variants are sold in Mexico.
The ninth generation of compact pickup trucks from Toyota, was radically updated, with a new frame and body, new suspension, and new engines. All versions now featured
coil springs in front with a live axle and
leaf springs in back.
The Tacoma was restyled in 1998 when the front fascia and the frame were the primary changes as well as the addition of new badging. It was also restyled in 2001 when a new "double cab" (crew cab) option was added, and a flashy S-Runner was offered as well.
Engines:
Image:Toyota-Tacoma-ext.jpg|Pre-facelift Toyota Tacoma extended cabImage:Toyota-Tacoma-extended.jpg|Toyota Tacoma extended cab with second faceliftImage:1995-97 Toyota Tacoma.jpg|Facelifted Toyota Tacoma
2005
Both the Tacoma and the Hilux were updated in 2005. The Tacoma was based off the new
Land Cruiser Prado chassis, while the Hilux rides on a refreshed version of the ladder frame found on previous versions. The new Hilux got bigger, now classified as a mid-size pick up. The Tacoma had a new 4.0 Liter V6 engine that produces 236 horsepower and 266 ft·lbf torque. Its design was very similar to the Toyota 4Runner. Hilux sold in European, Australian, Asian and South African Markets are built and assembled in Thailand, those sold in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico, are made in
Argentina. The Hilux platform was used as the basis for Toyota's IMV program which spawned the
Toyota Innova MPV and Toyota Fortuner SUV/PPV.
The new Tacoma won the Canadian Car of the Year
Best New Pick-up award and was
Motor Trend magazine's
Car of the Year for 2005.
Engines (markets):
- 2005 2.0 L gasoline VVT-i DOHC Straight-4 (South Africa, Indonesia)
- 2005 2.5 L diesel D-4D DOHC Straight-4, 134 hp - 156 hp (Asia, Europe, South Africa, South America)
- 2005 2.7 L gasoline VVT-i DOHC Straight-4, 160 hp (Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, USA)
- 2005 3.0 L diesel D-4D DOHC Straight-4, Turbodiesel, commonrail 16-valve direct injetion, 171 hp (Asia, South Africa, South America, Australia) (soon in Europe). This version is crafted at the Toyota Argentina facility in Zarate.
- 2005 4.0 L gasoline VVT-i DOHC V6, 228 hp - 236 hp (Australia, South Africa, USA)
Image:Tacoma-regular-cab.jpg|Current Toyota Tacoma (regular cab)Image:Tacoma-DoubleCab-2.jpg|Toyota Tacoma Double CabImage:Hilux vigo.jpg|Extended cab Toyota HiluxImage:Toyota Hilux (eleventh generation) (front), Serdang.jpg|Double cab Toyota Hilux
Reputation
The Toyota Hilux has gained a reputation for exceptional sturdiness and reliability, even during sustained heavy use, and is often referred to as "The indestructible car". This was further reinforced when on the third series (programme five) of the revamped BBC motoring show
Top Gear (current format), a 1988 Toyota Hilux with 190,000 miles (308,000km) on the clock, was subjected to a succession of extraordinary abuse, which included driving it down the steps behind
Bristol Cathedral, scraping buildings in
Bristol, crashing it into a tree, tying it up to a
jetty to be washed out to sea by the incoming tide, driving it through a garden shed (a.k.a the Top Gear production office), dropping a Travel trailer#Caravan (Europe) onto it, hitting it with a wrecking ball, setting the cabin and bed area on fire, and placing it on top of a 240-foot block of flats that was subsequently destroyed by a controlled demolition. Amazingly, although it was now suffering from severe structural damage (there was already significant body corrosion when it was purchased), the truck was still running after being repaired without spare parts and only with typical tools and equipment that would be found in a car's toolbox, such as
spanners,
motor oil, and a monkey wrench. The Hilux currently resides as one of the background decorations in the newly revamped Top Gear Studio from Season 8. Top Gear - Toyota Hilux destruction attempts - part 1
Top Gear - Toyota Hilux destruction attempts - part 2
In the 2006 series (Series 8, Episode 3), a Hilux was chosen by
Jeremy Clarkson as his platform for creating an amphibious vehicle. With assistance, Clarkson rigged the truck with a massive outboard motor and steering mechanism in the pickup bed. The truck, redubbed the "Toybota", was driven by Clarkson over several miles by road and two miles across open water, before capsizing during a quick turn. Once recovered, the vehicle was moved back to the Top Gear Studio, where a confident Clarkson stated that he would be the only one capable of driving his car home, since it was the indestructible Hilux. However, Clarkson could not get the Hilux started which led his co-hosts to believe that Clarkson had finally destroyed the "indestructible".
In 2007,
Top Gear ran a special program in which Clarkson and
James May raced a customized 2005 model Hilux to the magnetic north pole from Northern Canada against
Richard Hammond with a pack of dogs, making the truck the first car to make it to the magnetic North Pole.
Outside television, these vehicles have been known to exceed 300,000 miles (~500000 km) with regular maintenance. It is also infamous for being used as an
technical (fighting vehicle) by militias and irregular military forces, especially in Third World conflicts (the
Toyota War between Libya and Chad was so named because of the use of Toyota Hilux trucks as light cavalry by the Chadian army).
Hilux in Popular Culture
The fictional characters and toys from
Transformers (toy line), Autobots Trailbreaker and
Hoist (Transformers), were based on the Toyota Hilux (possibly the
1983 model). Trailbreaker, the Autobots' defensive strategist, transformed into a Hilux camper (produced shortly before Hilux/"4Runners" were sold in America), while Hoist, the strict maintenance specialist, chose the appropriate disguise of a Hilux tow truck.
In the 1999 film
Toy Story 2, the Pizza Planet truck that the toys commandeer is shown to be a 1978 Toyota Pickup. This can be determined by a combination of the letters on the tailgate of the truck (T YO ), the styling of the truck both inside and out, and the model year on the manual (labeled "GYOZA") that Hamm the piggy bank is seen to be reading. It is important to note, however, that on the owner's manual, the number 1978 is followed by gibberish (presumably to protect copyright).
In the 1985 film
Back to the Future,
Marty McFly's (Michael J. Fox) dream car is a black 4x4 Toyota Pickup extended cab with a manual transmission. After slightly altering his parent's history in 1955 and returning to 1985, he discovers that he finally owns one. The truck also appears in the beginning of
Back to the Future Part II and the end of Back to the Future Part III of the film trilogy.
In the
1989 comedy film
Nuns on the Run, Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle use a hijacked Toyota Hilux to escape from the convent.
At the end of the 2006 movie
Pulse (2006 film), the two surviving main characters escape in a
1984 Hilux.
A modified Toyota Hilux was used to get to the magnetic north pole for the fist time, "Top Gear Polar Special"
Notes and references
See also
External links
- South African Toyota Hilux owners' forum
- Hilux Pickup Owners Club and Online Community
- Tacoma Offroad Forum
- 2005+ Tacoma Forum
- Tacoma World
- Toyota Nation - Tacoma Forum
- Trails Less Traveled - technical articles about high-performance aftermarket products for Toyota trucks
- English Translations of Japanese-manufactured Hilux recalls at DogAndLemon.com
- Toyota Hilux Club or Victoria (Australia)
- New Hilux Web Site, Hilux owners themselves put up photos and info about their vehicles online, there is also a popular forum to use
- Hilux / Tacoma / 4WD community - 11.000-member-forum, gallery, tips and tech
- FREE TOYOTA Truck Repair Videos
- Detailed specs and pics of Toyota Hilux Vigo
- Online community with over 100 custom Hilux Toyota's
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