Expert Review
4.52/5
The Toyota Hilux is not really trying to be an SUV. It is a proper lifestyle pickup that happens to have five seats and enough road presence to make a Fortuner look slightly nervous. The new-generation Hilux is 5.32 metres long and uses a body-on-frame chassis, while the large load bed makes it genuinely useful for carrying bikes, camping gear or whatever else your family somehow accumulates.
The 2.8-litre diesel produces 204 PS and 500 Nm with the 6-speed automatic. The 4x4 version gets H4 and L4 low-range gearing, terrain modes and an electronic differential lock, making it far more capable off-road than most urban SUVs. Toyota has also improved refinement, so the Hilux is less agricultural on highways than its appearance suggests. The downside is its sheer size, leaf-spring rear suspension and 6.4-metre turning radius, which can make narrow Indian streets feel like an obstacle course.
Who should buy it? Someone who genuinely wants a pickup for adventure, off-roading or lifestyle use and doesn't mind its size.
What will bug you? Huge dimensions, expensive tyres, a bouncy unloaded rear end and poor practicality in tight city parking.
