Toyota Hilux Invincible
On test: <city><place>Toyota Hi-Lux (2007 onwards model)
By Henry Biggs
· Model: Toyota Hi-Lux Invincible
· Bodystyle: Double cab pick-up
· Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel
· Transmission: four-speed automatic
What is it?
It's the <city><place>Toyota pick-up truck recently seen charging towards the North Pole in the hands of Jeremy Clarkson and James May. Well OK, not that actual vehicle but a top-of-the-range Toyota Hi-Lux Invincible identical to the one on which the Arctic special was based. That means it arrives in double-cab spec with room for five, a 1.5 metre load bed, part time four wheel drive and a 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel from the Land Cruiser SUV.
Where does it fit?
Compare the Hi-Lux and the Nissan Navara side-by-side
Is it for you?
The previous Hi-Lux famously survived drowning, burning, crashing, crushing and finally an explosion at the hands of Top Gear and while there is no reason to suspect this one wouldn't live up to its Invincible tag it is thankfully a lot less agricultural. While it will never compete with a well sorted modern SUV for on road manners because of its ladder frame chassis, rear leaf springs and an optional four-speed automatic transmission (five-speed manual is standard), the double cab, five-seater body makes it a credible family transporter but one that is capable of hauling around 1,050kg, towing 2,250kg and all for less than £20,000.
What does it do well?
As mentioned, carry stuff, and people, around in relative comfort. During its time with us the Hi-Lux helped out on two house moves, swallowing fridge-freezers, filing cabinets, a double bed and a seemingly endless number of cardboard boxes. Irrespective of the load, the 253lb/ft available from as low as 1,400rpm and the 169bhp at 3,600rpm meant the Hi-Lux simply surged forwards. Four ratios may sound anachronistic these days but it ensures the truck is almost always in the middle of its powerband and will reach 62mph in 11.9 seconds and top out at 109mph, not too shabby for such a vast vehicle.
The handling can also be rather entertaining when the load bed is empty and the surface slippery because with so little weight over the back axle and such a lot of grunt, coaxing the tail out at junctions becomes a source of childish glee although at higher speeds the steering becomes rather vague. Fortunately the Invincible also offers shift on the fly four-wheel drive so when conditions genuinely do get slippery, it can be switched instantly to all-wheel drive at up to 50mph.
Compare the Hi-Lux and the Mitsubishi L200 side-by-side
What doesn’t it do well?
Step into a Hi-Lux from a soft-roader or modern SUV and the interior will come as something of a letdown. The interior plastics are dull, grey and hard to the touch while the grey fabric is unappealing. There is a £1,000 optional leather interior but given the Japanese track record of making cowskin look like vinyl, unlikely to be worth it. That said, the Hi-Lux is first and foremost a working vehicle so an interior built to handle brickies might even be able to cope with kids. The ride quality provided by the rear leaf springs is predictably knobbly but things improve with some weight in the pick-up bed. We also admit to being rather disappointed that <city><place>Toyota has done away with the raised <city><place>TOYOTA lettering that graced the tailgate of the old model.
What’s it like to live with?
OK, so it's nowhere near luxury SUV territory but all Hi-Lux models come with air-conditioning, remote locking, electric windows, ABS and CD player as standard. To this the Invincible adds cosmetic upgrades including privacy glass and chrome bits 'n' bobs, 16-inch alloys and running bars, making it remarkably civilised. It also boasts a truly excellent <city><place>Toyota touch-screen sat-nav which offers a choice of three routes, recalculates swiftly should you stray and will even route around jams. The back seats were perfectly comfortable for our crew of volunteer house movers, not suffering from being bolt upright as many rear pews in pick-ups are. Of course this being a truck, ne'er do wells will be able to help themselves to your shopping at the traffic lights unless to opt for a lockable load bed cover. The optional parking sensors would also be a good move to avoid the wrath of motorists who discover holes the shape of Hi-Lux bumpers in the front of their parked cars.
Full details of the Hi-Lux Invincible
How green is it?
It's a big, heavy vehicle that punches a rather large, square hole through the air and as a result fuel consumption is on the heavy side. It travels 31 miles for every gallon on the combined cycle while kicking out 246g/km of CO2. Of course, being a working vehicle the Hi-Lux attracts a flat rate of £3,000 per annum Benefit In Kind tax and company fuel bills are taxed at a flat rate of £500 per year.
Would we buy it?
While its rivals have gone for the butch and bling approach, the Hi-Lux retains its more down-to-earth character. While that may rule it out as an SUV contender for many, we like its honest approach. Certainly worth a look as an indestructible, go-anywhere working vehicle, in Invincible spec the Hi-Lux could be a viable SUV alternative while escaping much of the opprobrium nowadays directed at that sector of the market.
