2021 Toyota HiLux review Is the new 500Nm HiLux any good
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00:00G'day, I'm Paul. The Toyota Hilux, it is one of the most dependable utes and it is the best-selling vehicle in Australia.
00:06That's right. They sell more of these than anything else on the market. Now, this has recently been updated.
00:12This is the top-spec SR5 and it is the new cab chassis variant. It's priced at just under
00:18$59,000 and it sits below the Special Editions, the Rugged, the Rugged X and the Rogue.
00:23And it competes with cars like the Ford Ranger, the Volkswagen Amarok, you name it.
00:27There are so many competitors in this segment. Today, we're going to do a detailed review of the new Hilux SR5.
00:33If you do want to skip ahead to other parts of this review,
00:35you can use the time codes up on the screen or if you're on YouTube,
00:39just scroll down and use the chapters below. And if you haven't done so already,
00:42make sure you hit subscribe and press the bell icon. That's going to tell you every single time we drive something new.
00:48Righto, let's talk exterior. You've got seven different colours to choose from and all but white is an additional $600.
00:54Let's have a look at this front end. So you'll notice there has been some minor styling changes here.
00:58There's lashings of chrome, giant Toyota emblem. It has matured in terms of the design,
01:03but it still looks fairly aggressive and you still can get a whole stack of
01:06Australian-developed accessories that attach to the front of it as well.
01:10And they're compatible with things like the airbags and all the safety systems. You'll notice as well with the headlights,
01:14these have changed. So while the previous, I guess, pre-facelift Hilux was LED headlights,
01:20this retains the LED headlights, but there are other LED strips in there now, including LED indicators.
01:25So this looks really cool at night time. Down here again,
01:28you've got like a stylized cluster with a fog light integrated down the bottom. Jump around to the side.
01:33We have a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with highway terrain tires. Quite a nice design.
01:39I like this sort of shiny gloss look on the outside and then the black on the inside.
01:43You'll notice that the SR5, yes, it is the top spec model of the normal vehicles,
01:47but you can jump up to Rugged, Rugged X and Rogue if you do want different styling highlights and then extra features as well.
01:54And they come with their own set of wheels.
01:56So I do like the way that looks. You've got an indicator built into here with a little bit of chrome on the top.
02:01You get sidesteps, privacy glass and then come around to the back.
02:05Now, this is a new variant to the Hilux range and it's allowed them to price the SR5 cheaper.
02:10And that's because it doesn't have a style side rear on it.
02:13This is sold as a chassis and then you add on all the bits that you want to it,
02:17including things like your tow bar. It has a three and a half ton braked towing capacity.
02:21And then you'll notice here as well the difference with the style side vehicle.
02:24You have LED taillights built into them and they look quite nice as well.
02:27They follow the trend of the front end, whereas this is quite a basic setup.
02:31And it means you're not really sort of getting that nice looking rear end.
02:34Kind of makes me wonder why you'd bother getting the chassis version of this if you didn't want the nicer version looking of the Hilux.
02:40So let me know in the comments below.
02:41Should they have done a chassis variant for the SR5 or just kept that for lower end models?
02:46But one of the advantages of not having that style side rear is that you get more payload capacity.
02:51So this has just over 1100 kilograms of payload capacity.
02:55So this is the vehicle that you want if you are quite serious about hauling things in the tray as opposed to it just looking good.
03:01OK, so we're inside the Hilux and we'll start off with the key.
03:05This is what it looks like. You've got lock, unlock, panic and then the Toyota symbol down the bottom.
03:10Lashing of chrome there as well. And then on the back, it just says Hilux.
03:14This is a proximity sensing key.
03:15So you just leave that in your pocket, grab the door handle.
03:18It's got a little button on it and then you have a push button start just next to the steering wheel.
03:22OK, what about styling? Look, I don't think this is dated that well.
03:25This ute hasn't been out that long and this is already starting to look quite old.
03:28They didn't really make too much of a change here with the facelift of the Hilux.
03:32So this will still be around for a little while longer.
03:34I'll take you through the changes on the infotainment system shortly.
03:36But just in terms of materials, this may look soft with this fake stitching built into it.
03:41But everything around this cabin is really sort of rough and tumble.
03:45Now, obviously, with dual cab utes, they are work vehicles.
03:48They want them to be, I guess, future proof in the sense of durability.
03:51But at the end of the day, utes at this end of the price bracket are starting to become far more premium.
03:56The new D-MAX is a perfect example.
03:57There's a lot of soft touch materials and that's shared with the BT-50.
04:01This feels like it's yesteryear's ute and they haven't really got with the times in terms of making it feel a bit more premium.
04:06For the money that you're spending.
04:08What about the touch points?
04:08Well, they are soft, thank goodness.
04:10Here and here as well.
04:12That's cloth and we have tested all of those touch points with our durometer.
04:16So if you want to see how this car performs against other vehicles in this segment,
04:20just scroll down to the description where you'll find a link.
04:22Now, what about build quality?
04:23We'll do our shake test.
04:25That sort of flexes the rest of that center console.
04:27But for the most part, this feels pretty good.
04:29I haven't really heard any complaints from Hilux owners about build quality.
04:32So let me know in the comments below.
04:34Do you own an older Hilux?
04:35Have you had any dramas with it?
04:37Let me know if it's still kicking about.
04:39OK, let's talk infotainment.
04:41Toyota has updated the infotainment system.
04:43It's now an 8-inch infotainment unit that is touchscreen and also has these buttons on the flanks.
04:48Now, if you do want a detailed review of this infotainment system, you can click up here today.
04:52I'll just give you a brief overview.
04:54So you get satellite navigation built into the infotainment system.
04:58Works OK. It's not too bad.
04:59Over on the steering wheel, you have voice recognition that allows you to call contacts and also enter addresses.
05:04Works OK.
05:05Not amazing, but it does the job.
05:07The big integration here, though, that changes this for the Hilux is smartphone mirroring.
05:11So now it includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto using a cord.
05:15So I'll show you what Apple CarPlay looks like.
05:17Pretty smooth integration.
05:18Takes up the entire screen and works fairly seamlessly.
05:21Let's have a look at Android Auto.
05:23Another nice integration.
05:23Takes up the entire screen.
05:25That all looks fairly well.
05:26Let's look at Maps.
05:27That all works well as well.
05:28Keep in mind as well that with the voice recognition system, when your phone is paired to smartphone mirroring,
05:33you're able to push commands through to the phone, which will make voice recognition a whole lot more accurate.
05:37You also have a six-speaker sound system.
05:39And then in terms of audio, you have AM, FM, DAB+.
05:42On the connectivity front, one USB port.
05:45So if you do have your phone plugged in for smartphone mirroring,
05:48you can't really charge any other devices or do anything else, which is a bit of a shame.
05:52You have a 12-volt outlet there and then extra connectivity in the backseat.
05:56Now, moving on to safety, you get autonomous emergency braking that has vulnerable road user detection.
06:02You have radar cruise control with a lane-keeping assistant.
06:06Now, keep in mind because this retains the hydraulic steering rack,
06:09the lane-keeping assistant is the type that pulses the brakes.
06:13So it can be a little bit weird because it feels like it's swerving back into the lane as opposed to being a gradual system,
06:19which is what you get with cars that have electrically-assisted steering racks.
06:22You can switch it off, though, just with one push of that button, which is really good.
06:26Now, one thing we did notice, and I don't know if this is linked to the safety systems,
06:30but randomly up here, there's like a set of demisters that are sort of built into this section of the screen.
06:37I don't know what they do, and I actually pulled this off before.
06:41It's like a little cable that goes into there.
06:43Let me know in the comments section below, do you know what this does?
06:46I'm very curious. Is it the antenna for the radio?
06:49What is it exactly? Let me know in the comments section below.
06:51Okay, now the last thing that I want to talk about here is parking.
06:54Now, with these vehicles in and around work sites, in and around family homes and that sort of thing,
06:59the chassis version of the SR5, despite being like the top-spec model,
07:04has no parking sensors at all.
07:06So, no front, no rear parking sensors, and even worse, there's no reverse camera.
07:10So, when you put it into reverse, nothing happens.
07:12So, you're kind of left on your own here, and it really surprises me that in 2020 and moving on to 2021,
07:19there can still be a brand new car on the market that does not have parking sensors,
07:22especially a vehicle like this that's going to be in sort of urban areas where there's lots of pedestrians and kids and stuff around.
07:28So, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
07:31Would you just install them yourself, or should they be standard?
07:33Moving on to practicality, and we'll start with storage.
07:36Where are you going to put your phone?
07:38Phone can easily live there or there.
07:40There's no wireless phone charging, but there's plenty of storage space for it.
07:43So, big tick to Toyota for that.
07:46What about your bottles of Dairice coffee?
07:49You can fit them in here.
07:50The other great thing is something they've carried over from previous generations of the Hilux,
07:55and that is the bottle holder in front of the air vent.
07:58So, if it is a stinking hot day and you've got yourself a nice cool drink,
08:01you can pop that in front of your air conditioning duct,
08:04or if you've got a coffee in the morning and you have the heater on, it'll keep it kind of warm.
08:07Then you also have storage inside the door for the bottle, plus other odds and ends.
08:11You have a center console here.
08:12It's pretty deep.
08:13Showing how big that is.
08:15And on top of that, there's also a power outlet in there.
08:19Glovebox down the bottom.
08:20It'll fit your bottles and other bits and pieces, but then also a chilled box at the top.
08:26Yet another storage space to put your drinks to keep them cool.
08:29And then sunglasses holder up here.
08:31Let's talk comfort.
08:32The SR5 comes standard with cloth seats.
08:34They actually look pretty cool.
08:35Kind of a different design to what you'd expect in a dual cab ute.
08:38You can get a pack for $2,500 that adds leather, heated seats, electric seat adjustment.
08:44So, that is probably worth considering if you do want a little bit of lux in here.
08:47But, for the most part, these are quite comfortable, all manually adjusted.
08:51The steering wheel sits nicely in the hand, and the driving position actually feels quite good.
08:55All of this stuff is really easy to reach too.
08:57So, from that point of view, it's all very straightforward.
08:59Okay, let's talk second row.
09:01Before I get in here, let me show you what you can do here.
09:04So, the seats fold up.
09:06They don't fall down.
09:07And when you do fold them up, Eagle, can you grab the handle on that side?
09:10It reveals some storage space beneath the seats.
09:14So, room for a jack in there, and then room for a couple of bits and pieces in here as well.
09:19And then they just drop down.
09:21All right, let's climb in.
09:23Grab handle there as well, which is handy.
09:27Okay, so you have hooks here in the back of the seats.
09:31You have air vents as well, which is good for the SR5.
09:34What about room?
09:36There ain't much.
09:37Knees are right into that seat.
09:39My seat is pretty far back, admittedly, but at the end of the day, there really isn't a great deal of room there.
09:45Toe room is compromised, and headroom is okay.
09:48But if you're taller, you're probably going to be rubbing against the roof there.
09:51Mat pockets in the back of the seats, and then you have a centre armrest with two cup holders.
09:57Your bottles can also go in the door.
10:00A little slot for them down there.
10:01You have ISOFIX points on the two outboard seats, and then hooks up the back here for hanging things.
10:06Okay, we're on the move in the Hilux.
10:09So, it retains the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, but importantly, it has a bit more punch.
10:16Now, it produces 150 kilowatts of power and 500 newton metres of torque.
10:21So, it now matches vehicles like the Ranger, which, with its 2.0-litre diesel, has always had that punchy engine.
10:26So, it is a welcome addition.
10:28It retains the six-speed automatic transmission as well.
10:31Now, how does all that feel?
10:32Well, from a standing start, it actually feels like it's a little more urgent in terms of its torque delivery.
10:38If I give it a punch now, it sort of gets up and moves a whole lot better.
10:43Like, it's more eager to get up and really just deliver that torque without any delay.
10:47But, the only downside is, when you do get stuck into it and it reaches above 3,000 rpm,
10:53it really sends a harsh vibration through the car and it can be quite noisy as well.
10:57So, yes, they have extracted a bit more out of it, but it's come slightly at the cost of refinement.
11:02Let's talk about drive modes.
11:03You really only have two to choose from here.
11:05You have Eco mode, which just kills the throttle.
11:08So, you can go three-quarter throttle and nothing really happens.
11:10Then, you have Power mode, which does the opposite.
11:13It makes the throttle super sensitive.
11:14So, as you lean into it, it's more eager to go back through.
11:17It's kind of like at the three-quarter mark, it's at full throttle as opposed to full throttle being full throttle.
11:22Now, what about zero to 100?
11:23I know it's not overly important for dual-cab utes, but I'm keen to see whether this recent power bump has improved.
11:41Okay, let's talk fuel economy.
11:42The official figure is 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres.
11:46That's what we're sitting on.
11:47Okay, so we're sitting on 12, which is significantly higher.
11:50Keep in mind, we have been doing a little bit of off-roading today and the car's been idling a little bit as well.
11:55So, that is going to be higher than what you'd expect.
11:57But, traditionally with Hiluxes, we've seen around the 8 to 9 litre per 100 mark when we've driven them for a longer period of time.
12:04So, this is probably sitting a little higher than where we'd expect it to normally be.
12:07Now, what about the ride?
12:08This is another thing they improved with Hilux.
12:10And, traditionally with Hilux, when there was nothing in the tray, it was one of the firmest riding utes in the segment.
12:16It felt like a sports car.
12:17You put a little bit of weight in the tray and that all disappeared.
12:19Now, what they've done is they've really rounded off that hard edge to it.
12:23So, even here on this really poor quality country road, it's soaking up everything really nicely.
12:28And, this is now one of the better riding utes in the segment.
12:31It's still not class-leading by any stretch, but it is far better than where it used to be.
12:36And, it just makes it more manageable, especially when you do need to move out of the way for other cars coming in your direction and you're met with gravel surfaces and changing road types.
12:44Let's talk road noise.
12:45So, you don't really hear much coming in through the tyres, but there is a bit of wind noise coming into the cabin.
12:50And then, as I mentioned earlier, that engine can get quite noisy and thrashy as you get stuck into it.
12:55Steering feel.
12:56Well, it's a hydraulically-assisted steering rack, so it doesn't have a great amount of feel.
13:01And, it can be quite heavy at times, especially at low speeds when you're trying to park.
13:04It doesn't quite have the finesse or the ease of an electrically-assisted steering rack.
13:08Now, what about handling?
13:09Okay, it's a dual-cab ute, so no-one really cares about handling.
13:13Look, it does the job.
13:15This being one of the firmer utes in the segment means it sits a little flatter, but at the end of the day, no-one's really going to be throwing this around any time soon.
13:22Let's talk visibility.
13:23So, at the front, it's fine.
13:24You sit quite low in this compared to other dual-cab utes.
13:27Now, it's quite ironic given how high they sit, but this feels a little lower.
13:31Decent-sized wing mirrors.
13:32There is no blind-spot monitoring here with the SR5.
13:35And, in terms of rearward visibility, it's very easy to see out of, even with that chassis tray and the lines that come associated with it.
13:43Now, the question you're all asking, what about the diesel particulate filter?
13:47So, Toyota had a lot of troubles with Hilux and also Fortuna when it came to the diesel particulate filter.
13:54They have addressed that now, and there is a manual burn switch plus a litany of instructions attached to the door, which gives you an idea of what you need to do.
14:01If you need to manually clear the diesel particulate filter.
14:04Okay, let's talk off-road equipment.
14:06So, being a dual-cab ute, a lot of people use these for work during the week and then play during the weekend.
14:12And, that means doing a little bit of light off-roading, which is what we'll do today.
14:15I'll run you through the four-wheel drive equipment.
14:16So, it has two-wheel drive predominantly, and that's rear-wheel drive.
14:20You can go to four-high, which is a four-wheel drive mode, and you can do that on the fly.
14:24And then, you have four-wheel drive low range.
14:27You also have a rear differential lock, but that only works in low range.
14:30So, if you try and press that now, you can see it comes up with a little error message there.
14:34You also have a hill descent control, too, that I will show you in just a second.
14:37Now, if you do want to know what all of this stuff means, if perhaps it doesn't really make too much sense to you,
14:42you can watch our four-wheel drive controls explained video, which is just up there.
14:47But, let's give this a shot.
14:48So, in terms of the critical figures, you have a 29-degree approach angle.
14:52That is the angle of the face you can approach before you scuff or hit anything at the front of the car.
14:56And, a 27-degree departure angle, which is helped by the fact that you have that tray on the back.
15:01So, what we'll do, we have our log mountain just here.
15:04We'll pop that into four-wheel drive.
15:05You just turn that little lever, and you get a symbol pop-up saying that it's in four-wheel drive mode.
15:10We'll just see how this goes.
15:12It's all nice and dry here at the moment, so this shouldn't be too much of a struggle.
15:16But, I'm just keen to see how the throttle feels and how it behaves here in terms of traction controls.
15:20Yeah, look, it's fairly fuss-free.
15:23It's just walking up this really nicely.
15:25Toyota has refined this system over time.
15:28So, the throttle sensitivity here is excellent.
15:30It's not surging.
15:31It's not doing any silly stuff.
15:33Where they did have a problem, though, especially in the Prado, was the brake pedal feel on descents when you had bumps.
15:38So, let's give this a shot around here as we come down the rocks.
15:42So, you have 216 millimetres of ground clearance.
15:46Let's crawl over these.
15:48Yeah, that all feels really nice.
15:50You can feel a little thunk under there, but for the most part, it feels good.
15:53In terms of that brake pedal feel, it still is a little bit sensitive.
15:56It's sort of causing us to lean on and off the brake, which can be a little unsettling.
16:01But, for the most part, it's OK.
16:02Pop that hill descent control on.
16:04We'll give that a shot as we crest this.
16:07That works well.
16:09It's a noisy system, though.
16:10I can hear it doing stuff in the background there as the traction control works.
16:14So, yeah, OK, cool.
16:15So, the hill descent control is actually pretty good.
16:17It maintains a safe spin and it doesn't run away from you.
16:20There is a 700 millimetre wading depth, and normally this is the point where I would show you what that looks like,
16:25but the river is incredibly high at the moment, so we cannot drive through it.
16:28So, the Toyota Hilux.
16:30Look, while this is the best-selling car in not only the segment, but Australia,
16:35I think it's falling behind the times a little bit.
16:38While it is impressive that they have improved that diesel engine,
16:41it just doesn't feel as refined as some of the competitors.
16:44You've got a brand-new D-MAX here, a new Navara coming,
16:47we're getting to the point now where the rest of the competitors have really excelled
16:51and present better purchase choices than the Hilux.
16:54So, while this was once the darling and was reliable,
16:57I think it has been overtaken now by a number of the competitors.
17:00So, let me know in the comments below, what do you think about that?
17:03Am I making a crazy statement here?
17:05Will you forever buy Hiluxes, regardless of what Toyota does to them?
17:09Would you reckon you'll check out other vehicles in this segment?
17:11Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
17:13If you did enjoy this video, make sure you share it, hit the like button,
17:16and don't forget to subscribe and also press the bell icon.
17:19That's going to tell you every single time we drive another dual-cab ute,
17:22but until next time, take it easy.