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Hilux
pick-up still on fast lane
By Moses Akaigwe
Friday, February 15, 2008
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| Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
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Toyota’s Hilux has been through five re-incarnations
and sold over 18 million units worldwide since the first model
was sold to a discerning Japanese gentleman back in 1967.
Through all the different guises and changes that the years
brought, it repeatedly proved itself to be a resoundingly
tough ‘customer’.
Today, however, buyers (and Nigerians in particular), place
different demands on their pick-up purchases. Rugged, dependability
remain a key attribute for any pick-up van, but the growth
in leisure-oriented usage means that comfort and refinement
are increasingly central to the buying public’s thinking.
In creating the current generation of Hilux, Toyota has attempted
to retain the old, while administering a healthy dose of the
new, a fact confirmed by the Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL)
marketing team during the launch of the new version two years
ago.
The Hilux is actually Toyota’s second most successful
global model after the Corolla and even in the UK’s
modestly proportioned pick-up market; demand for the predecessor;s
model was strong. The vehicle’s reputation was famously
enhanced when the BBC’s Top Gear programme put one through
a series of trials.
This Hilux is part of a new generation of pick-ups tasked
with being a little more SUV than LCV. It’s built on
a tough ladder frame chassis as serious off-road vehicles
traditionally are but torsional stiffness has been upped by
45 percent over the fifth generation model.
The result is an improved body control and fewer vibrations
resulting in reduced cabin noise. The front suspension is
a double wishbone set-up with coil springs that offer greater
bump absorption and improved stability at speed. The ride
comfort is also enhanced by a longer wheelbase of 3,085mm.
Hilux buyers have the traditional pick-up choice of single
or double cab body styles. Both are defined by the type of
high level of comfort that hitherto was mainly associated
with saloon cars.
Though, the Hilux has a field of competitors, like Ford’s
Ranger and Isuzu Tiger, as well as the latter-day offerings
from China, it has continued to give a very good account of
itself, and Toyota Nigeria is basking in the euphoria of the
popularity.
Flared wheel arches, an imposing grille and under-bumper combination
and large headlamps help to emphasize the vehicle’s
‘tough’ visage. Heavy-duty leaf springs are used
to help in terms of load carrying capacity and eliminate the
need for load bay intrusion.
Indeed, the double cab rear seats are considerably more spacious
places to be than before and they flip up to offer secure
storage space when required. Clearly, one of Hilux strongest
points is the high performing 2.7 engine with the advanced
VVT-i technology that ensures optimum efficiency in terms
of output and fuel consumption.
On the safety front, an impact brace has been introduced between
the chassis front and rear cross members to absorb impacts
more effectively and protect other chassis components. Key
body panels have been fashioned from high-tensile steel for
extra strength and durability but also to protect occupants
in the event of a crash.
All Hilux models feature ABS as standard, twin front airbags
and seatbelt pretensioners, but Toyota forewarned customers
that independently imported vehicles from the far-east would
not feature comprehensive safety specifications. And this
is no good news for grey marketers (and their patrons ) in
the Nigerian market who may toy with the idea of sneaking
in parallel imports.
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