Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has introduced the iconic Hilux in the Indian market to cater to the needs of customers seeking a globally acclaimed lifestyle utility vehicle that is best suited for off-roading adventure drives on tough terrains, as well as everyday city use. The name Hilux, which is derived from ‘high’ and ‘luxury’, is known for its ‘toughness’ and ‘ruggedness’ across terrains of the world for decades.
 
This announcement by the Japanese carmaker ends the wait for many SUV aficionados looking to experience the Hilux on the tough roads of India. The Toyota Hilux has been developed considering the local conditions and requirements even as it stays true to its character.

Globally, the Hilux sales have surpassed 20 million units winning hearts of millions from over 180 countries. For over five decades and through eight generations, the Toyota Hilux has moved with the times to create exceptional experiences and an unbreakable bond with those who desire for awesomeness in their daily drives, be it business or family. With class-leading engineering, enhanced safety, advanced technology and best-in-class comfort, the Toyota Hilux offers many first-in-segment features.

This global icon’s reputation of being a powerful performer is courtesy of the rigid Innovative Multi-Purpose Vehicle (IMV) platform and a strong powertrain system. It is the same platform (body-on frame chassis construction) that underpins the Innova Crysta and Fortuner which have been a runaway success in India and across many countries.

The Hilux is loaded with features a heavy-duty turbo engine and diamond-like carbon coating on the piston rings for maximised frictional efficiency. The result is a whopping 500 Nm of torque which is by far the best in the segment. In essence, the Hilux is an unrivalled amalgamation of performance, power and fuel efficiency in its class. The Variable Flow Control to the power steering has boosted drivability making the steering lighter at low speed in city traffic condition and heavier at higher speeds cruising on a highway. The steering dynamics intelligently adapts according to the drive mode - switching from Eco to Power, or Power to Eco. Being true to its reputation of being a tough outdoor companion, the Hilux features a large flatbed deck which provides unmatched flexibility to carry anything from outdoor gear to sports kits.
 
With the IMV frame structure at its heart, the Hilux has set new benchmarks in off-road capabilities. The Hilux comes with an impressive water wading capacity of 700mm meant to maneuver though Indian trails. The exceptional wheel articulation and the adoption of electronic diff-lock also give the Hilux outstanding off-road capability in the toughest of conditions with greater fuel efficiency. In real sense, it is based on Toyota’s philosophy of “customer first” - truly understanding customers’ expectations and desires, testing and driving on a wide variety of local road conditions, to experience and feel the multi-functional elements.

The length and height of the Hilux give it a presence like no other. The engine hood, front bumper, lower guard, and bumper corners converge to bring focus to the bold and sophisticated trapezoidal piano black grille with chrome surround. Distinctive LED rear combi lamps give a dynamic presence and enhance night time visibility. The style quotient is further enhanced with striking 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Hilux truly offers the most advanced experience by beautifully harmonising performance with premium interiors that combines sophistication and practicality with innovation, style and design. The leather seats, soft touch interiors with metal accents give it a modern and progressive look. To enhance driving comfort the vehicle comes equipped with front parking sensors to ease parking in tight city conditions. The tablet style 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay ensures you are always in control and connected on the go.

Safety is paramount to Toyota, to ensure the safety of driver and passenger, the Toyota Hilux packs the most advanced safety features across its variants. The ABS, EBD, Brake Assist System and Hill-Start Assist Control ensures safe driving in any given road conditions, making it the most desirable car. With features such as reverse camera, clearance sonar and back up sonar for all variants, with seven SRS airbags, Downhill Assist Control and Vehicle Stability Control, customer is assured to experience the thrill and joy of driving the safest Toyota Hilux.

As a result of high-levels of in-built safety features, Toyota Hilux was awarded a 5-Star Crash Safety Rating by New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP).

Talking about the design concept of Toyota Hilux, Mr. Jurachart Jongusuk, Toyota Regional Chief Engineer, said, “In our pursuit of developing ever-better cars, we conduct deep analysis of consumers’ driving needs and varied usage of vehicles in local conditions with greater market insights. Considering their wants and desires for an enriching mobility experience, we are pleased to bring to India the tough and invincible Hilux based on the strong IMV lineage.

Powerful, sophisticated and built to last, the Hilux is a testament to Toyota’s world-class engineering, enhanced safety and best-in-class comfort rightly channelized to position the go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle for those seeking adventure, thrill and enriching moments with friends and family”.

Commenting on the launch of the Toyota Hilux, Mr. Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, TKM, said, The launch follows our ‘customer first’ philosophy of responding to the ever-evolving expectations of various customer demographics, with new product offerings. Today, as India continues to make larger economic strides, many customers are seeking a sophisticated lifestyle vehicle that delivers exceptional on & off-road prowess and fulfill their daily urban mobility needs be it work or pleasure.

The Hilux will cater to these customer demands and hopefully spawn a new genre in the country. Further, this launch will set the path for us in India to welcome many more new customers to the Toyota family and help us achieve our goal to deliver “Mass Happiness to All”. We look forward to bringing more awesomeness in the time ahead as we begin 2022 with landmark moments.”

Sharing his views, Mr. Tadashi Asazuma, Executive Vice President – Sales & Customer Service, TKM, said, “The launch of Hilux brings out the key essence of “unmatched toughness & sophistication”. Customers will get to enjoy the Quality, Durability, and Reliability that they have experienced with the successful models as Innova Crysta and Fortuner. For many of our loyal customers, this new offering will be a step up in their journey with Toyota. Our desire is to continue to excite them and our new customers with lifetime experiences that fulfill varied needs and provide a bouquet of options.

The Hilux which draws inspiration from the lifestyles of people who don’t give up, brings together the best of all worlds. Further, to supplement the amazing experience of Hilux, we are much excited to launch the specialised range of accessories for adventure-oriented customers’, truly reflective of the design concept. These range of suggested accessories will amplify the versatility of the Hilux. To know more about such accessories, we urge the customers to visit and explore at their nearest Toyota touchpoints. There is already a good response from our existing and newer customers in the run-up to the launch and we are confident that this will peak even further.”

Further, the new GR DKR Hilux T1+ developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing team brings the outstanding victory at the 44th edition of Dakar Rally 2022, which is considered the most grueling rally event, held at Saudi Arabia recently. This spectacular win with new Toyota GR Hilux is a testament of Toyota’s ability to continuously push the limits of engineering and build ever-better cars.

Bookings for Toyota Hilux are open. Ex-showroom prices will be announced in March 2022 before we start the deliveries in April 2022.