Unlike markets such as Australia, America and Europe, the number of people who fancy lifestyle pickup trucks in India is very, very less, for obvious reasons. You might be surprised to know that the only lifestyle pickup truck that is on sale in the country at present is the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross—which unsurprisingly, has gotten lost in the sea of hatchbacks and wannabe SUVs. But a couple more are coming to the market anyway, and the first one is gonna be the Toyota Hilux—which is coming to India for the very first time. Of course, its platform sibling Fortuner has been ruling the segment in the market ever since its debut over a decade ago, which means the Indian consumer might pick up the pickup as well.
But Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) isn’t revealing full details just yet; I mean, the pricing. Clearly, the company wants to gauge interest before deciding. But if you are aware of TKM’s pricing strategy and the ridiculous base price the Fortuner commands, you already know how much the pickup is gonna cost. Another important thing to keep in mind is that the Hilux will be a Semi Knocked-Down (SKD) import and will be assembled at the Bengaluru plant with a small percentage of locally sourced parts. But anyway, the bookings are open for a deposit of INR 50,000.
The Hilux is currently in its 8th generation and is on sale globally since 2015; it received a mid-cycle refresh in June 2020 with onboard tech upgrades. For the Indian market, the Hilux offers three trims to choose from: STD MT, High MT and High AT. Key features depending on the trim include LED headlights, LED taillights, 18-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable driver seat, tilt & telescopic steering, dual-zone climate control, an 8-inch central touchscreen, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto connectivity, and safety systems such as airbags (up to 7), ABS, VSC, and front & rear fog lamps.
The Hilux in India is powered by a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with 150 kW (204 metric hp) and up to 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque depending on the transmission. The engine can be hooked up with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. 4WD system is standard, as are off-roading functions and hardware.
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