2015 Toyota Hilux 4×4 Dual Cab Review – Modern Makeover For A Working-Class Hero
The skinny: A new Hilux comes once a decade, so Toyota is justifiably excited about the prospects for its top selling ute. Almost entirely new, the Hilux enters a bustling market filled with new or updated utes, all vying for a piece of Toyota’s enviable market share.
But with new diesel engines, new safety features, and a focus on delivering SUV-like levels of refinement, the Hilux is setting up to take control of the market yet again. But this time with the increasingly popular Ford Ranger hot on its tail.
Vehicle Style: 4x4 Dual-cab ute.
Price: $36,990 - $55,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans
Workmate: 110kW/400Nm 2.4 4cyl turbo diesel | 6spd manual, 6spd automatic
SR and SR5: 130kW/420Nm (man) 450Nm (auto) 2.8 4cyl turbo diesel, | 6spd manual, 6spd automatic - 175kW/376Nm 4.0 6cyl petrol | 6spd automatic
Fuel economy claimed:
2.4 TD man 7.3 - 7.7 l/100km
2.4 TD auto 8.3 - 8.5 l/100km
2.8 TD man 7.6 - 8.1 l/100km
2.8 TD auto 8.5 - 9.0 l/100km
4.0 V6 auto 11.5 - 12.0 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Australians love utes, and the ute they love most is the Toyota Hilux - it's been the top selling ute in this country for the past 17 years.
Last year alone, Hilux sold 38,126 units, putting it a whopping 11,000 units ahead of Ford Ranger, the second highest seller in its segment. That number also made Hilux a higher seller than the entire Honda brand, which finished in tenth place on the sales chart last year.
Now, from the chassis rails, to the suspension, and throughout the interior, the Hilux is freshly minted. A pair of new diesel engines - a 2.4 litre diesel, plus the headline 2.8 litre - and new transmissions, with six-speeds in place of five in 4x4 models.
The 4.0 litre V6 petrol remains a box you can tick (and also the familiar 2.7 litre petrol for 4x2 models, not covered with this review).
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