The Toyota Hilux is an icon in NZ that’s been evolving for decades, but the latest version has really hit the sweet spot in a competitive market.
It’s fair to say that Toyota has learned from the success of Ford’s rival Ranger in making its ute look more truck-like and bringing greater differentiation between models, which helps make this immensely practical one-tonner a more emotional purchase.
But there are plenty of tangible benefits to the latest Hilux. The revised 2.8-litre turbo-diesel fitted to most models goers to the head of the class with 150kW/500Nm and while auotmatics dominate, Toyota remains committed to manual as a choice for many models.
It’s more capable than ever both on and off-road, and it’s hard to fault the safety package, with the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite standard right across the range – impressive for a ute.
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What seals the deal is the Toyota Driveaway Pricing (TDP) business model, which guarantees no-haggle pricing that’s substantially lower than the list figures of the Hilux’s most obvious rivals. So it’s not only the best ute range on the market for 2021, it’s also the best value.
Runners Up
Isuzu D-Max, LDV eDeliver3
TOYOTA HILUX
ENGINES: 2.7l petrol four (WorkMate only) or 2.8 turbo-diesel four
POWER: 122kW/245Nm (petrol), 150kW/420Nm (turbo-diesel manual), 150kW/500Nm (turbo diesel automatic)
GEARBOX: 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic, RWD or part-time 4WD
ECONOMY: 10.4-10.9l/100km (petrol), 7.1-7.9l/100km (turbo diesel)
PRICES: $30,290-$61,290
