It's fair to say there's a bit of towing-themed tit-for-tat going on among New Zealand sellers of 1-tonne utes.
For a long time, mainstream ute specifications were pretty standard: they had hardy diesel engines and could tow 3.5 tonnes. Think Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger.
But now there are new powertrain technologies coming into the segment and a bit of give-and-take when it comes to hauling ability. The one we've all been talking lately about is the BYD Shark 6, which boasts a very clean plug-in hybrid powertrain and lots of grunt, but has a tow rating limited to 2.5t.
So it's easy to see Toyota NZ's new Hilux Hybrid promo-rig as an in-your-face reminder about its ute's abilities and a bit of a "nah nah nee nah nah" to some of the competition. Because the new mild-hybrid model is still rated for the full 3.5t.
So here it is: a Hilux Hybrid SR5 Cruiser towing a 3-axle trailer with a giant headline on the back... which does eat up that full 3.5t rating. Because headlines never lie; especially massive ones. The steel headline is built in a modular form with 140 folds, 974 bolts and 6512 welds. TNZ emphasises it's fully recyclable.
The headline is scaled to fit the legally maximum trailer – 6m long and 4m high.
The truck-and-trailer combo worked its way down from Auckland this month to start a run of South Island A&P shows for the tail-end of this year and early-2025: Blenheim was first up, last week and it's Christchurch this weekend. See the full programme at the bottom of this story.
It's also stopping off at various Toyota Stores around the country, although there's no set schedule for that; Toyota NZ says you can "check with your local Store directly" if you're interested.
We had the opportunity to grab it briefly from Auckland City Toyota before it started its tour. Really just a run around the block, because (a) time was limited and (b) a run around the block means you don't have to reverse it. Hopefully.
I'd give myself a B for tow skills at best and I'd certainly never hauled anything this heavy behind a ute, so it was softly-softly through some very heavy Mount Wellington traffic, including Sylvia Park shopping-centre chaos.
Yes, you do really feel all that weight, but I was surprised how controlled the Hilux felt on takeoff; the mild-hybrid starter-generator adds up to 65Nm for short bursts and that's got to help with this kind of thing.
That's "controlled", not quick, and of course you need to allow a lot of extra space for braking. The experience did give me an added appreciation for those piloting genuine heavy vehicles/trailers: even with the mere 7.7-metre trailer on the back of the Hilux, much care was needed to safely negotiate corners and keep within lanes, and it was amazing how often other drivers came way too close or cut us off.
So if the idea was to be impressed by the strength and stability of Hilux as a tow machine, mission accomplished. But this little exercise did also highlight the practical limitations of actually using all of the tow rating available on any ute.
You can only drive 6000kg on a standard Class 1 licence. The Hilux SR5 Cruiser weighs 2165kg and is rated for 5850kg Gross Combined Mass (GCM, or the weight of the vehicle, driver, trailer and anything else), so adding 3500kg to the truck makes 5665kg, leaving just 185kg for the driver and payload.
TNZ had a no-passenger rule for our little tow outing, although we could have squeezed one in. Honest.
But the point is, if you're determined to use up all that braked tow rating, you really can't take anything else with you. So much for the big camping trip.
But then 3.5t is a lot, and well beyond a typical caravan or boat. Which is just as well, because when you're towing that kind of thing you're also going to want to bring... stuff. But a big tow rating does also mean your ute is extremely capable of handling a wider variety of work and/or lifestyle duties; it's always good to have plenty in reserve.
And this really is a great piece of promotion by TNZ. Just ask the bus driver who threw his side doors open at the traffic lights and told me what a "bloody brilliant sign" I had on the back. You don't hear that very often.
Where to see the Hilux Hybrid Tour
14-16 Nov: The Christchurch Show
30 Nov-1 Dec: Stratford A&P Show
18-19 Jan: Horowhenua A&P Sho
22 Feb: North Otago A&P Sho
2 Mar: Southland A&P Show
7-8 Mar: Wanaka A&P show
15 Mar: Methven A&P Show.
