Does the recently enhanced SRX-grade Hilux present itself as the pick of the range?

The release of the new Hilux in 2016 was a highly anticipated event, revealing a much-improved bakkie over its dated predecessor. It was immediately evident that Toyota had managed to develop a product that had been enhanced in every way. In our first test of the Hilux, a comparison with the Ford Ranger, we concluded by stating, “We’re particularly interested to find out whether other engine options, including the new 2,4-litre turbodiesel, would make the grade.” And that’s what we’re here to do with the recently tweaked 2,4 GD-6 SRX, specified in this guise with Toyota’s all-wheel-drive system, with low-range controlled via a knob on the facia.

SRX specification means that the exterior, which now features the wide-body configuration from top-spec Hilux models that’s 55 mm broader than before, makes do with black-plastic door handles, blanked-out bits where foglamps normally go, and unpainted side-mirrors, but it does feature Raider-shared 17-inch alloy wheels in place of the previous version’s steel items. Move to the interior, and the touchscreen infotainment system from the Raider model has been replaced with a more basic version that lacks a touch function, but still boasts USB, aux-in, CD and Bluetooth functionality. To manage these features, there are satellite buttons on the urethane steering wheel.

The lower specification level means the interior doesn’t offer the lashings of chrome trim that differentiate higher-rung versions. However, the cloth seats are very comfortable and support your body where necessary, while perceived build quality is impressive. When you start the engine and pull away, the 2,4-litre unit feels similar to the 2,8-litre in terms of response and refinement. Up the pace, however, and the differences in power between the 2,4 and 2,8 are soon apparent. The former offers enough punch to accelerate in sixth gear from 110 km/h, but you'll need fourth if speedy overtaking is called for. If you plan to do heavy towing, the 2,8 GD-6 is still the Hilux to go for, as evidenced by the results of our performance testing.

On our test strip, the Hilux recorded a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 13,16 seconds, 2,32 slower than the 2,8 GD-6. In terms of in-gear times, the 2,4 required 8,34 seconds (versus 6,68) to get from 100 to 120 km/h in fifth gear. The 80-100 km/h dash in third gear took 3,56 seconds versus 4,50 for the 2,4 GD-6.

Between the front seats, there are eco and power buttons, the latter of which sharpens the throttle response. The sensitivity is slightly too heightened for city use, but on the open road it does make the Hilux feel sprightlier. That high sixth gear pays dividends in terms of fuel economy, though. On our mixed-conditions 100 km fuel route, the SRX consumed a very respectable 7,8 L/100 km; incidentally, the 2,8 also gulped 7,8 litres…

Although the red line starts at 4 400 r/min, there is no need to push the powertrain past 4 000 r/min, as performance tapers off sharply. Keep the engine between 2 000 and 3 500 r/min, and it delivers its best work. The controls are light and direct, be it the short-throw gearbox or the steering. Compared with the Ranger, the Hilux feels lighter (which it is) and nimbler, a boon on traffic-congested roads.

The emergency-braking result was the same as the 2,8’s; the Hilux posted an average of 3,30 seconds, far off the times we record for SUVs at this price point. Where the argument for this particular Hilux wanes slightly is its lack of stability control and that it offers just three airbags. The Ranger XL-Plus adds a traction-control system, a suite of additional safety systems, plus three more airbags. Oddly, Ford charges extra for Bluetooth on this model, a feature that should be standard.

Steel rims, black door handles and cloth seats. Not exactly the picture of the new Hilux etched into our minds after an extensive launch campaign by Toyota. But there we were at the Mkuze airfield in Mozambique, taking in a fleet of workmanlike SRX double-cab models featuring the new 2,4-litre GD range of engines. This fleet of bakkies looked more suited to the farming community than a road trip to an exotic location, but time behind the wheel in a variety of challenging driving scenarios proved that this hard-working Hilux had a good deal more class than we'd expected.

Interior
The interior is now a familiar sight with the tablet-like touch-screen infotainment system taking centre stage. Gone are the metallic-effect trim inserts on the door panels and the seats, although comfier than the leather pews in the top-of-the-range model we recently sampled, are now cloth covered. The steering wheel only offers satellite buttons for the radio (no additional functionality or cruise control) but it still has (limited) reach and rake adjustment. Climate control is now manual and it struggled slightly in the hot and humid Mozambique climate where the recirculation mode was needed to cool down sufficiently. All in all, though, opting for SRX specification doesn't represent too much of a sacrifice in terms of comforts.

That 2,4-litre engine
The all-new 2,4 turbodiesel engine is offered in two states of tune with the higher output version in our test unit delivering 110 kW, and more importantly, 400 N.m of torque - 57 N.m up on the old 3,0 D-4D unit. From start-up it's clear that this unit is surprisingly refined with little diesel clatter audible in the cabin during idle or on the move.

On the road-bound section of our launch the engine provided good shove between 1 500–2 000 r/min and doesn't feel that far removed from the 2,8-litre. The larger unit shows its advantage at higher engine speeds needed for overtaking, but thankfully the six-speed gearbox is slick and positive in its action, making it easy to keep the smaller engine in the meat of the rev range. In general, the 2,4-litre offers more than enough performance for most needs and has surfeit capability for any commercial application. The on-board fuel consumption figure for the trip to the border was 7,6 L/100 km which was impressive considering all the slow-moving trucks we had to overtake en route.

The ride on tar and sand
The new Hilux's ride on tarred surfaces is a marked improvement over that of the previous model but still firmer than that of most rivals, especially over bumpy sections. Once we crossed the Mozambique border and tar made way for sandy tracks, the Hilux was in its element. Select four-wheel drive on the rotary drivetrain setting dial, steer a steady course and the Hilux makes short work of sandy terrain – even with standard tyre pressures. Out of interest I changed back to rear-wheel drive and was surprised how capable the Hilux was in sand, as long as the momentum was kept up. A forced stop to let approaching vehicles past meant a return to four-wheel drive to prevent embarrassment.

Summary
Although most leisure buyers will likely opt for the 2,8-litre model in Raider specification, it has to be said that the 2,4-litre SRX range offers enough muscle and capability for both commercial and leisure applications, with a substantial saving to boot. And while it may not be as sharply dressed as its higher-end siblings, SRX buyers can at least take solace in the fact that steel wheels are back in style…

REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Senior associate editor Ian McLaren thinks back to the time he navigated Iceland in a Toyota Hilux modified by Arctic Trucks...

The blurb on the back of the Arctic Trucks corporate T-shirt reads, “The worse the weather, the better the experience”, but for a city boy like me it’s difficult to imagine how this experience could possibly be improved upon via a dramatic fall in air temperature, hampered visibility and massive drops of rain lashing the side of face. The South African-built Toyota Hilux whose bak I’m standing in may be engineered to tackle some of the most extreme conditions Mother Earth has to offer, but at this moment I’m in my happy place as a steady flow of the invigorating, icy fresh air fills my lungs as the convoy makes its way towards a snow-white horizon.

From my vantage point astride one of the largest vehicles in Arctic Trucks’ Hilux fleet, I’ve watched as the terrain ahead transformed from heavily rutted cracks and too-far-down-for-rescue deep crevasses to a highway of freshly strewn snow as we navigate towards what could easily be the edge of the world. The fact that I’m one of only a select group of people fortunate enough to journey onto the largest glacier in Iceland is front-and-centre on my mind as the convoy carves soon-to-be-erased-forever tracks into the landscape.

It’s taken four days to reach this point in our journey, from the immaculately clean capital city, Reykjavik, to our camp at the base of the Vatnajökull glacier; a road trip that’s, to date, delivered one breathtaking highlight after another. Having packed for, well, a land covered by ice, it’s taken to this point to actually reach snow and temperatures that might call for anything more than a t-shirt.

Our friendly hosts and tour guides for this week-long trip are the adventure-junkie gentlemen from Arctic Trucks. Established in 1990, this company is at the forefront of developing and manufacturing the kind of modifications to off-road vehicles that will see the final product confidently stride towards any obstacle placed in its way, snow-covered or otherwise. Based in Reykjavik, and from a workshop brimming with everything from beefed-up quadbikes, V8-powered Formula Off-Road creations and mammoth Nissan Patrol SUVs, the pride of the shop remains the updates created for the legendary Hilux.

Shipped as far and wide as Antarctic research base camps, our convoy was made up of the AT35 fitted with 35x12,5-inch R15 tyres on 10-inch wheels and with a 40 mm raised ride height; the AT38 fitted with 38x15,5-inch R15 tyres on 12,5-inch wheels and boasting 420 mm worth of ground clearance; and the big daddy AT44 with its 44x18,5 R15 tyres and 480 mm ground clearance.

Based then on the seventh-generation 126 kW/360 N.m 3,0-litre D-4D Hilux double-cab, the various Arctic Trucks modifications include heavy-duty differential locks on both axles, additional transmission transfer boxes (including a crawler gear), extra heavy-duty dual air-filtration systems, compressed air tanks, customised roll hoops and nudge bars, mounted tool kits and supplementary fuel tanks.

Iceland’s varied and dramatic landscape is the result of the extensive volcanic and geothermic activity experienced throughout this 103 000 km² Nordic island. Having the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift running directly through the middle of your country is going to have its pros and cons. On one hand, the effects of having the earth’s crust pulling itself apart on your doorstep has resulted in some of the most dramatic natural landscapes, geysers, waterfalls and compressed raw energy found anywhere on the planet (geothermal and hydropower provides nearly all of Iceland’s power needs – including heating the pavements in winter). On the other hand, the country’s near-360 000 population shares a home with 130 volcanic mountains, 22 of which remain active.

Raw beauty aside, the most striking thing for me during the first few days of our road trip was seeing houses built at the foot of mountains with massive glaciers lining their shoulders. At any time, volcanic activity anywhere close to these peaks could melt this heavy ice and send a flood of water towards the ocean, taking with it anything in its path.

The most recent reminder of this delicate balance between beauty and destruction was broadcast around the world in March 2010 when Eyjafjallajökull erupted, simultaneously bringing European air travel to halt with its resulting ash cloud. The world saw the cloud but not the two-metre-tall wall of water that left a trail of destruction in its wake as it surged through the Thórsmörk Valley (Valley of Thor).

Arriving at this valley just months after the ash had settled was an eerie experience. We would later pilot our convoy of modified Hiluxs up this freshly carved valley towards the base of the still-simmering Eyjafjallajökull. Rejoining Iceland’s Route 1 ring road, we would later make our way onto the dramatic landscape of Vik Black Beach, with its lava-stained black sand. A day later, I had my breathe taken away by the magnificence of the Jökulsárlon glacier lagoon.

One of the most spectacular road trips you could ever experience culminated with a slow but steady excursion onto the 8 100 square-kilometre Vatnajökoll glacier, by far the largest on the island. It’s here where I would later relinquish my driver’s seat in favour of an altogether more visceral perch atop an AT44. Listening as our convoy crushed freshly laid snow beneath its rubber, it was impossible not to be completely captivated by both the sheer size of this ever-shifting sheet of ice, but also the splendor of this raw wonderland.

I took three things away from my trip to Iceland. One, a reinforced opinion that a Toyota Hilux is the double-cab you want once the going gets particularly tough (and, yes, there’s also a dealership in most towns throughout Iceland); two is that the Icelandic people represent some of the hardiest and toughest, yet also friendliest folk I’ve ever encountered (many of whom live their lives knowing that, at any moment, Mother Nature could come knocking); and lastly, a newfound appreciation for the impact we as a species have on this planet.

Writing this while confined to my home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I take some consolation in the fact there are currently places on Earth where the water is that much clearer, the air that much cleaner and the flora denser for the fact that the humans occupying the land are having to take a break from their daily grind.

My trip to Iceland was booked and paid for by Toyota South Africa, and while I’ve been extremely fortunate in my job to have seen and experienced some incredible places, there’s nowhere I’d rather return to with loved ones in-hand than to the quite spectacular ísland.