2021 Hilux

[Todd n Natalie]

Maybe it's just me but, I think the Tacoma and 4Runner look better.

Toyota Hilux and Fortuner revealed with muscular looks

Updates to the global duo, akin to our Tacoma and 4Runner, include fresh looks and a little more power.

www.cnet.com

 

[DaveInDenver]

The squished Tacoma grill looks out of place but yeah, it's a typically plain Japanese looking vehicle, which is fine to me. I don't drive a truck to make a fashion statement. I like that it's a little smaller since I wish our Tacoma exterior dimensions would shrink a little.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

The squished Tacoma grill looks out of place but yeah, it's a typically plain Japanese looking vehicle, which is fine to me. I don't drive a truck to make a fashion statement. I like that it's a little smaller since I wish our Tacoma exterior dimensions would shrink a little.

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I'd be fine with a less aggressive looking Tacoma / 4Runner too. Personally, I've found every generation of Tacoma better looking than the same year HiLux.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I'd be fine with a less aggressive looking Tacoma / 4Runner too. Personally, I've found every generation of Tacoma better looking than the same year HiLux.

I think you're about right, I don't hate the Tacoma but I don't love it either. The 2nd gen would be a pretty decent looking truck if they hadn't gone off the rails with the stylized wheel openings. The first 3 years of the 4th gen 4Runner had a similar issue with the cut off flat arches. I also really don't like the fender flares they insist the 4WD Tacoma gets, either, slab sides like this are cleaner. Honestly the 3rd gen Tacoma is fine except for the huge grill/chin and the super long front hanging out in space. The Hilux here gets the Hollywood starlet eye tuck pulled back look of the headlights that the Japanese designers seem to like.

 

[ITTOG]

I think you're about right, I don't hate the Tacoma but I don't love it either. The 2nd gen would be a pretty decent looking truck if they hadn't gone off the rails with the stylized wheel openings. The first 3 years of the 4th gen 4Runner had a similar issue with the cut off flat arches. I also really don't like the fender flares they insist the 4WD Tacoma gets, either, slab sides like this are cleaner. Honestly the 3rd gen Tacoma is fine except for the huge grill/chin and the super long front hanging out in space. The Hilux here gets the Hollywood starlet eye tuck pulled back look of the headlights that the Japanese designers seem to like.

I completely agree with your comments about the wheel openings and the fender flares. I hate both of them and would never buy a Tacoma because of it. Yes the aesthetics do matter in my purchasing decision on vehicles.

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[Todd n Natalie]

Yes the aesthetics do matter in my purchasing decision on vehicles.

Same here. I'm guessing it does for the most part. Otherwise the Pontiac Aztek may have had greater success...

 

[DaveInDenver]

aesthetics do matter in my purchasing decision on vehicles.

Most everyone has some aesthetic criteria even if it's to be inoffensive. I view a truck as a tool and so if looks plain now it'll look plain in the future that I hope is many years away. I prefer the individualization to be in the dents it collects in actually using it rather than the vision of an artistic designer, I suppose is how I'd describe it. I view blue anodized wrenches or fashion blue jeans as nonsense. I wear the same Carhartt model B17 pants that were just as unfashionable in 1996 as they are in 2020.

 

[Tex68w]

I like the size and the power plant but I'm not much for the grille and head lights. I guess it really doesn't matter since it'll never be an option here haha.

 

[Dalko43]

Maybe it's just me but, I think the Tacoma and 4Runner look better.

Toyota Hilux and Fortuner revealed with muscular looks

Updates to the global duo, akin to our Tacoma and 4Runner, include fresh looks and a little more power.

www.cnet.com

I'd be fine with a less aggressive looking Tacoma / 4Runner too. Personally, I've found every generation of Tacoma better looking than the same year HiLux.

I love how the first conversation point that comes up regarding a new generation Hilux has to do with looks...not changes to the underlying design, but looks.

I'm a firm believer that form should follow function, and the Japanese companies tend to adhere to that design philosophy with their overseas products. With their North American Tacoma's, Tundra's and 4runners (with fake hood scoops and TRD badging) not so much. That likely speaks to a difference in customer preferences...a lot of North American truck buyers make purchasing decisions based off of appearances and the perception associated with owning a truck....a lot of overseas truck buyers make purchasing decisions based off of driving & 4x4 needs.

BTW, no matter how 'better' the Tacoma looks compared to the Hilux, I promise that the Hilux is more comfortable and much more robustly built. The non-adjustable seats and cramped cabin space and mediocre engine torque (with the latest generation) have been more than enough to keep me from owning a Tacoma.

Regardless of which one truly looks better (a subjective matter unto itself), I'd gladly take an ugly-duckling Hilux with its 2.8l diesel and over-engineered design versus a glamored-up Tacoma TRD Pro.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I love how the first conversation point that comes up regarding a new generation Hilux has to do with looks...not changes to the underlying design, but looks.

I'm a firm believer that form should follow function, and the Japanese companies tend to adhere to that design philosophy with their overseas products. With their North American Tacoma's, Tundra's and 4runners (with fake hood scoops and TRD badging) not so much. That likely speaks to a difference in customer preferences...a lot of North American truck buyers make purchasing decisions based off of appearances and the perception associated with owning a truck....a lot of overseas truck buyers make purchasing decisions based off of driving & 4x4 needs.

BTW, no matter how 'better' the Tacoma looks compared to the Hilux, I promise that the Hilux is more comfortable and much more robustly built. The non-adjustable seats and cramped cabin space and mediocre engine torque (with the latest generation) have been more than enough to keep me from owning a Tacoma.

Regardless of which one truly looks better (a subjective matter unto itself), I'd gladly take an ugly-duckling Hilux with its 2.8l diesel and over-engineered design versus a glamored-up Tacoma TRD Pro.

What have they changed? All the publicity talks about LED headlights, a standard 4.2" center with an 8" infotainment center and leather seats on higher specs. The interior being more car-like. The 2.8L is improved and some markets will get the 1GR again. It sounds mostly superficial.

It might be more robust but I doubt it'll ride more comfortably. That's one thing that any who's actually driven both recently has said, the Tacoma rides less truck-like. It is supposed to get revised suspension and steering to make it better on road. It's getting the Safety Sense suite of nanny stuff.

It's not even clear this is a 9th generation Hilux, with the 2021 probably more like a 8.5 gen Hilux, a little like our 3rd gen Tacoma that is probably better called a gen 2.5. With the TNGA versions being the major revision in 2023 or 2024. But Toyota's always been conservative in changes and so from generation-to-generation they don't start from zero with everything.

Being less truck-like is why Tacomas are popular. Toyota isn't stupid, they sell them as fast as they can build them. I think the Hilux would sell in small numbers here, too, if it wasn't forbidden to import and so something that'll never be known. In the end the manufacturers have to cater more to regulations than the market so we have to build the trucks they can sell into the trucks we want anyway.

About the only thing I really envy is a fully boxed frame, traditional double wall pickup box and traditional rear leafs and inboard shocks instead of the inverted tension shackle nonsense the Tacoma got in 2005. But that's the stuff that makes the Hilux more truck-like in the first place, so it's tilting at windmills. The front suspension is essential identical, the 1GR/RA60 I got is what it is. The interior of the Tacoma is typically American, like playing a video game in an overstuffed Lazy Boy recliner. Tacoma does the job and you just adapt to what is because 90% of the trucks they sell aren't to people like us cutting them up and modifying them. To most people the Tacoma *is* the truck they want, it rides nice on the interstate, got all the tech junk.

Toyota Hilux - new versus outgoing model compared - paultan.org

The updated, 2020 Toyota Hilux has just made its debut today, so what does the facelifted pick-up truck actually bring? Here, the latest iteration of the instantly recognisable nameplate packs new looks, powertrain options and …

paultan.org

2021 Toyota Hilux Debuts With More Torque, Enhanced Comfort, New Tech

The 2021 Toyota Hilux debuts in Thailand where it's built for the ASEAN and Australian markets. It comes with more power and refined suspension.

www.motor1.com

 

[Dalko43]

What have they changed? All the publicity talks about LED headlights, a standard 4.2" center with an 8" infotainment center and leather seats on higher specs. The interior being more car-like. The 2.8L is improved and some markets will get the 1GR again. It sounds mostly superficial.

Engine changes alone would be reason enough for me to buy a "new" Hilux. And as you point out, the Tacoma's "generational change" wasn't anymore extensive by comparison...and some of those changes, like the engine, were for the worse.

It might be more robust but I doubt it'll ride more comfortably. That's one thing that any who's actually driven both recently has said, the Tacoma rides less truck-like. It is supposed to get revised suspension and steering to make it better on road. It's getting the Safety Sense suite of nanny stuff.

I actually have driven both, in long duration, trips (with a good mixture between offroad and onroad)....the Hilux rides and handles better. More comfortable seats, better low-end torque, bigger cabin space, and a suspension that rides well (especially with a load).

The Tacoma still drives like a truck, no doubt about it. But its rear end sags way too quickly (limited payload) and the cabin & seating position just aren't that comfortable for long duration trips, at least for normal-sized people. The whole argument that the Hilux is too "spartan & truck-like" for the North American market is a bunch of nonsense. It's ride & handling are perfectly in line with how the Tacoma and Tundra handle and the NVH is, if anything, better since the engine doesn't need to be stressed out to get decent grunt.

Being less truck-like is why Tacomas are popular. Toyota isn't stupid, they sell them as fast as they can build them.

Tacoma's are popular (for the time being) because they are affordable, reliable and because they cater towards the the truck-lite crowd...people who want a truck but don't want a full-sized monstrosity. The reality is that the payload and mediocre engine make the Tacoma a compromise between daily driving and some light overlanding or truck-like duties (towing, hauling)....It really could be a lot more competitive if Toyota were to upgrade its capabilities to be more robust....which is what the competitors (Gladiator, Ranger, Colorado) are doing with great success right now. The Ranger and Gladiator are close to matching the Hilux's capabilities, so the idea that there is no market for an over-built, highly capable midsized truck is nonsense.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Engine changes alone would be reason enough for me to buy a "new" Hilux. And as you point out, the Tacoma's "generational change" wasn't anymore extensive by comparison...and some of those changes, like the engine, were for the worse.



I actually have driven both, in long duration, trips (with a good mixture between offroad and onroad)....the Hilux rides and handles better. More comfortable seats, better low-end torque, bigger cabin space, and a suspension that rides well (especially with a load).

The Tacoma still drives like a truck, no doubt about it. But its rear end sags way too quickly (limited payload) and the cabin & seating position just aren't that comfortable for long duration trips, at least for normal-sized people. The whole argument that the Hilux is too "spartan & truck-like" for the North American market is a bunch of nonsense. It's ride & handling are perfectly in line with how the Tacoma and Tundra handle and the NVH is, if anything, better since the engine doesn't need to be stressed out to get decent grunt.




Tacoma's are popular (for the time being) because they are affordable, reliable and because they cater towards the the truck-lite crowd...people who want a truck but don't want a full-sized monstrosity. The reality is that the payload and mediocre engine make the Tacoma a compromise between daily driving and some light overlanding or truck-like duties (towing, hauling)....It really could be a lot more competitive if Toyota were to upgrade its capabilities to be more robust....which is what the competitors (Gladiator, Ranger, Colorado) are doing with great success right now. The Ranger and Gladiator are close to matching the Hilux's capabilities, so the idea that there is no market for an over-built, highly capable midsized truck is nonsense.

Where did you drive a Hilux and which one? I have not driven a Hilux newer than 1995 and the 1st gen Tacoma hadn't deviated nearly as far. The people I rely upon who have drove mostly Double Cab 7th gens in the Middle East for work. They are legitimate ex'po guys who drive and wrench on Rovers, Land Cruisers, Tacos and mini trucks here and say they would buy a Tacoma over a Hilux if side by side for personal use. If it was intended for a life of really being beat on of course the Hilux.

The one thing that I wonder about is one long time Toyota guy worked in the motor pool and said the then-new Hilux was, and I paraphrase, "built like crap," which makes me wonder since I think the Tacoma is "built like crap" so the (admittedly) subjective decline may be a corporate thing not just North America. Otherwise it sounds like to me, again not knowing first hand, that Toyota with the 8th and now 9th (if it is) Hilux is addressing the very complaints they were making - which are not unlike the market demands here - it needs to ride better, be more comfortable.

Whatever though, it's not like sales for both Tacoma and Hilux don't speak for themselves. If "for time being" means selling between 100K and 250K every year for 24 years and averaging something like 165K annually isn't good I don't know what is.

 

[Dalko43]

Where did you drive a Hilux and which one? I have not driven a Hilux newer than 1995 and the 1st gen Tacoma hadn't deviated nearly as far. The people I rely upon who have drove mostly Double Cab 7th gens in the Middle East for work. They are legitimate ex'po guys who drive and wrench on Rovers, Land Cruisers, Tacos and mini trucks here and say they would buy a Tacoma over a Hilux if side by side for personal use. If it was intended for a life of really being beat on of course the Hilux.

The one thing that I wonder about is one long time Toyota guy worked in the motor pool and said the then-new Hilux was, and I paraphrase, "built like crap," which makes me wonder since I think the Tacoma is "built like crap" so the (admittedly) subjective decline may be a corporate thing not just North America. Otherwise it sounds like to me, again not knowing first hand, that Toyota with the 8th and now 9th (if it is) Hilux is addressing the very complaints they were making - which are not unlike the market demands here - it needs to ride better, be more comfortable.

Whatever though, it's not like sales for both Tacoma and Hilux don't speak for themselves. If "for time being" means selling between 100K and 250K every year for 24 years and averaging something like 165K annually isn't good I don't know what is.

I've driven an 8th generation Hilux (2.4l diesel) several hundred miles through the highways and back country of Namibia and Botswana. As well, I've driven older generation Hilux's for shorter stints in other areas. So I'm not just relying on anecdotal observations from other people.

The Hilux, at least the newer versions, drives and handles just fine. Will the suspension handle a bit stiff if you don't throw a load in the back? Sure. But then again, the #1 complaint I hear from overland Tacoma owners is: lack of payload. Toyota could easily offer different suspension packages to accommodate different payload needs were it to offer a Hilux for North America...so again, the argument that the Hilux would ride "too rough" is nonsense. We see people building and driving around in camper-carrying Tacoma's, well over GVWR...we honestly need to ask if there is any demand for high-GVWR midsized trucks in North America?

For the newest Hilux: seats, seating position and NVH were equal, in some cases better, compared to 5th gen 4unners and 3rd gen Tacoma's I've been in. And the low-end engine grunt, even from the smaller 2.4l diesel, puts the naturally aspirated v6's to shame.

You can rely on anecdotal comments all you want...I've driven both types. The Hilux's interior is somewhat spartan (something that can easily be fixed by a refresh), but the underlying chassis design is better built and, IMHO, more comfortable and capable for long-range trips.