The Toyota Hilux has established itself as the best-selling product within the local market, and despite its success, the team at AutoTrader rarely gets a chance to sample the mid-tier variants within the range. We recently had an opportunity to experience the 2.4 GD-6 double cab auto variant for a week and have some key takeaways.
Related: Toyota Hilux gets spec update!
Styling
The unassuming exterior of the mid-level Hilux was refreshing, revealing what the bakkie that we would all likely opt for would look like if it was our money. Despite the launch of the impressive Ford Ranger, there is still something appealing about the exterior of the Hilux in Raider guise, which manages to be both utilitarian and contemporary enough to make it appealing, to this writer's eyes at least.
Related: Which Toyota Hilux is better – Petrol or Diesel?
Interior and space
Basic is the theme running across the interior of the Hilux in this guise, with cloth-covered seats, a variety of plastic surfaces and the general impression that the brief for this model was to provide a utilitarian space with a modicum of creature comforts. These comforts include a colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, cruise control as well as front and rear PDC with a reverse camera. There is just about enough kit in this model to convince you that this is more of a lifestyle bakkie than one used only for commercial applications.
Looking at the Hilux from a practical perspective we find a reasonably spacious interior with a par-for-the-segment amount of space for interior occupants despite the upright rear seating. The press unit featured a selectable 4x4 system complete with a low-range transfer case, making the bakkie capable across terrain. Other notable figures include a 2 750kg braked towing capacity and a ground clearance of 286mm.
Performance and driving impression
Powering the Hilux tested is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with an output of 110kW and 400Nm. The motor is paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to a selectable 4x4 system. Its kerb weight is 1 939kg, and when looking at performance, the 2.4-litre motor feels just about acceptable in terms of both response and mid-range torque.
In terms of ride and handling, this particular Hilux rides better unladen than previous models we have experienced, whichtendedy to produce a floating sensation from the rear axle when a load was not being carried or towed. This does not mean that the Hilux is the benchmark, in fact, far from it, with newer products managing to ride better regardless of the prevailing conditions and load applications.
Safety
The Hilux range was crash-tested in 2019 by the ANCAP programme and achieved a 5-Star rating with 96% for adult occupant safety, 87% for child occupant safety, 88% for pedestrian safety and 78% for its safety assistance systems.
Fuel consumption
Toyota claims that the 2.4 GD-6 will consume diesel at a rate of 7.3 L/100km, however, our week with the model yielded a figure of 8.7 L/100km, which is very close to what we would expect from a model such as this.
Pricing
The Hilux, in 2.4 GD-6 double cab Raider auto guise, was priced at R683 800 at the time of writing, making it similar to comparable products such as the newer Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, as well as the underrated Mitsubishi Triton.
Verdict
A week with a mid-spec Hilux revealed the virtues of Toyota's best-seller, with a fuss-free, relatively utilitarian user experience, cementing the impression that this is about as solid as a product gets within a market space.
