Toyota Hilux is the bakkie that has hauled everything from livestock feed to camping gear, tackled muddy farms and dusty mine roads, and somehow makes it home. For many owners, it is a trusted workmate, a dependable travelling companion and, in some cases, a member of the family.
Toyota’s reputation has not been built through flashy marketing campaigns or clever slogans. Instead, it has been earned the old-fashioned way, by spending decades doing the jobs that many other vehicles would rather avoid. Across South Africa, and indeed much of the world, Hilux models have racked up millions of kilometres in conditions that would test even the toughest machines.
The new 9th generation Hilux represents the biggest leap forward since the arrival of the eighth-generation model. The brief was simple enough: keep everything people love about the Hilux, but give it the technology, comfort and safety features expected from a modern vehicle. It sounds straightforward on paper, but achieving that balance is another matter entirely.
The Hilux story stretches all the way back to 1968, when it arrived as a compact utility vehicle. Over the decades it has grown larger, smarter and considerably more sophisticated, but it has not lost sight of its original purpose. Reliability has always come first.
Its legendary toughness has become part of motoring folklore. Many people still remember the famous 2003 episode of the BBC’s Top Gear, when presenters seemed determined to destroy a Hilux through every outrageous test imaginable. Buildings collapsed around it, the sea tried its best to claim it and fire had a decent attempt as well. Somehow, the Hilux refused to admit defeat. While few owners are likely to treat theirs with quite that level of enthusiasm, the show cemented the bakkie’s reputation as one of the toughest vehicles ever built.
Of course, the market has changed dramatically since the first Hilux rolled off the production line. Today’s one-ton bakkie segment is fiercely competitive. Buyers no longer want a vehicle that is simply capable of carrying a heavy load. They expect advanced safety technology, seamless Android Auto connectivity, refined interiors, and enough comfort to join the family on holiday after spending the week on a construction site.
The new Hilux bakkie looks sharper without trying too hard. Slimmer LED headlights, a broader grille and cleaner body lines give it a more contemporary appearance, while redesigned alloy wheels and updated lighting signatures freshen things up without abandoning the familiar Hilux identity. Around the back, practicality still rules. Integrated access steps make climbing into the load bin much easier, while revised tailgate detailing gives the rear a cleaner, more modern finish.
Fortunately, Toyota has resisted the temptation to make the Hilux look like something it is not. It still appears ready to tackle a muddy farm road at a moment’s notice rather than spending its life outside an upmarket shopping centre.
That same philosophy carries through into the cabin. The dashboard has been completely redesigned, with a cleaner horizontal layout that creates a greater feeling of space while making everything easier to reach. Significantly, Toyota has not hidden every function inside a touchscreen. Physical buttons remain for the controls drivers use most often, which is welcome when bouncing along a gravel road, avoiding trying to stab at icons on a screen.
The interior feels noticeably more upmarket than before, with improved materials, better finishes and smarter storage solutions scattered throughout the cabin. Multiple USB-C charging ports acknowledge the reality that modern families travel with enough electronic devices to power a small office.
Higher-specification models receive an impressive 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster alongside a matching 12.3-inch infotainment display. Wireless smartphone integration, wireless charging and an upgraded multimedia system bring the Hilux firmly into the modern era without overwhelming drivers who simply want everything to work.
I had the opportunity to put the new Hilux through its paces on Namibia’s gravel roads, which, somewhat ironically, are in some places in better condition than some of South Africa’s tar roads. Those endless stretches of gravel provided the perfect opportunity to experience Toyota’s suspension and steering revisions exactly as they were intended.
The Hilux felt steady at cruising speeds, firm through sweeping corners and remarkably smooth over loose surfaces, of which there are many in the desert. There was less need for constant steering corrections, while the improved damping absorbed imperfections without sacrificing the solid, reassuring character that has defined the Hilux for generations.
Add reduced cabin noise, lighter electric power steering at lower speeds and a more refined ride overall, and the latest Hilux proved that meaningful evolution does not always require reinventing the formula. Sometimes, it means making a legend even better where it matters most. Hilux has earned its family status with its owners.
*Pricing
Xtra Cab
- 2.8 GD-6 RB Raider X 6AT – R751 800
- 2.8 GD-6 4×4 Raider X 6AT – R842 200
Double Cab
- 2.8 GD-6 RB SRX 6AT – R658 500
- 2.8 GD-6 4×4 SRX 6AT – R746 100
- 2.8 GD-6 4×4 Raider 6AT – R892 900
- 2.8 GD-6 RB Legend 6AT MHEV – R945 500
- 2.8 GD-6 4×4 Legend 6AT MHEV – R999 900
- Pricing for ninth-generation Hilux Single Cab models and the 2.8 GD-6 RB Raider 6AT will be released in the third quarter of this year.
The new Hilux is backed by a 3-year/100 000km warranty and a 9-services/90 000km service plan, with service intervals of 10 000km. The Mild Hybrid battery in the Hilux Legend is covered by an 8-year/160 000km battery warranty.
* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.