GrandMa's Pickup???

[Super7]

Grandma's new truck

By Paul Si

 

 

One of Malaysia's favourite TV characters these days must be 'Ah Mah,' the matriarch in Toyota's brilliant commercial for the new Hilux SR Turbo.

 

Her deadpan expression during the family festivities and wicked grin as she got behind the wheel never fail to raise a chuckle.

 

I'm not sure if it's coincidental but there is some real-life resemblance between the intended star of the ad - the truck - and the character who stole the show, i.e. the irrepressible Ah Mah.

 

The grand old lady tried 50 years before she finally passed her driving test, and it seems as if the Hilux has been around almost as long as that. Certainly, it has been around long enough to become a legend among the contractors and logging crews for whom it is regarded as an unbreakable workhorse.

 

For Toyota loyalists wondering when the Hilux would join the battle for the lifestyle pick-up, the wait must have seemed almost as long as Ah Mah's wait for her licence.

 

While the Ford was blazing the leisure trail with the Ranger and Mitsubishi was taking the market by Storm, Toyota continued to deliver the Hilux to the workmen's entrance.

 

Sure, it continued to sell well in Sabah and Sarawak but differences in road tax regimes meant that the 2.8l diesel Hilux cost nearly RM1,000 more a year to keep legal in Peninsular Malaysia, while the absence of a turbocharger meant that it was completely outclassed in the horsepower department by its rivals' 2.5l turbodiesels.

 

Also, Toyota continued to offer a hard-working but spartan level of equipment and trim while the competition dangled comfortable seats, car-like dashboards, power windows and mirrors and the like, i.e. all the mod cons that today's demanding consumers expect.

 

That was then, and this is now. It was a long time coming but Toyota eventually woke up to the fact that the lifestyle pick-up market, being one of the fastest-growing segments and one that was turning volumes of five-figures each year, could no longer be ignored.

Edited June 3, 2003 by Super7

[Mavvy]

You got alot of cars in your collection ah ?

[Super7]

The new Hilux SR Turbo

 

When a giant like Toyota stirs from slumber, lesser beings tremble, and I would imagine that the other major players in this segment have good reason to be as worried as Ah Mah's grandson was when she locked the doors with that ominous click.

 

The new Hilux is coming to the party quite late, but it has the password that guarantees VIP reception - Common Rail. These two words, together, mean a lot to those who know their diesel engines.

 

The turbocharger has already done much to transform the diesel engine from a hardworking but slow-moving beast of burden into a respectable power source. In fact, any decent turbodiesel will produce much more torque than a petrol engine of equivalent capacity.

 

The common rail takes the diesel even further, so much so that the latest European diesels can rival petrol engines in power while far outstripping them in torque.

 

The simplest way to understand this relatively new innovation is to think of it as a turbocharger for fuel, in that the common rail forces diesel fuel into the engine under pressure (about eight times higher than that generated by a conventional fuel pump), just as a turbo pumps in air under pressure.

 

As a full-blown convert to the turbodiesel cause after testing some awesome common rail diesels from Mercedes, Audi, Renault and Volvo (which are not widely available here, unfortunately), Toyota's announcement that the new Hilux would be powered by a common rail direct injection engine got me really excited.

 

After the awe, came the shock. For the all-new 2.5-litre 2KD-FTV turbocharged engine, boasting 16 valves (that's four valves per cylinder, if you prefer), double overhead camshafts (DOHC), with Common Rail Direct Injection controlled by a 32-bit ECU, Toyota claimed 75kW (about 100 horsepower) at 3,600rpm and 260Nm of torque from 1,600rpm to 2,400rpm.

 

The 2.5l 2KD-FTV boasts of a turbo, common rail direct injection, but no intercooler.

 

The figures may be decent enough if taken in isolation, or compared to the earlier Hilux's 2.8l 3L normally-aspirated engine but, considering the sophisticated hardware, I am underwhelmed.

 

After all, the conventional turbodiesels with "obsolete" SOHC already push out more power and torque than that, and every other common rail I've tried can generate more than 100kW (over 130hp) and 320 or more Newton-metres.

 

There has been no elaboration from Toyota on this matter but there are two possible explanations for the low output figures. There is speculation that the engine may have been detuned, either to favour fuel economy or, more likely, because there are still lingering concerns over whether the quality of Malaysian diesel fuel is high enough for the common rail to work at its full pressure of more than 1,600 bars.

 

Still, one must not be so quick to pass judgement, I am told. After all, Toyota has always been conservative with its performance claims, and the Hilux has had a reputation for using gear ratios cleverly selected to give better performance than raw figures suggest.

 

So, I take the Hilux SR Turbo for a brief test drive over a weekend. The good news is that the engine is smooth, and became smoother as more kilometres were added to the clock (it had only about 300km on the odometer when it left UMW-Toyota's showroom).

 

One feature of the electronic controls associated with the common rail is that there is no need to wait for glow plugs to warm up before starting the engine. You just turn the key and it fires up immediately.

 

It is also fairly quiet, but what little noise it makes is a very distinctly diesel clatter. Why do I sound surprised that a diesel engine sounds like a diesel, you ask? Well, because many diesels these days no longer clatter.

 

Direct injection does tend to cause this characteristic noise but it can be reduced or eliminated with technology such as the use of pilot injection, which seems to be absent on the Hilux.

 

The clatter is masked if the aircon fan is switched to one of the higher settings, or if the window is wound down (yes, the windows are power operated at last, as are the side mirrors) to let in ambient noise. But, if everything else is quiet in the cabin, the clatter comes in distinctly through the firewall.

[Saaber]

Nice pickup...

[Super7]

If you last drove a diesel vehicle 10 years ago but have never tried a turbodiesel, the Hilux will blow you away. It pulls away strongly in first and second gear before settling down to a more workmanlike pace in third and fourth. In fifth, at speeds above 60km/h, it maintains speed but seems reluctant to accelerate.

 

The water-cooled turbocharger is well positioned close to the exhaust manifold, and the short air path to the intake manifold gives quick engine response, without any hint of turbo lag. On the downside, this is also due partly to the absence of an intercooler, which could also help explain the relatively low power and torque.

 

Overall, it comes across as being a willing performer, if not exactly eager, and it is a huge improvement over the older Hilux. Despite all the sophisticated hardware, however, it is not all that it can and should be, and its performance is not exactly class-leading.

 

Aside from the Toyota trademark of reliability, the Hilux legend was built largely on its ruggedness and off-road capabilities. In this respect, the latest version should live up to its predecessors' reputation, with its generous ground clearance and long travel suspension. The suspension is also tuned for comfort, giving the SR Turbo excellent ride qualities and handling that is quite remarkable for a vehicle this tall.

 

A brief run on rough terrain indicated that the new Hilux, at least the manual version, should be thoroughly competent off the road.

 

It is equipped with a limited slip differential for optimum traction in slippery conditions, and automatic disconnecting differential to make shifting between 4WD and 2WD as simple as moving the lever.

 

Sadly, the automatic variant has only two wheel-drive, which rules it out for serious off-road use.

 

The body is built to Toyota's own Global Outstanding Assessment (GOA) standards, which meet all and exceed many of the safety requirements laid down by the relevant authorities in Japan, the United States, Europe and Australia. What it means for the customer is peace of mind, knowing that safety and build quality is a given.

 

The Hilux SR Turbo is also the first pick-up in the market to offer airbag protection for the driver.

 

In the styling department, the Hilux has always been blessed with handsome, yet rugged, looks and the latest model is no different. It looks great, but only in the front cabin.

 

The rear remains utilitarian, with workmanlike latches securing the tailgate whereas its competitors have all gone on to more eye-pleasing single handles.

 

 

Built for work, not looks.

 

 

One plus point is that the cargo box design incorporates built-in hooks for securing goods or a tarpaulin to cover the cargo area.

 

The side profile is also handsome, marred only slightly by the big gap between cabin and cargo box, which is unfortunately highlighted by the prominent wheel arch flares. On the whole, it looks suitably macho from the outside.

 

The interior is a different matter. Again, it is an improvement over its own predecessor but needs to be a lot better just to catch up with the opposition.

 

The dashboard is best described as hardworking and designed for spartan tastes, and the plastic looks cheap.

 

The front seats are fine, being comfortable and supportive enough. The rear bench is a disappointment, though. At the very least, it should have height-adjustable or removable head restraints for the rear passengers. There is ample leg room, though, and the back rest is angled enough to be comfortable for long rides.

 

UMW-Toyota has taken note of a major problem which has afflicted other popular pick-ups - thieves like them, too. The new Hilux is equipped with enough security to qualify for the UK Thatcham-1 rating, with an engine immobiliser, anti-tow sensor, hyper-frequency sensor (to detect cabin intrusion) and a back-up battery for the siren.

 

The best part of the new Hilux may be pricing. At RM84,744.45 on the road, with insurance (the chrome roll-over bar is an RM800 option, and the bedliner is another RM800) for the 4X4 manual and RM83,657.06 for the 2WD automatic, the Hilux is actually among the cheapest pick-up in its class, which is a refreshing departure from the normal premium prices that Toyotas command.

[Super7]

only RM80k+-.....

[Mavvy]

wow...TURBO charged...

 

that's

[S2P2]

friend of mine in KL is driving a Hilux

[Mavvy]

sibeh cheap.... *faint*

 

[Saaber]

whoa...cheap cheap.....time to move to Jalan MCF....

[S2P2]

got your passport ready????

[Saaber]

always in the car....

[Super7]

next time we go KL, must pay him a visit, then borrow his pickup lah.....

[S2P2]

that day we went want to look for him but he went back penang.....so when you want to go KL

[Assassin]

Wah. Lots of road clearance man. Turbocharged some more.

[Super7]

June.... not yet confirmed

[S2P2]

MCF convoying there or not

[Super7]

free n easy....... auntie7 leading the way..... anyone interested can come along....... not yet confirmed