The history of Toyota Hilux, an inimitable pickup truck

In this article, we will have a brief look at the history of Toyota Hilux; How the Japanese pickup Hilux has reached its current legendary status.

Hilux pickup, a memorable name in the history of Toyota for more than half a century, is on the production line of this large Japanese car manufacturer and is sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The identity of this exceptional Toyota creation is summed up in extremely high durability, excellent off-road performance, versatility and a comfortable interior. In the following, we briefly discuss the path taken by Toyota Hilux to achieve this world fame.

History of Toyota Hilux

first generation; The beginning of a memorable pickup in the history of the automobile industry

Toyota produced the first generation Hilux without any fuss. In 1968, the Japanese automaker had the idea of ​​a new light pickup truck in mind, but instead of producing it itself, it outsourced it to Hino Motors. According to the contract between the two companies, the Hilux was produced at the Hino Motors plant in Hamura, Japan. The original Hilux that hit the market was actually supposed to follow the Brisca and Light Stout pickups.

The 1.5-liter Hilux engine of the first generation, which was used in the Tuyas brainless truck during the 1950s, had a moderate output. Also, its body was mounted on a separate frame. In addition, it uses a double wishbone/coil spring suspension system in the front area and a fixed axle/coil spring in the rear area. It was a key decision on Toyota’s part, as it formed the foundation of the Hilux as a rugged pickup truck.

third generation; A period of remarkable progress

Toyota Hilux experienced favorable growth over time and following the impressive figures it left behind, Toyota introduced its third generation in 1978. At this point, this Japanese car manufacturer decided to take Hilux one step higher, and the result of this decision was a product that had technical specifications and equipment similar to sedans, and at the same time, it was efficient for doing various things like other pickups.

For the third-generation Hilux, Toyota offered even more versions, covering a wider range of drivers. During this generation, 3 versions with standard length and 4 versions with longer length were available to customers for the first time. Even a new high-end version with a cabin 90 mm longer than the standard version called “Deluxe” arrived.

The third generation Hilux did not change significantly compared to the previous generation in terms of technical specifications. This generation had the same 1.6-liter engine as the previous generation under its hood, and the double wishbone suspension system was kept in the front. Spiral springs, however, gave way to torsion bars. Meanwhile, disc brakes for the front area were offered as standard for the Deluxe version and above.

However, in late 1979, Toyota finally unveiled a four-wheel-drive version of the Hilux for the first time with a 2-liter engine. Even in addition, some time later, he introduced the first version of this pickup with a diesel engine, which, of course, was only available with a rear differential system at that time.

seventh generation; When Hilux reaches perfection

So far, Toyota has been preparing the Hilux to reach its milestone. Finally, Hilux reached this point with its seventh generation, which was first introduced in 2004. This Japanese pickup now brings a complete package in terms of ride comfort, cabin space, passenger comfort, etc.

This generation was also the first Hilux generation that was not produced in Japan, and Toyota expanded the range of this pickup by establishing factories in different regions such as Argentina, Malaysia, South Africa and Thailand. Following this action by Toyota, the Hilux pickup was presented in more than 140 countries and became one of the best-selling products of this large Japanese car manufacturer.

The seventh generation Hilux was considered part of the IMV (Innovative Multi-purpose Vehicle) project. During this project, Toyota built 5 new cars on a common platform, including 3 pickups (Hilux), 1 minivan (Innova) and 1 SUV (Fortuner). The goal of the project was to provide attractive products to customers around the world with an affordable price range, and Toyota developed the most efficient production and supply systems to achieve its vision.

the eighth generation; Toyota Hilux today and the future

11 years after the exceptional 7th generation Hilux, its 8th generation entered the market. Now this Japanese pickup in its eighth generation has nothing but progress in all aspects, from technical specifications and ride quality to design.

The Hilux had matured enough in this generation, but it needed something to take it even one step further. According to Toyota, its development teams have traveled around the world to gain an accurate view of customer needs and challenges. They have driven on all kinds of roads so that they can understand the conditions of each of them and finally implement the direct feedback received and their experiences in the Hilux.

The Hilux has steadily evolved over its half-century-long lifespan to hold a special place not only among Toyota’s lineup, but among pickup trucks as a whole. From here on, it should be interesting to watch the future of this legendary Japanese pickup, which is rightly called the most indestructible pickup in the world. It should be mentioned that we learned a while ago that the Hilux hybrid version will be released in the first half of 2024.