The Toyota Hilux Thread

Are Toyota Hilux drivers the new BMW drivers?

It used to be that when you encountered a BMW on the road, you knew what to expect. In fact, I was guilty of this myself, when I owned my E90 323i.

Someone in the overtaking lane (referred to in South Africa alone as the “fast lane”) is doing the speed limit, I’d creep up as closely as I could until they felt intimidated enough to move aside — after all, it’s my prerogative to drive over the speed limit, who the hell are you to enforce the national laws on me?

This was immature thinking, I know, because the opposite was never true — if I was in the ‘fast lane’ in my Beemer, there was no way I was moving over for anyone.

But things have changed... both in terms of my maturity behind the wheel, and the behaviour of a new driving menace.

On a recent road trip to the Southern Cape, I noticed that it’s no longer BMW drivers that are the menaces of the roadways — it’s Toyota Hilux drivers.

 
WATCH | 'It's not a bakkie, it's a Hilux!': Toyota's new TV ad hits one right in the feels

Toyota Motors South Africa has a brand-new Hilux television advert, and it's one that stirs all the right emotions.

A few decades ago, television ads were mini stories - ones that bring a lot of nostalgia should when you watch them today. They had deep storylines, and the messages always drove home. And more importantly, they were memorable ads, ones you'd never forget.

Think of the "glug-glug' Sasol ad with the little boy and his grandpa, or any old Volkswagen commercial. It was the kind of stuff that made you feel all fuzzy inside, even when hearing it on the radio. I could go on forever when it comes to car ads, because they were just brilliant, and still make sense today.

The first time I saw the new ad on the telly, my eyes welled up and the tears ran down my cheeks, but I had a smile on my face all the while and it made me feel really good inside, pulling at my heart strings. Besides the Hilux bakkie being as synonymous as the Bokke, braai and biltong to South Africans, it's the heartwarming story of family, resilience and love that hit home most in this commercial. And you don't need to be a Toyota fan to relate to that.

But most of all, Toyota South Africa says the commercial is actually based on a true story: "We see the campaign as a true representation of the Toyota South Africa Motors ethos."


 
First spy shots of ‘new’ Toyota Hilux shows 2026 model could be an extensive facelift

The next-generation Toyota Hilux is surely one of the most highly anticipated bakkies of the decade, and the Japanese carmaker is remaining extremely tight lipped about it.

Although it was widely speculated that the next Hilux would be modelled around the new US-market Tacoma, graduating to the TNGA-F platform that also underpins the Land Cruiser 300, spy shots emanating from Thailand imply that the upcoming bakkie could instead be an extensive facelift of the existing model.

These images, published this week by Thai publication Headlightmag, show a prototype vehicle with the same bodyshell and doors as the current Hilux, but with front and rear sections disguised by camouflage material.

The current generation Toyota Hilux has been around internationally since 2015, launching in South Africa the following year, and has received numerous facelifts during its life cycle.

The 2026 iteration, however, will be a far more extensive update, with a completely redesigned front end, which appears to feature a two-tier lighting signature, and a revised rear end design.

It's almost certain that the bakkie’s interior will be given a significant makeover too, while speculation abroad also points towards upgraded suspension, the fitment of rear disc brakes and a new electric power steering system, which will enable new driver assistance technology, such as lane-centring assist.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X