Everything We Love About the New Toyota HiLux After Driving It in the Bush

Tim spent a week getting well-acquainted with the new HiLux SR5 to fully understand the features and bring you this deep dive into how it drives and feels.

After a few days with the ‘Sunglow’ gold HiLux that Toyota sent me, I finally worked out why it felt so damn easy to drive. It’s the steering – all the new HiLux models come with electric power steering that makes it a breeze to pull out or park.

As it turns out, it’s also more planted in a straight line at high speeds than the hydraulic equivalent, more accurate with lane departure safety tech, and throttle response can be tweaked to be more responsive in sport mode.

Electric steering might seem minor, but it brings big benefits

The refined diesel engine helps with improved fuel efficiency as low as 7.1L/100km (if you can drive like the guys in the lab) and the auto makes use of a 48 volt V-Active, enabling smooth stop–start, an added acceleration boost, and improved fuel economy.

If you’re after a manual, Toyota still offers it, unlike a lot of competitors, despite only 10% of people buying them. You’ll sacrifice that battery boost too, but at least you can brag that your left foot still does something.

But let’s wind it back a little, what’s the new HiLux got for explorers like you?

Adventure Starts With Your Car

The other week we did an audience survey. About half of you said that your car ‘expands your adventure access’, while 37% felt limited by their vehicle. We love public transport and carbon neutral adventures here at We Are Explorers, but it’s hard to deny how much opens up when you have a rig that can 

1. Get you there and
2. Carry all your stuff

The Toyota HiLux is a crowd favourite, particularly something like the four door, four wheel drive SR5 model you can see in these pics. So when we had the opportunity to roll around in one, on actual dirt roads with actual gear in the back, we jumped at it.

We got out there in the new HiLux

I’ve already highlighted what’s new in my first look that went live the other week, this piece is for those who want all the juicy details. Let’s start with the biggest question:

How good is it off-road?

Starting with the big questions first, obviously. The HiLux is quite famously capable out of the box, thanks in part to a very smart traction control system tuned for Aussie conditions. It’s been retuned for the new HiLux, so well that it felt genuinely difficult to make the standard all-terrain tyres spin – you just gently press the accelerator and power goes where it’s needed.

The electric steering I mentioned before also smooths out rough terrain, so much so that I thought my brother must have graded the bumpy creek crossing into his property. Turns out he hadn’t.

Our HiLux SR5 was riding at stock height with 224mm of clearance, which is heaps, especially when combined with steep approach and departure angles at the front and back of the car. The only thing I noticed was that you could feel the lack of weight in the back end, and bumps would affect the leaf spring suspension in the rear more than the front. Bit of a ute thing, and it makes sense for a vehicle that could safely carry another tonne.

No lift and already supremely capable

Speaking of Weight…

The new HiLux comes in at 5.3m long, as long as my Dad’s 70 series LandCruiser, yet only weighs 2130kg (for the SR5). Honestly, this is pretty great for a big car with all the modern bells and whistles. With a gross vehicle mass of 3120kg you can load 990kg on the stock suspension and still be safe. Or in other words, pack in four 80kg adults and still bring 670kg worth of stuff.

The weight of all your stuff includes the mates who join you!

Braked towing capacity is another big one for the caravan crowd and the HiLux can handle 3500kg, which is the maximum legal caravan weight in Aus if you’re towing with a standard passenger vehicle. If you’ve got something bigger… why are you reading We Are Explorers? That’s a house!

It Is Safe As Houses Though

Does a five-star 2025 ANCAP safety rating mean much to you? If not, maybe it should – it effectively means ‘full marks’ – the car has the most modern safety features available. That’s why it’s important to check the year, as the standards keep updating.

The HiLux SR5 hits five stars thanks to a bunch of new safety features. Things like intersection collision avoidance that can detect vehicles, whether you’re turning or they’re turning in front of you, or autonomous emergency braking that detects people, bikes, and motorbikes, as well as other cars. The automatic SR5 and higher can even detect if you’ve passed out and bring itself to a controlled stop.

Safety tech abounds, but so do physical buttons so you can keep your eyes on the road

I honestly didn’t know some of that tech existed until I jumped in the HiLux. There’s even a feature that took me a while to figure out that tells you if you’ve left someone in the back seat via a series of beeps. I’m sure it’s going to be a godsend to a scattered parent someday.

I Love The Headlights

LED headlights are standard across the HiLux range now and from the SR5 up they’re self-levelling too. I took it for a drive down a pitch black dirt road and honestly, I wouldn’t be buying spotlights any time soon. 

The light is bright and even, with a crisp line where they cut off that’s perfectly matched by the high beams – it’s super impressive for a stock vehicle. There are also some really nice daytime running lights (including ones in the Toyota Genuine steel bullbar seen in these photos).

Yum, couldn’t see myself wanting more headlight than this

What about city driving?

Let’s be real, any four wheel drive owner knows that 90% of the time they’re still going to be driving on tarmac, often bumper to bumper if you live anywhere near a big city. The HiLux is particularly capable off-road, out of the box, so how’d it go in traffic?

Lucky for you, I live in Sydney, so I got to test this thoroughly. In traffic the auto is particularly smooth, which a few car reviewers have noted, especially if you bump it into Eco mode. In my first look I also talked about the panoramic view monitor, which meant I could park in a small spot directly outside my favourite cafe without crushing a hatchback.

Vision is great, the seating position is high and upright, with unimpeded views out the windows, and you can see to the end of the hood (and the bullbar) which I prefer. If needed, the multi-terrain monitor cameras allow you to get really close to things – like the stuff in your overfull garage.

The screen’s nice and big, but not overly tall so it doesn’t block your vision

Improved Fuel Efficiency

Lower fuel use couldn’t be more topical and at We Are Explorers we’ve always leant toward adventure vehicles that can get it done with the lowest impact. The new HiLux has significantly reduced its fuel consumption, down from 7.9 to about 7.2L/100km for the 48V version. 

Even the non 48V manual has a similar fuel consumption thanks to new stop start tech, but it’d be a bit less smooth in traffic without the hybrid system.

The HiLux is less thirsty than it used to be, which is always a good thing

The first fully electric HiLux is on its way soon too. Toyota calls these BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicle), which is just asking for a drink-based marketing campaign, but for now, this HiLux uses less fuel than my Corolla while carrying more and going more places. Seems like a win.

Enter the Ecosystem

Seems like car manufacturers have finally caught on that if they sell quality accessories people will probably chuck them on at the dealership. Especially when they’re designed to be integrated, work with all the safety systems, and keep your warranty intact.

The HiLux SR5 we had was kitted with pretty 18” alloy wheels, aero roof racks, a burly coloured steel bullbar with a winch, sidesteps, a snorkel, a Rock Rail on the tray’s rear lip, LED Headlamp covers, door handle protection film, a tow ball hitch, and seat covers that fit so well I didn’t realise that they were seat covers.

Toyota Genuine Accessories are always going to offer the best fit on a Toyota

In fact, most of the accessories fit so naturally that I didn’t realise they weren’t standard parts of the car until I dug into the specs. 

Of course, we live in the 4WD capital of the world and aftermarket options are coming thick and fast, but it’s nice to see the Toyota Genuine Accessories holding their own, so that you can get your new rig out there immediately.

It’s Not Just a Ute, It’s a HiLux

The Toyota HiLux is famously tough and its immediate ability off road was super impressive, but we already knew that. The real wins with the new model are the increased comfort, fuel efficiency, and safety features that make it a genuine all rounder. 

The majority of We Are Explorers readers live in cities and chase adventures on the weekend and holidays, so being able to move seamlessly from urban comfort to the rough and ready real world is super important. If that’s what you’re after, I’d take a look at the new Toyota HiLux.