At A Glance
The main selling point of a pickup truck in Great Britain is that it can double as both a practical commercial vehicle and a family car at the same time, thanks to its double cab. To that end Toyota has tried to cater for both markets with their Toyota Hilux Diesel Invincible, and for the most part it performs well in both respects.
The Interior
From a family car perspective, the interior could easily be mistaken for a mid range family saloon or estate. The Toyota Hilux Invincible comes with MP3 compatible CD stereo together with audio controls on the steering wheel and four speakers. Other creature comforts include air conditioning, tilt adjustable steering, cup holders, a cloth upholstery finish, and sports seats in the front. Somewhat cleverly, the Toyota Hilux Invincible sports plenty of van driver favourites such as oodles of storage space for paperwork and coffee cup holders.
To heighten the family car feel further, the rear doors are even fitted with child safety locks. Also as standard, are driver and passenger air bags and all the seatbelts are fitted with pretensioners and are height adjustable.
On The Road
This obviously all looks marvellous but how does the Toyota Hilux perform as a van? The answer is very well. It can carry just over a 1000Kg and to move the payload it is supported by a 3.0 litre diesel engine which puts 170bhp at a driver's command. This gives a highly impressive torque of 360 at low revs. Conceivably, moving a capacity payload and a family on long or short journeys, taking in mountains and cities is achievable, and at 31.7 miles per gallon, it is difficult to argue with these kinds of figures.
Road handling has traditionally been a bumpy affair for pickups, especially as their natural habit is travelling over rough off road terrain. The build quality on the Toyota Hilux Invincible however, goes a considerable way to offset the bounce normally experienced on pick - ups, thanks to the wishbone front suspension and stiffer chassis. The driving position in the Toyota Hilux is greatly assisted by the high seating position and visibility is good. The turning circle is less than 13m kerb to kerb, so manoeuvring the Toyota Hilux is fairly straight forward.
Our Verdict
The Toyota Hilux Invincible is an accomplished pickup which aims to suit all needs for the buyers of this kind of vehicle. There are not really any perceivable downsides to it, and with its commitment to luxury for passenger travel, it is not hard to see the Toyota Hilux Invincible as becoming a market leader.