BRUTE FORCE

The Toyota Hilux isn't subtle, but it's effective as all hell

- Pablo Chaterji

If you know anything about cars, you'll be aware that the United States is the pickup truck capital of the world, with these behemoths selling there in such large numbers that you'd think pickup ownership was written into their Constitution. The Toyota Hilux, surprisingly, doesn't feature very high on the sales charts in that country - but it is the largest-selling pickup in the world if you leave out the American market. It's not just a vehicle - it's something of a cultural phenomenon, having developed a reputation for being indestructible, sold in the many millions of units since it was first launched in 1968 and becoming a favourite with everyone from agriculturalists to, er, the Taliban. As for India, pickups have always been an extremely niche segment here, but it's one that's slowly gaining in popularity thanks to Isuzu, so it's no surprise that Toyota has brought its legendary vehicle into the mix; what is a surprise is that it's taken almost a year for us to get our hands on it after it officially went on sale here. Only Toyota can answer why that is the case, but for now, let's dive into what the Hilux is all about.

In other parts of the world, you generally buy a Hilux if you want a vehicle that will outlive you. Here, Toyota is pushing it as a lifestyle' vehicle, which is a very broad and somewhat vague term, but there you go. I imagine that if your lifestyle involves crossing rivers and driving through deep ruts on a regular basis, you're in luck (or you could just be a resident of Mumbai). In essence, the Hilux is a Fortuner in pickup form, sharing a 4x4 system, a ladderframe chassis and a 2.8-litre diesel powerplant with the hugely popular SUV; the rear suspension is of course a different one, given the purpose for which the Hilux has been builtworld domination.