OREANDA-NEWS. To truly understand what our customers expect from us and the challenges they face on a daily basis, our development teams travel the globe, getting direct feedback from customers and driving on a wide variety of different roads to get a feel for different usage conditions. To gain inspiration for the eighth-generation Hilux, the development team drove in conditions ranging from rough, muddy forests to deserts with temperatures exceeding 50°C and flooded roads in the rainy season. Sometimes they came up against even harsher conditions than expected, which brought home the need to develop an even tougher Hilux.

The development process also reflected invaluable feedback received directly from Hilux drivers. Some wished they could make long transcontinental trips without worrying about running out of fuel. Others described how hard it is to stay alert and drive safely during grueling long-distance journeys with extended stretches of rough driving. Yet another, who uses their Hilux for forest maintenance work and frequently speaks via radio with the police and fire department, explained how a quiet cabin is essential for communication.

This led the development team to conclude that the new Hilux should not only be tougher but should also reduce stress as much as possible. Above and beyond conventional ideas of toughness, the eighth-generation Hilux boasts ride comfort that makes long, tough drives less grueling, a quiet cabin that allows communication in any conditions, and enhanced cruising range thanks to improved fuel efficiency.

As explained by Hiroki Nakajima, the executive chief engineer behind the Hilux (and also a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation): "Our entire development concept was centered on 'redefining toughness'. We aimed to make the new Hilux 'tougher' based on a much broader interpretation of that word. The message we want to deliver to our customers is embodied in our slogan for the vehicle: 'A New Era for Pickup. Every Inch a Hilux.'"

The Hilux pioneers a "new era" of easy-to-drive, stress-free toughness. At the same time, the truck is "every inch a Hilux", and can be relied on to provide the legendary ruggedness, performance, responsiveness and safety expected from the model.