2019 Toyota Hi Lux Popular in WA
October 2, 2019
Categories:
instant asset write off
new hi lux
2019 Toyota Hi Lux How good is it?
Steve Sell 02/10/2019
I must declare that I have bias toward Toyota Hi Lux.
Over the years and over many different Hi Lux models I have had huge amounts of fun and adventure in a Hi Lux.
2019 Toyota Hi Lux keeps on going.
From the beach and sun through to mountains and snow the Hi Lux has always been reliable and dependable and got us home safely.
Ever reliable and nearly bullet proof.
The Hi Lux comes with a great diesel engine, that has proven to be strong and extremely reliable.
The 2019 Hi Lux tows well.
It comes in two-wheel drive or the ever popular 4WD.
The 4WD is very good off-road.
The Hi Lux comes in a large range of models.
One of the most popular options is the dual cab, as it can be used as a work horse, recreational vehicle and family car.
see www.wacars.com.au for a huge range of quality late model used Toyota stock.
www.loans123.com.au can help with competive finance options designed to suit your needs.
What body styles are there?
The Hi Lux comes in:
34 variants for the Australian market.
Single Cab, Cab chassis or factory tub, Extra-Cab and Double-Cab variants.
A cab-chassis Hi Lux lets you fit the tray of your choice, this can include a myriad of styles and designs to suit your requirements.
You can order an Extra-Cab or Double-Cab as either a cab-chassis or a Pick-Up.
The extended Extra-Cab models can seat four.
Double cabs have a conventional four-door arrangement with seating for five.
The Hi Lux comes as a two-wheel drive vehicle (driving just the rear-wheels), or with dual-range and part-time four-wheel drive.
Dual-range gearing allows you to drive comfortably at very slow speeds off-road. Part-time 4WD allows you to drive all four wheels on slippery or soft surfaces off-road, but not on normal sealed roads.
The 2WD models come with standard ride height or as Hi-Rider versions that have the extra ground clearance and underbody protection of the four-wheel-drive models.
The Hi Lux is classified as a Light Commercial Pick-Up/Cab-Chassis.
What are standard features Hi Lux?
Bluetooth phone connectivity combined with voice recognition.
This is controlled from the steering-wheel.
Cruise control.
Pre-collision safety system which includes forward collision alert, autonomous emergency braking, high-speed active cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assistance and road sign assist.
A reversing camera, to help you see behind the vehicle when reversing.
On cab-chassis models, this is an accessory that you have to be fitted with the tray.
Daytime running lights, which make the car more visible on overcast days.
Air-conditioning.
All Hi Lux have tilt and reach adjustment for the steering wheel, this helps you to find the most comfortable driving position. The exception to this is the 2WD single-cab working trucks don’t have this.
Seven airbags: two directly in front of the driver and front passenger; one alongside each front occupant to protect the upper body; a curtain airbag along each side to protect the heads of front and rear occupants; and an airbag in front of the driver’s knee to help prevent leg injuries.
Electronic Stability Control, which can help the driver to control a skidding car.
This is mandatory on new passenger cars but not light commercial vehicles like the Hi Lux.
Electronic Traction Control, which helps the car maintain drive on slippery surfaces. This is especially helpful with the 4WD models in slippery or difficult terrain.
All Hi lux models come with Toyota’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty and capped price servicing.
What features can I get at extra cost?
A 7 “touch screen replaces the 6.1” screen of the Workmate models.
Toyota Link lets you connect a compatible mobile phone for data transfer.
Sound systems in most SRs have a few more speakers, for a total of four in SR Extra Cabs and six in SR Double Cabs.
Hi Lux SRs with 4WD have a rear differential (Diff) lock.
This helps to maintain drive in difficult, slippery or rough off-road conditions.
Downhill assist automatically controls the brakes to maintain a constant slow speed when negotiating steep descents that allows the driver to maintain control.
The Hi Lux Rugged, has more aggressive front end styling and come with 17-inch ‘Tough’ alloy wheels, a steel bulbar, rear steps, towbar and trailer wiring harness, rear recovery points, side rails, black side mouldings and snorkel, sports bar and tub liner.
The Rugged has interior features such as satellite navigation, digital radio (DAB+) and all-weather floor mats.
Other SR5 cabin features include satellite navigation, a 220-volt outlet for fast charging of laptops and the like, and climate control (which will maintain a set cabin temperature) and carpet on the floor. Rear air vents were fitted to SR5 4WD Double Cabs from October 2017.
Hi Lux SR5s also look very flash, and different from Workmate and SR models, thanks to lashings of chrome in places such as the front grille, door handles and rear bumper. There is also a chromed sports bar behind the cabin. Tubs and tailgates on SR5s are smooth-sided, rather than carrying the external tie-down hooks and rails of the Workmates and SRs.
Completing the different look, SR5s get shiny, 18-inch aluminium-alloy wheels. Headlights are self-levelling, long lasting LED units, and the daytime running lamps and fog lamps are LED also.
For a more upmarket feel, the SR5+ 4WD Double Cab adds-leather seat trim and a power-adjusted seat for the driver.
If you want even more features, the SR5-based Hi Lux Rogue adds a more aggressive front-end with bespoke grille design, integrated fog lights, new-look 18-inch alloy wheels, tow ball and tongue, trailer wiring harness, sports bar with tie down points, hard tonneau cover and marine-grade carpet tub liner.
The Rogue also has leather interior and is only available with automatic transmission.
The Rugged X is also based on the SR5, but has additional external features to it and the Rogue including 17-inch ‘Tough’ alloys more suitable for off-roading, LED light bar, front and rear recovery hooks, side rails, snorkel, black wheel arch and side mouldings and tub-liner. www.wacars.com.au for one of the best selections of quality used Toyota vehicles in Perth Western Australia.
How comfortable is the Hi Lux?
The Hi Lux dashboard is more car like than a commercial vehicle’s,
Even the Workmate models get a tablet-like touchscreen.
The buttons and controls are clearly labelled and easy to use.
The tilt and reach steering adjustment (on all but the 2WD single cabs) is a great inclusion for a ute.
The diesel engines and the V6 petrol are strong, powerful and smooth.
The diesel engines are quieter than many of its competitors.
The automatic gearbox changes smoothly.
It is the best choice with the diesels and the only choice with the V6 petrol.
What about safety in a Toyota Hi Lux?
The Hi Lux has a five-star independent crash test rating.
With seven airbags, electronic stability control, trailer-sway control and a reversing camera, all Hi Luxes have excellent safety.
The good news is that even the less costly single-cab 2WDs don’t scrimp on safety compared with the more expensive models, missing out only on the SR5’s auto-levelling LED headlights.
In mid-2019 Toyota introduced its Safety Sense driver assistance package to all Hilux versions, which includes a pre-collision safety system with day and night pedestrian detection and day cyclist detection. The system uses camera and radar sensors which detect a possible collision and reacts with visual and audible warnings, braking assistance or if the driver fails to heed the warning.
Safety sense also features high-speed active cruise control lane departure alert with steering assistance, and road sign recognition that displays the current speed limit.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) awarded current Hi Lux models five stars, its maximum safety score, in September 2015.
The Hi Lux has long-travel suspension, especially at the rear, and has very effective off-road tuned electronic traction control.
This is combined with excellent underbody protection.
Load and Towing
The Hi Lux is very good at towing.
How much you can carry depends on which Hilux you get.
Fewer seats in the cab means more length in the tray and more weight you can put there because there’s less weight in the cab.
The SR5 Double Cab four-wheel drive is the Hi Lux with the smallest load capacity and can carry 740kg in the tray as well as a driver and passenger, and still be legal. The other variants can carry more.
Some variants of the Hi Luxe are rated for braked trailers of 3500kg.
These are the variants or models that have the 2.8 diesel motor combined with a manual gearbox and are four-wheel-drive.
The more popular Hi Lux models with the 2.8 diesel and automatic transmission are rated to tow 3200kg.
This would easily let you tow a 20-foot tandem-axle caravan, or a double horse float carrying two large horses.
Other models in the range are rated lower, some as low as 2500kg.
The Hi Lux tows this load well and is stable on the road due to the strength of its well proven chassis.
The 2.8 diesel is up to the task.
It is quieter under load than other diesel engines in this class of vehicles.
When will the Hi Lux be updated?
The current Hi Lux was updated in late 2015 and Toyota don’t plan on replacing it until about 2025.
2019 Toyota Hi Lux.
Rogue, Rugged and Rugged X
April 2018 saw the introduction of three new variants to the Hi Lux range.
Toyota named them the Rogue, Rugged and Rugged X and all feature additional equipment and enhanced styling features.
Rugged and Rugged X twins, and the Rogue is designed to be a more up market and luxurious offering than the SR5 and has revised bumpers, new alloy wheels and some interior upgrades.
All three models were developed in Australia, to suit Australian conditions and to meet the demands of our tough Aussie terrain, roads and tracks.
In mid-2019 Toyota introduced “Safety Sense” driver assistance package to all Hilux versions, this includes a pre-collision autonomous emergency braking, a high-speed active cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assistance, and road sign recognition that displays the current speed limit.
Source: Toyota Australia. Personal observations and impressions. Steve Sell 02/10/2019
Photos:Toyota Australia and www.wacars.com.au
