Test drive Toyota Hilux
На Сахалине тест-драйв новых пикапов Toyota вызвал ажиотаж, сравнимый с приездом Aerosmith в Москву… В Углегорске три дня нет воды, а на всем Сахалине – рыбы, нормального кофе и, за редким исключением, асфальта. Зато здесь полно «Тойот», и мы были бы очень органичны, не выдавай в нас чужаков левые рули. У местных жителей тест-драйв пикапов Toyota Hilux восьмого поколения, ради которого в бухте Тихая отстроили целый палаточный городок, вызвал ажиотаж, сравнимый с приездом Aerosmith в Москву. Но если в столице никто не пытался купить Стива Тайлера по сходной цене, то островитяне готовы были забрать за наличные и палатки, и новые японские «дабл кэбы». Еще бы – первый Hilux не сдавал полномочия долгие девять лет.
That the tents, that the pickups looked smart and modern - alien concepts for the island, where the roads are covered with gravel mixture, when it touches the wheels of a car, exploding in clouds of opaque impenetrable dust. The usual situation here, when an oncoming lane flying into a frontal attack emerges from the veil, made it possible to discover that the Hilux desperately lacks steering sharpness - one of the few symptoms that it remained itself, a solid and intractable frame truck. By commercial transport, with 30% of corporate sales.
As I always believed, the Universe could have only two reasons to put me behind the wheel of a pickup truck, especially after the experience of five years ago with the UAZ Pickup, at the sight of which compassionate Muscovites showed me the nearest metro entrance. First, if I suddenly wake up as a Texas redneck, I'll throw my gun in the back and go campaign for Bush Jr. The second - if I really want a large frame SUV, but I will not have the money for it. As it turned out, there is a third, the most commonplace - my job. A business trip to Sakhalin, apparently by analogy with local roads, was covered with a veil of secrecy. We did not know for certain neither the purpose of the trip, nor the destination - only that it was more than eight hours to fly from Moscow. And here I, by and large, happened to be by accident, since I am neither a jeeper, nor an experienced pickup truck. Maybe it's for the best, because the Japanese were so eager to make Hilux not only an attractive option for its loyal customers, but also a "normal car" in the understanding of a new audience, which previously could not imagine buying a pickup truck. Here's a new audience for you, has arrived. Impress.
Hilux looks convincing. As you know, a pickup truck is good looking only if Matthew McConaughey agrees to ride in it, and here Toyota worked effectively: an aggressive front end to match the American Tacoma, LED headlights (low beam - in expensive trim levels, LED running lights - in simple ones), chrome-plated exterior elements. If in the last generation direct stamping triumphed, and plastic expanders were blown away for the visual volume, now everything is for real - convex wheel arches, embossed doors, a massive front bumper. Improved and such little things as the location of the rear view camera. Previously, the "peephole" was cut somewhere to the side of the tailgate handle and gave the impression of "garage tuning", but now it is integrated directly into it. Of course, not only for beauty - the design of a car should be an expression of its functionality. In this case, centering the element helped to achieve a more comfortable viewing angle.
Inside, the pickup is also modern and in some ways even goes beyond its class. For example, the screen on the dashboard, between the speedometer and tachometer, is colored - no one else in the segment has this. Instead of a slot for the ignition key, there is a start / stop button to the right of the steering wheel, and the key itself, heavy and impressive, does not look ashamed. The hand-out lever was replaced by a round switch, located right there, under the engine start button. Leather seats, leather upholstery of the steering wheel - otherwise, plastic rules the ball, but everything is done soundly and neatly, the interior is qualitatively drawn and executed. The shape of the front seats and their functionality have also changed - the permissible seat height has increased by a centimeter, the range of its adjustment has also increased, and the seat cushion has become longer. Lateral support is somewhat lacking, but this is, rather, the segment's costs. The back row has become more spacious, which is important for a "double cab", and the seats here do not fold down, but up - to the cab wall and there they cling to the hinges. Hilux has increased in width (+20 mm to 1855 mm) and in length (+70 mm to 5330 mm), while in comparison with the previous generation it is lower (-35 mm to 1815 mm), but the wheelbase has not changed - 3085 mm ... With an increase in size, the Toyota pickup now has the longest platform in its class at 1569 millimeters.
The role of touchscreens in the global automotive industry and in pickups is worth mentioning separately, since the fashion for them has reached the trucks - a bright 7-inch touchscreen is now issued from the center console of the Hilux, left and right of which are the touch keys for navigating the menu. So, this, of course, is a tempting wrapper for potential buyers and undoubtedly a convenient option for switching the radio station at a traffic light in Maryino, but throughout Sakhalin there was about one place where it was possible to get to the right of the drawn buttons the first time - this is, in fact, Yuzhno -Sakhalinsk, where there are flat roads with asphalt. At the same time, the Japanese can be understood - again, the desire to attract a new audience and make a completely "passenger" salon in "Haylax", like in the incredibly popular crossovers in this decade. And all the necessary functionality is duplicated on the steering wheel.
The interior is an important difference between the eighth generation Hilux and its predecessor, which at one time also looked quite bright on the outside, but depressing inside, and perhaps this is the best interior in the segment. But the most powerful advantage of Hilux for those who have not met him before is the suspension. Flying along the Sakhalin gravel road at a speed of over 100 km / h, not noticing the potholes, pits and steps that mark the transition to a rare piece of asphalt and back, is a childish delight, supported by excellent sound insulation. And this despite the fact that the test took place on A / T off-road tires, which are now installed by default in the Standard and Comfort versions. The Prestige package is unlikely to be bought exclusively for hunting and fishing, Toyota reasonably suggested and installed civilian rubber on it.
The creators of the new Hilux have reinforced the frame, which is 20% stiffer with thicker crossbars, redesigned brackets and the use of new materials. Also, the attachment points of the springs and shock absorbers have been changed, and the springs themselves have been increased in length by 100 millimeters. At the front, as before, there is an independent double wishbone suspension. The Japanese faced a difficult task - to make the Hilux competitive in comparison with neighboring segments both in terms of handling and comfort, without losing its main advantages - carrying capacity, cross-country ability and, most importantly, indestructibility. At first glance, they succeeded. By default, there is rear-wheel drive, on a dry road you can only use it, since the front end is connected rigidly, but the pickup tenaciously holds the trajectory and never made us regret that the test was not in winter - on a slippery road, thanks to the new temperature overheating sensor front differential, let's say 4H mode. The springs do not emit unnecessary sounds, even with an empty body, the Hilux does not "goat" excessively, and the complete absence of breakdowns instills a feeling of absolute fearlessness. Though this Hilux hasn't blown up Jeremy Clarkson yet.
Along with the new Hilux, new diesel engines also came to the Russian market. Instead of the KD family, the GD (Global Diesel) series will now be installed on Toyota SUVs. In the case of the Hilux, two options are available - 2,4 liters and 2,8 liters. The first option is available only with “mechanics” and we didn’t have it on the test, and the second one with a 6-speed automatic transmission, also new for Toyota. At first glance, the 2,8-liter engine did not go far in power from its three-liter predecessor (+ 6 hp to 177 hp), but the maximum torque increased to 450 Nm at 1600-2400 rpm, which is 90 Nm more than KD-series. The number of fuel injection stages has increased from three to five, making it not so hard to work, and the design of the turbine has also been changed. Again, to reliability - a timing chain is used here. In addition to greater efficiency, the new engine is also much quieter - it sounds like a city, and not like in a truck stop, there are much less diesel vibrations. But miracles don't happen. Overtaking, typical for the track at high speed, is difficult for the heavy Hilux with a 177-horsepower engine. Yes, and it’s not his job - it’s much more fun not to bypass the boring string of trucks, but to cut the road. Through the forest.
It is important that Hilux, in striving to enter other strata of society, did not forget about its roots. Sooner or later the day will come when someone important will say: “Hey, all the fords have dried up long ago and the beavers have fled. Here's a mono-body pickup with an electric motor and eight bike racks, ”but the world hasn't gone completely crazy yet. It's still the same frame SUV, and its off-road performance has evolved too. First, the already high ground clearance has become even more - from 222 to 227 millimeters. Secondly, the Hilux now has a hard-lock rear differential by default. The underrun is now positioned higher, just behind the bumper, and the wheel articulation is increased - on the left by 20%, on the right - by 10% - and is now the same, 520 mm each, on both sides. Finally, the underbody protection has been reinforced. In addition to the active traction control A-TRC, which distributes the torque between the wheels when necessary, the uphill and downhill assist systems are available.
A narrow path, muddy after the rains and turned into a muddy mess with a knee-deep track, with several fords on the way, is a familiar road to the dacha for the locals, and when we drove past another garden, we were surprised to see a parked Toyota car there. Most likely, its owner drove there on dry land and, since the weather on Sakhalin changes almost every day, he was held hostage by the mudslide. For the Hilux, however, the only problem in this area was the optional tow bar, which scooped up some Sakhalin land on a sharp climb, but as we drove through another mud bath, thoughts about the winch exercise and how to be with the touch screen did not let go .
For hardcore offroaders, fishermen and hunters, much of what the new Hilux has to offer is still useless. Toyota offers them the most affordable trim level, with a 2,4-liter diesel engine and manual gearbox, which starts at $ 20. The maximum version, "Prestige" with a 024-liter diesel engine and automatic transmission, costs already $ 2,8, but it is still cheaper than conventional SUVs. But do not forget that any pickup is, first of all, a designer. Boxes, mounts, body liners, protective pipes - 26% of Hilux pickups are bought with accessories.
The registration certificate of Hilux still says "cargo-onboard". Carrying capacity of up to 1 ton allows "Haylax" to cross the Third Transport Ring, but entering the "cargo frame", which is now being tested in the VAO of Moscow, threatens its owner with a $ 66 fine. Unlike the Moscow City Hall, it turned out to be much easier to convince me that the Hilux is quite a passenger car. Or a truck, but "normal" in the opinion of those who previously refused to perceive pickups as cars for life and family. Normal cargo.
And the fish will return to Sakhalin. It's all about the bad weather, the locals say.
“Okay, okay ... Be careful, there is a step behind the ford, take it to the left ... Let's go ... Gaza! Gas! Gas! " - the leader of the column breaks into the radio. We are storming the old Japanese road, in some places similar to a real jungle, on the updated Toyota Land Cruiser Prado - the second reason why we were invited to Sakhalin.
Externally, Prado has not changed - the update consists of a new, the same as that of the Hilux, a 2,8-horsepower diesel engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Prado also has an RCTA parking assist system, which warns the driver of vehicles in blind spots, and a new interior option with dark brown leather.
Not enough for an update? We also thought so, and then looked at the reaction of the Sakhalin residents and had to take our words back. The updated Prado attracted almost more local attention than the Hilux, and the interest was quite substantive - when it goes on sale, how much it costs, where to buy it. This is all the more surprising, since many people here still prefer to bring cars from Japan. By the way, Prado will now be transported from the same place - its production in Vladivostok has been curtailed.
