Toyota Hilux

The Toyota Hilux is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although they could be configured in a variety of body styles.

The pickup truck was sold with the HiLux name in most markets, but in North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck. In North America, the popular option package, the SR5 (Sport Rally 5-Speed), was colloquially used as a model name for the truck, even though the option package was also used on other Toyota models, like the 1972 to 1979 Corolla. In 1984, the Toyota Trekker, the camper version of the Hilux, was renamed the 4Runner in Venezuela, Australia and North America, and the Hilux Surf in Japan. In 1995, Toyota introduced a new pickup model, the Tacoma, in North America, thus discontinuing the Hilux/Pickup. The 4Runner is now a full SUV, and the more recent models of the Hilux are separate in appearance from the Tacoma.

The Hilux started production in March 1968 as the RN10 in short-wheelbase form with a 1.5 L inline-four engine, generating a maximum power output of 77 PS (57 kW; 76 hp) in Japanese market specification. In Japan, it was available at the Toyota Japan dealership retail chains called Toyota Store and Toyopet Store. The modification to the engine was enough for a claimed top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). The 1.5-litre engine was upgraded to a 1.6 L inline-four in February 1971.

In April 1969, a long-wheelbase version was added to the range. The short-wheelbase version also continued in production for many more years. The long-wheelbase version was not sold in the North American market until 1972, allowing the Datsun Truck to maintain a strong market presence. The Hilux was offered as a replacement to the Toyota Crown, Toyota Corona, and Toyota Corona Mark II based pickup trucks in Japan, as the Crown, Corona, and Corona Mark II were repositioned as passenger sedans.

In spite of the name "Hilux", it was a luxury vehicle only when compared to the Stout. The Hilux was engineered and assembled by Hino Motors to replace the earlier vehicle that the Hilux was derived from, called the Briska in the niche beneath the larger and older Stout – it replaced the Stout fully in some markets. For the North American market, the only body style was a regular cab short bed and all were rear-wheel drive. It used a typical truck setup of A-arms and coil springs in front and a live axle with leaf springs in back. A four-speed manual transmission was standard. More details