The Toyota Hilux (; ), stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they could be configured in a variety of body styles.
According to Toyota, the "Hilux" name is a portmanteau of the words "High Luxury"; this name means "comfortable vehicle with high technology". It was considered a luxury vehicle only when compared to the spartan, heavy-duty Stout. This was due to its additional sedan-like equipment, similar to those found in the Crown, Corona, and Corona Mark II coupé utilities available until the early 1970s.
The pickup truck was sold with the Hilux name in most markets, but in North America, the Hilux name was retired starting in the 1976 model year in favor of Pickup, and later as Truck in the 1984 model year. In this market, the popular option package, the SR5 (Sport Runabout 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 Trekker, the station wagon version of the Hilux, was renamed the 4Runner in Americas, Australia, and the Middle East, and the Hilux Surf in Japan. In 1992, Toyota introduced a newer pickup model, the mid-size T100 in North America, and the Grandlux in the Middle East, necessitating distinct names for each vehicle other than Truck. Since 1995, the 4Runner is a standalone SUV, while in the same year Toyota introduced the Tacoma to replace the Hilux in North America while the latter remains in the market in the rest of the world.
Since the seventh-generation model released in 2004, the Hilux shares the same ladder frame chassis platform called the IMV with the Fortuner SUV and the Innova MPV. Cumulative global sales in 2017 reached 17.7 million units.
First generation (N10; 1968)
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 in Japanese market specification. The vehicle was conceived by Toyota, and was developed and manufactured by Hino Motors at its Hamura Plant. 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 . The 1.5-litre engine was upgraded to a 1.6-litre inline-four in February 1971.
In April 1969, a long-wheelbase version was added to the range, followed by box van models in July 1970. 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 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 with a short bed. 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.
Starting in November 1971, final assembly of trucks for the United States market was completed by Atlas Fabricators in Long Beach, California, later renamed Toyota Auto Body California. Trucks were shipped from the factory in Japan as a cab chassis (the entire truck, less the truck bed). When the trucks arrived in the United States, a truck bed would be locally built and attached to the chassis before being sent to dealers. The arrangement was a form of tariff engineering, allowing Toyota to circumvent the chicken tax, a 25 percent tariff on imported light trucks. By only importing a chassis cab, Toyota only had to pay a 4% tariff.
Engines Global markets: 1968–1971: 1.5 L (1,490 cc) 2R OHV I4, 1971–1972: 1.6 L (1,587 cc) 12R OHV I4,
North American markets: 1969: 1.9 L (1,897 cc) 3R OHV I4, 1970–1972: 1.9 L (1,858 cc) 8R SOHC I4, 1972: 2.0 L (1,968 cc) 18R SOHC I4,
Second generation (N20; 1972)
In May 1972, the 1973 model year Hilux was introduced, designated the RN20. Nicknamed the "RokeHi" (ロケハイ), a portmanteau of "Rocket Hilux", it has a more comfortable interior along with exterior updates. A "long bed" was an option for the first time in North American markets, although such a version had been available worldwide since April 1969. This received the "RN25" chassis code. The 2.0 litre 18R engine was available in Japan as well, with a three-speed automatic transmission available as an option. The 2.0-litre automatic model managed a "gentle" top speed in a period road test conducted in South Africa, in spite of a claimed .
The Hilux was facelifted in 1975 to be larger and with increased standard equipment. In North America, the new version also meant the introduction of the larger 2.2-litre 20R engine and the SR5 upscale trim package. A five-speed manual transmission became optional. In this market, the Hilux name was fully phased out in favour of "Pickup" by that year, having been dropped from brochure, advertising and manual books, starting in 1976 model year. Some North American motor-coach manufacturers began building Toyota motor-homes from the Hilux.
Wolverine 4x4 Starting in 1975 "Off Road Marketing" in Garden Grove, California in the United States developed a four-wheel-drive system for these trucks and marketed it as the Wolverine 4x4. Toyota never offered a factory four-wheel-drive system for this generation of Hilux, Off Road Marketing outfitted two-wheel-drive trucks with all the components necessary for four-wheel-drive. While they did manufacture many of the components themselves most of the major components such as the front axle, leaf springs, and transfer case were "off the shelf" and found on the Jeep CJ and other four-wheel-drive vehicles. The front axle is a Dana 30 (the rear axle remains Toyota), the transfer case is a Dana 20, and the leaf springs are made by Cambria Spring Co. The engine offered is the 2.2-litre 20R paired to a five-speed manual transmission. These trucks were available to be purchased at US Toyota dealerships throughout the country between 1975-1979. The Wolverine ceased production when Toyota began offering a factory four-wheel-drive option in the third generation Hilux.
Global markets: 1972–1978: 1.6 L (1587 cc) 12R I4, (SAE gross, Japan), (SAE net, general export) 1973–1978: 2.0 L (1968 cc) 18R I4, (SAE gross, Japan)
North American markets: 1973–1974: 2.0 L (1968 cc) 18R SOHC I4, 1975–1978: 2.2 L (2189 cc) 20R SOHC I4,
Third generation (N30, N40; 1978)
The redesigned Hilux (marketed as Hilux California in Japan) was introduced in August 1978, with a four-wheel-drive variant introduced in January 1979. The newer model was of similar dimensions to its predecessor, but both front and rear tracks were wider. A variant with a shorter cab – identified by the thinner B-pillar – was also available, mainly for the Japanese and Asian markets. Another change was the front suspension was changed from coil springs to a torsion bar design, still with a double wishbone layout. The four-wheel-drive variant – not offered with any engines smaller than the 2.0-litre "18R" – featured some common technology with the larger Land Cruiser. Its front axle was a live, leaf-sprung design unlike the more car-like type used on rear-wheel drive Hiluxes (this suspension setup was retained for base four-wheel-drive N100/110 models until 1997). The L series diesel engine was offered on the rear-wheel-drive variants from September 1979 and also on the four-wheel drive variants beginning in October 1981. The N40 chassis was also available as a double cab body style starting in October 1981. It has thinner C-pillar, similar to the short cab variant.
The Australian market originally received the 1.6-litre 12R engine in rear-wheel-drive models, while four-wheel-drive models have the 2.0-litre 18R-C engine with . These were all built on the longer-wheelbase, with either pickup or cab chassis bodywork. Top speed of the Australian Hilux four-wheel-drive was .Boyce, p. 175
Production of the N30/40 Hilux stopped in July 1983, but some rear-wheel-drive variations – 1.6-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel – continued production for the Japanese market in parallel with the next generation models. In August 1985, the diesel engine was replaced by a larger 2.4-litre 2L unit, exclusively for the LN41 long-wheelbase model.
In the North American markets, the Hilux (known as the Pickup) also saw the use of four-wheel-drive. This new four-wheel-drive setup featured a gear driven RF1A transfer case. This transfer case is unique in that its low-range reduction portion can be replicated, using what some refer to as a dual or triple transfer case. This results in a much lower overall gear ratio. It was the first Hilux available with an automatic transmission in that market. The double cab body style was never offered in the United States and Canada until the Hilux was discontinued in these markets in 1995.
In 1981, a vehicle development agreement was established between Toyota, Winnebago Industries and two other aftermarket customisers. This was to allow Toyota to enter the SUV market in North America. The vehicles which resulted from this collaboration were the Trekker (Winnebago), Wolverine, and the Trailblazer (Griffith). All three used the Hilux four-wheel-drive RV cab and chassis, and an all-fibreglass rear section (the Trailblazer had a steel bed with a fibreglass top). Research and development work on the Trekker led to the development of the 4Runner/Hilux Surf, which was introduced in 1984.
Toward the end of the SR5's production run (1983 model year), Toyota introduced the luxury Mojave trim for the United States market as a limited-production (3,500 units) model with options not available on any other Toyota pickup. With a list price of , it had bucket seats, two-speaker multiplex radio, chrome front and rear bumpers, and deleted Toyota logos on either the grille or the tailgate. Cruise control, power steering, and air conditioning were optional. It was powered by the SR5's standard inline-four engine.
In Thailand, this model was sold as the Toyota Hilux Super Star.
Engines 1978–1983: 1.6 L (1,587 cc) 12R SOHC I4, at 5,200 rpm and of torque at 3,000 rpm (RN30/40, Japan), at 5,200 rpm (Europe) 1981–1983: 1.8 L preflow, 4-speed manual (Australia), 1978–1983: 2.0 L (1,968 cc) 18R SOHC I4, at 5,000 rpm and of torque at 3,600 rpm (1983 European specifications) 1978–1980: 2.2 L (2,189 cc) 20R SOHC I4, at 4,800 rpm and of torque at 2,400 rpm 1981–1983: 2.4 L (2,366 cc) 22R SOHC I4, at 4,800 rpm and of torque at 2,800 rpm 1979–1983: 2.2 L diesel I4, at 4,200 rpm and of torque (SR5 long bed only in the United States), LN30/40
Fourth generation (N50, N60, N70; 1983)
The August 1983 redesign (sold as 1984 model year vehicles in North America) introduced the Xtracab extended cab option, with of space behind the seat for in-cab storage. The R series engines were phased out for Japanese and international models in favour of the Y series engines. Two L series diesel engines were also offered: a 2.2-litre L and a 2.4-litre 2L. In Japan, the older rear wheel-drive N30/40 Hilux continued its production until the end of this generation, positioned as the cheapest model.