The Toyota Hilux pickup receives several new trims for the 2018 model year. These include three new SR cab-chassis variants, a new WorkMate grade for the 4WD Double Cab-Chassis, and the Hi-Rider option on 2WD trucks is now offered on the WorkMate Double-Cab, SR Extra Cab, and the SR5 Double Cab. What’s more, the availability of an automatic transmission expands from 12 models to 17 models. In other words, there are now more choices for customers.

This is the first change Toyota has brought to the Hilux since the current generation’s introduction in 2016. It comes in part as a response to changing customer wants as the expectation for higher comfort levels increase, while the need for work-grade trims holds steady. In fact, Toyota saw more than 60 percent of new Hilux sales have automatic transmissions – a first for the rugged pickup.

Continue reading for more information.

Exterior

The 2018 Toyota Hilux remains unchanged on the outside. The design is only two years old, so it remains fresh. Add to that Toyota’s dominance in the pickup segment in Australia and other parts of the globe.

The truck is available in several cab and bed configurations. Popular with the boys Down Under is the cab-chassis. It is basically a bed delete package that has the truck delivered without the cargo bed or the added cost it would add. Australians love their aftermarket flat utility bed, also called a tray bed. The cab-chassis is offered with the regular, extended, and double cab variants.

Reintroduced for 2018 is the 4x4 WorkMate double cab-chassis. This version has the four-door double cab with the bed delete and work-grade interior that includes vinyl flooring. One trim level up, the SR, is also getting a cab-chassis version with the extended cab.

For those wanting a bit more pizzazz in their truck, Toyota offers several add-on accessories like side steps, brush guards, and bed-mounted roll bars.

Interior

The interior of the 2018 Toyota Hilux doesn’t technically change, either. The biggest differences include a wider availability of an automatic transmission and the vinyl flooring replacing the carpet in the SR trim. Toyota says both changes are in direct response from customer feedback. Hilux sales with automatic transmissions are quickly growing and customers buying the value-oriented SR trim have asked for the easy-to-clean vinyl floors.

The Toyota Hilux’s dashboard remains unchanged. It looks similar to the Toyota Corolla’s dash and offers a handsome touchscreen infotainment system, and driver information screen inside the gauge cluster, dual-zone climate controls, redundant steering wheel controls, power windows and locks, electronically shifted 4WD, USB ports, and leather seats. Lower trim levels come with a smaller infotainment screen cloth seats, and the like.

Drivetrain

The 2018 Hilux comes with three engines, all with four cylinders. The base is a 2.7-liter, the mid-grade engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, and the range-topping engine is a 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel. Toyota has dropped the 4.0-liter gasoline V-6 options for 2018, saying it represented less than half of one percent of all Hilux sales.

The base 2.7-liter gasoline four-cylinder is found on WorkMate singe- and double-cab trucks. It makes 164 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 181 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm.

The mid-grade 2.4-liter turbodiesel is available in the WorkMate trims. It generates 147 horsepower at 3,400 rpm. In the WorkMate trim with the manual transmission and 2WD, the engine is tuned for 253 pound-feet of torque from 1,400 to 2,800 rpm. For WorkMate double cabs with 2WD and the automatic, along with all 4x4 versions, the 2.4-liter turbodiesel makes 295 pound-feet of torque from 1,600 to 2,000 rpm.

The premium engine, the 2.8-liter turbodiesel, makes 174 horsepower at 3,400 rpm. Those mated to the manual transmission are tuned to make 310 pound-feet of torque, while those getting the automatic gearbox kick out 331 pound-feet of torque – both between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm.

Pricing

Despite the changes, the 2018 Toyota Hilux’s pricing remains mostly the same. The SR 4x4 double cab increases by $70, but other SR trims see a price drop of $80. The volume-leading SR5 trim costs $50 more but now comes with LED fog lights.

Prices for the 2018 Hilux WorkMate start at $20,990 AUD and caps out around $58,440 AUD.

The Competition

Volkswagen Amarok

The Volkswagen Amarok might not have the lengthy tenure enjoyed by the Toyota Hilux, but since 2010, the VW has made a big name for itself around the world. The truck comes in various trim, cab, and bed configurations, all mixed with several engine options. Its clean lines and high-class interior make it a popular choice among buyers.

The 2018 Volkswagen Amarok is powered by a 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel with several available tunes, including 160, 201, and 220 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard and an eight-speed automatic is optional. Rear-wheel drive is also standard, and like the Hilux, 4WD is optional.

Prices for the Amarok start at £24,510.00 ($34,536 U.S. Dollars) and crests at £33,650.00, or roughly $47,415.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Amarok.

Mercedes-Benz X-Class

The Mercedes X-Class is the newcomer to this group but is making big waves thanks to its brand recognition. The X-Class is Mercedes’ first pickup, so it’s sort of a big deal. In reality, Mercedes turned to its partnership with Nissan-Renault in developing the X-Class. In fact, the truck rides on a modified version of the Nissan Navara’s chassis and uses the same four-cylinder turbodiesels. Sadly, the part sharing continues inside the X-Class as several dashboard pieces are clearly Nissan parts-bin items. Still, the X-Class isn’t a terrible first stab into the pickup market for Mercedes.

That Nissan turbodiesel is a 2.3-liter four-cylinder twin-turbo mill making 187 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. it’s found in the X250d model. The entry-level X220d comes with the same engine but one less turbo. Its power levels drop to 161 horsepower and 297 pound-feet of torque. Both versions come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, but the X250d is offered with a seven-speed automatic. Both RWD and 4WD are available.

Prices for the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class start around $37,000, putting it well above the Volkswagen Amarok, Toyota Hilux, and even the Nissan Navara.

Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class.

Conclusion

The updates Toyota has brought to is 2018 Hilux pickup were in direct response to customer input and help ensure the pickup stays ahead of its growing competition. Now with Mercedes in the game, things are getting fierce. Of course, Toyota has a lock on the fleet and budget-friendly sector of the pickup market while Mercedes attempts to find the price ceiling.

The Hilux is a legend thanks to its “unbreakable” reliability and notoriety it found on a Top Gear episode some years back. And while it’s not offered in North America, the pickup is sold about everywhere else. It’s also Australia’s most popular vehicle, just like the Ford F-150 is America’s best-selling vehicle.

References

Toyota Hilux

Read our full review on the 2016 Toyota Hilux.

Read more Toyota news.