Celebrity chef James Martin has a car collection worth £5m but recently said that one car stands out above the rest of his motoring group
Earlier this year, famed chef and car enthusiast James Martin unveiled his favourite car in his collection – the Toyota Hilux. James has a passion for cars and owns a collection worth around £5m – including a Ferrari, Bentley and Subaru Impreza.
The Toyota Hilux has been a staple since 1968 and over the past 57 years, it has served as a reliable workhorse worldwide.
In the UK, where it’s been on sale since 1972, it was thrust into the limelight when Top Gear attempted and failed to destroy a fifth-generation model in 2003, before successfully driving a seventh-gen car to the magnetic North Pole in 2007.
Its celebrity ownership, legendary status on Top Gear, and rugged reliability have solidified the Hilux’s popularity among Brits.
As Toyota launches the ninth generation, which includes an all-electric version, I took an eighth-generation car for a test drive to see how it compares to its competitors on the road.
Specifications
With various specs to choose from, I opted for the Invincible X 2.8 Double Cab version of the Hilux in Titan Bronze. This £40,270.83, two-plus tonne vehicle is powered by a 2.8 litre (2,755cc) in-line four-cylinder engine.
The 204bhp power unit propels all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission with two engine modes. Alongside the engine modes – power and eco – and aiding the Invincible X to haul 3.5 tonnes is a whopping 420Nm of torque.
Of course, accompanying this massive pulling power is a huge load bay, similar to rivals like the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, meaning the rear space can carry just over a tonne of weight.
The Hilux can clock a 0 to 62mph time of just over ten seconds and reach a top speed of 109mph, while achieving fuel economy figures between 28mpg and 35mpg.
Interior
Step into the Invincible X variant of the Hilux and you’re greeted by a mix of old and new automotive traditions.
While you have the traditional three-pedal setup on the floor and a flyaway handbrake to your left, you’re also faced with the now-standard touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard.
However, while this screen is refreshingly smaller than those on other production cars and comes with its own set of buttons, it’s more screen-dependent than other systems from competitors like the aforementioned Isuzu D-Max.
A case in point is turning off the lane assist, something I couldn’t figure out how to do during the week I had the Hilux. Not that this caused much trouble, however, it was just slightly annoying.
Otherwise, the interior boasted a good number of cubby holes and trays for all the bits and bobs of daily life.
Driving
On the road, the Toyota Hilux is unmistakably a pick-up truck. While that might be clear from the photos, it’s important to remember what the Hilux is designed for.
It’s not built to set lap records or take corners as sharply as the latest high-performance saloon.
With this in mind, the Hilux proves to be a pleasant driving companion, with the need to manually change gears adding an extra layer of engagement to the driving experience.
Combined with the engine in its power mode, the unloaded Hilux feels lively out of slow corners, eagerly rising to the challenge of propelling you forward. The steering is also surprisingly engaging, giving you a sense of what’s happening under the front wheels and through the rear ones too.
All models come with selectable four-wheel drive, and switching the Hilux into two-wheel drive reduces understeer, giving you more control through the entrance and middle of a corner.
The Hilux sets itself apart from its competitors with its rather stiff suspension and a tendency to feel a bit ‘bouncy’; it’s not a vehicle that enjoys being thrown aggressively into a corner, but then again, if that’s what you’re after, you shouldn’t be considering a pick-up in the first place.
Overall, it’s a well-handling truck that holds its own against rivals, even though I found one aspect of the driving experience slightly frustrating.
One problem
One of the features the Hilux boasts is automatic high beam activation. Essentially, when it gets to a certain level of darkness, the Hilux’s high beams switch on.
This might sound like a great feature, but not so much when you’re driving through town and encounter patches of lower light between streetlights.
During a trip to a popular seaside town to visit family, I found the high beams kept switching on automatically. It may seem like a minor issue, but constantly trying to turn off the lights every few seconds can become quite tiresome.
It’s only a small electrical glitch, but perhaps one instance where the driver knows better than the computer.
Christopher’s Verdict
In conclusion, if you’re in the market for a reliable, durable, well-equipped, and robust pick-up truck, the Hilux should be on your radar. Despite the occasional operational annoyance, my week with the truck made it clear why it has endured into its ninth generation.
Verdict: 7.5/10.
What James Martin said
When quizzed by SL.Man about his Hilux, James Martin revealed: “I’ve got a Toyota Hilux pickup truck that I absolutely love – you can chuck everything in it and it will go forever All my mates take the mick: ‘So you’ve got all these cars, but you drive around in a pick-up truck?'”.
