Toyota Hilux 48V helps rejuvenate Mzansi’s favourite bakkie

The Toyota Hilux might be as old as the hills now, but it still leads South Africa’s sales race. Not only as the country’s number selling bakkie, but also as the outright best-selling vehicle period.

This speaks volumes about the loyalty that people have for the Toyota badge and Hilux in particular. And most of this is because of the unbeatable reputation the bakkie has for reliability and resale.

Let’s not mince our words here. Compared to the newer, more modern, Ford Ranger and VW Amarok, the ride quality and technology of the Toyota Hilux are not top of the charts in this type of company. This said, there is an all-new Hilux that should break cover in the next few years and I have no doubt these things will be suitably addressed.

48V system sparks new life into Toyota Hilux

But the current Toyota Hilux feels bakkie like on the road and you are still having to plug in cables to charge your smartphone and access Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in an era of big digital screens, wireless charging and connectivity.

Staying on the topic of ride and drive quality, the addition of a small lithium-ion battery under the seat of the Toyota Hilux Raider 48V that offers exactly what the badge says. That is 48 volts of electrical assistance adding 12kW and 65Nm spurt of power and torque to the existing 150kW and 500Nm on offer from the tried and tested 2.8 GD-6 powerplant.

This change has seen the Toyota Hilux go from nowhere with slow, 12-second 0-100 km/h type runs, when we road tested it earlier this year, to being right in the ballpark near the top of the performance charts along with the already mentioned Ford Ranger, VW Amarok and Isuzu D-Max too, with runs that have come down into the 10s.

Overtaking time reduced

This type of data gives an owner bragging rights at the traffic lights. But what was of more importance to us on our little family break to Dinokeng was overtaking ability and fuel consumption. Here the Toyota Hilux Raider 48V did not disappoint once again. The controlled 60 – 140km/h roll on acceleration times as tested earlier this year, dropped by almost three seconds, which is impressive. But it’s the translation into the real world that counts more when you know that you will be spending way less time on the wrong side of the road and out of danger when it comes to overtaking slower moving traffic.

ALSO READ: Toyota Hilux 48V’s clever hybrid system put to the test

As for fuel consumption, one of the other significant advantages of the 48V technology on board the Toyota Hilux Raider 48V is its impact on fuel consumption by the fitment of a stop-start system. This allows the engine to be switched off for longer than a typical internal combustion engine when stopped in traffic, while the engine idling speed is reduced from 720 to 600rpm.

When decelerating, the motor generator recovers braking energy, contributing to a natural braking feeling and making driving easier. By making generous use of speedo cruise, we managed to stay in the mid 8.0-litre per 100km region throughout the week we had our Toyota Hilux Raider 48V. For a fully loaded 4×4, I think this number is more than acceptable.

Dashing new looks

Ticking all our boxes for a comfortable and easy-going holiday trip thanks to eight-way power seat adjustment on the driver’s side, auto up/down function on all the windows, push start, smart entry and Multi-Terrain Select married to a six-speed auto box, what might have gone unnoticed is that all Raider grades gain a new front-end visual refresh. It includes a redesigned front bumper, honeycomb mesh grille, and newly designed fog lamp bezels. Other new design elements include black side mirrors and door handles and rear bumper and tailgate handle. It marks a discernible departure from the previous chrome accents.

The 2.8 GD-6 4×4 Toyota Hilux Raider AT 48V retails for R866 000. It comes standard with a nine-services/90 000km service plan and a three-year/100 000km warranty.