Toyota Hilux pickup review (2023)

Still trying to decide which Toyota Hilux to buy? Then maybe the following individual model reviews will help you make up your mind:

• Toyota Hilux GR Sport review - tested February 2023
• Toyota Hilux Invincible X 2.8D manual review - tested May 2021
• Toyota Hilux Invincible 50 special edition review - tested March 2019
• Toyota Hilux Invincible X automatic review - tested February 2019
• Toyota Hilux Bruiser AT35 review (opens in new page)

And if you're in the market for a new pickup truck make sure you read our comprehensive pickup comparison page, where every model on the market is compared and rated.

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Toyota Hilux GR Sport 2.8 review

Tested February 2023 by Tom Webster

• Visual and specification upgrades for range topper
• Bespoke suspension, sports bar in load bay, sports seats
• Only offered with double cab and 2.8-litre diesel engine

Every pickup truck has to have an all-out lifestyle model these days, and Toyota has embraced the opportunities afforded by its GR Sport performance badge to create this range-topping model.

While this isn’t a full-on performance model, as has happened with the likes of the GR Yaris, it has been given more than just a set of badges and upgraded seats.

What does the Hilux GR Sport get over the rest of the range?

Although there might be more eye-catching upgrades, the GR Sport’s suspension is perhaps the most significant feature. It gets new shock absorbers and new front springs, with the aim being to provide better damping and faster response. This should then give a better reaction when driving over tough ground conditions. The front springs have been stiffened, too, while the shock absorbers are painted red to better stand out.

The rest of the additions are cosmetic, with the front grille the one you’ll spot first. It gets a bespoke ‘G-pattern’ design, has larger fog-light surrounds, and has ‘Toyota’ emblazoned in big letters where the badge usually sits. It’s certainly eye-catching, but whether it is to your taste or not is a personal decision. Not everyone in the office loved it when we had one in.

The wheels are 17-inch alloys, which is comparatively small by modern truck standards, and they are clad in all-terrain tyres, suggesting this is geared up for off-road speed more than on-road cruising.

Elsewhere, the loading bay features a chunky sports bar that doesn’t serve any real practical purpose but looks quite striking. You can have this removed free of charge if you want to fit a load-bay cover or hard top though.

Spec is based on the Invincible, but there are a few extra bits of kit, such as the JBL sound system and navigation, heated front and rear seats and an around-view monitor.

LED lights, dual-zone air conditioning, hill descent control and an automatic limited slip differential complete the offering.

What is the Toyota Hilux GR Sport like inside?

Inside you get a pair of front sports seats clad in black leather and synthetic suede and finished with red details and stitching. There are also GR Sport logos aplenty, on the seatbacks, floor mats, starter button and the information display. It’s finished off with a touch of carbon-fibre style detailing and a red line across the width of the cabin. It’s subtle upgrading rather than in-your-face performance imagery.

These seats offer a little more side support on the base cushion, which is handy should you need more stability during fast cornering, but the raised edges can be a little uncomfortable when getting in and out. Given the way one gets into a pickup, by climbing up and sliding in, this can take a little negotiating.

The JBL system is not the most modern looking setup these days. The graphics aren’t the sharpest and while you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the connection is restricted to an older USB cable and the small screen means you don’t get it in its full glory as you do on bigger setups.

What is the Toyota Hilux GR sport like to drive?

For the main part, the GR Sport is largely like any other Hilux. The big 2.8-litre diesel engine is the match of any existing pickup rival and provides a decent slug of power and performance without being really quick.

You only get an automatic gearbox, which is rather old school in its approach, with its changes feeling considered rather than fast and snappy. Like the engine this feels appropriate in a vehicle that isn’t really designed to hare about swiftly.

If you are jumping into the GR Sport expecting a totally different experience in terms of ride quality then we don’t have great news for you unfortunately. The ride certainly isn’t much smoother than the standard model, likely down to those stiffer front springs.

Instead, given the claimed faster response rate, the GR Sport feels set up for flying down tracks or across fields in greater comfort. With the best will in the world, this is not a day-to-day occurrence so the majority of the time you won’t feel the benefit. Granted this is a similar approach taken by the Ford Ranger Raptor, but that is a very different beast, and offers enhanced ride comfort when you’re on the road too.

How much does the Toyota Hilux GR Sport cost and should I buy one?

We love the Toyota Hilux, and think that the more powerful engines and well-equipped trim levels only add to its appeal. The GR Sport feels like a slight step too far though.

In the grand scheme of things it is not a huge step up in terms of price versus the previous range topper, the Invincible X, but you don’t necessarily get a better vehicle – the Invincible X is a great truck.

Pricing is set at £40,891, which is just over £1,800 more than the Invincible X. With a sensible head on it is hard to justify the upgrade.

Toyota Hilux Invincible X 2.8D manual review

Tested May 2021 by Tom Wiltshire

• Range-topping Hilux 2.8D tested
• Bespoke look and beefy new engine
• But a manual gearbox as standard

The Hilux remains strong and stable in a pickup market that’s dwindling in variety. Soon Toyota will only have the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and SsangYong Musso to compete with for sales, but these are all tough rivals in their own ways.

But recently updated with a particularly beefy 2.8-litre engine, the Hilux entered 2021 with a new lease of life – and we’ve tested the range-topping Invincible X to see if the changes have had much of an effect.

What’s changed in the facelifted Hilux?

Well, there was a refreshed look across the range, giving the Hilux a new face that while not exactly attractive is at least bold. The main change is a huge trapezoidal grille, while depending on the trim level you also get new LED lights front and rear plus a variety of new alloy wheels.

There’s a new 2.8-litre diesel engine – more on that lower down – plus a range of chassis and suspension mods that aim to improve the truck’s handling both on and off the road.

What’s different about the Invincible X?

Invincible X is the top of the range, and the most expensive model, excluding special editions and the more bespoke Arctic Trucks examples.

It gets a look that’s all its own, with a unique front bumper, grille and underbody skid plate, plus over-fenders for the wheel arches and a bespoke tailgate. Plus 18-inch alloy wheels.

As the priciest Hilux it’s also the best-equipped – coming standard with Toyota’s touchscreen infotainment system with built-in sat-nav as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s ambient lighting for the interior, leather upholstery, and a high-end JBL sound system that does a pretty good job of drowning out the engine.

What about that engine, then?

The new 204hp 2.8-litre engine feels like the unit that this Hilux should have had from the beginning. The old 2.4-litre (which continues in lower-spec models) always felt muscular at the low end but ran out of puff at higher speeds, making it great for hard work on a farm or a building site but less ideal for long motorway runs.

With most double-cab pickups performing double-duty as family cars, on-road manners are every bit as important as off-road capability. And that’s where the additional punch of the new engine makes itself best-known. It feels very muscular indeed – not outright fast, like the old V6 VW Amarok or Mercedes-Benz X-Class did – but with more than enough in the mid-range to make merging onto fast-moving roads effortless and to give it a surprising turn of pace off the line.

It’s not a quiet engine, but that’s not really to be expected when 2.8-litres of capacity is shared among a mere four cylinders. However, it settles down to a refined grumble at speed, and though there’s a degree of vibration through the gear lever and pedals at idle it disappears when you’re underway.

Speaking of the gear lever, we tested the six-speed manual model. This actually has reduced torque compared with the automatic, with 420Nm versus 500Nm, so despite being a useful degree cheaper (£1,500 at the time of writing) it wouldn’t be our choice.

The manual also suffers with quite a high clutch, making it a bit of an exercise in frustration in slow-moving traffic. That’s in addition to a huge slug of torque right from standstill, which no doubt makes getting a trailer moving effortless but also means it’s quite difficult to set off smoothly when you’re not loaded.

The six-speed auto is slightly slower (0-62mph in 10.7 seconds, versus 10.1 in the manual) but for the more relaxing drive it would be our preferred option.

Still, even with the added capacity and power, the new engine is barely any less efficient than the old 2.4. On a long run of mostly A-roads and motorways we found it displaying around 33mpg, which is right at the top end of the official WLTP figures. This was lightly loaded, however – expect lower figures if you’re making use of the truck's full payload capacity or towing.

How does it handle?

Reassuringly well for a big, heavy vehicle. The Hilux feels a bit more commercial than the very car-like Ford Ranger, but generally speaking it’s comfortable, especially once you get up to speed.

There’s some bouncing and lumpiness to the initial ride that can be felt around town, though, making it feel harsh at low speeds.

Despite improvements for the facelift, the steering is still rather slow and not geared towards fast cornering, but the front end doesn’t feel at all vague. It’s only bested by the Ford Ranger in this regard.

What’s the cabin like?

Our Invincible X model made a good first impression with its comfortable yet hardwearing leather upholstery and electrically-adjustable driver’s seat. Our 6’2 tester did need the seat in its rearmost position, though, so make sure you take a long test drive if you’re particularly long in the leg, in case you can't get comfortable.

The Invincible X comes with Toyota’s latest Touch 2 infotainment system, which includes a built-in sat-nav. Unfortunately this is still a ways behind the competition in terms of ease-of-use, with unattractive, labyrinthine menu systems and a touchscreen that looks dim and low-res, and feels unresponsive compared to the best.

The built-in nav is fairly poor, too, proving ineffective at routing around traffic jams. Luckily, Toyota has finally seen sense and included both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which allow you to plug your smartphone into the USB port and let it power navigation, music and media, and telephony. We suspect this is how most owners will use it.

They’ll be able to take advantage of the rather excellent nine-speaker JBL sound system, which has more than enough boom in it to drown out the wind and road noise you get in a bluff-fronted pickup.

Otherwise, build quality is excellent throughout, and the controls are largely well-sited and chunky enough to easily press on the move or while wearing gloves. An exception are the steering wheel buttons, which are rather crowded, and the awkward cruise control stalk.

The twin gloveboxes are a nice touch but the manual model lacks a secure spot to hold a smartphone, while the door bins are a bit pokey, too. There’s also only a single cupholder as opposed to the twin cupholder you get in the auto. Rear legroom is only average but the doors of the double-cab model open wide enough to make access fairly simple.

How much does the Toyota Hilux Invincible X cost and should I buy one?

It’s a big truck with a big price tag, and arguably Invincible X trim is only a cosmetic upgrade, Certainly equipment-wise most people would be happy with the plain Invincible or even the Icon, though the latter does miss out on LED headlights and is stuck with the 150hp 2.4-litre engine.

The X is even more expensive when you consider our recommended automatic gearbox adds a further £1,500 to the price tag, leaving the total at a chunky £41,195 (£39,695 for our manual model).

If you can do without the stylish additions or fancy stereo, you’ll save a useful chunk of cash – the Invincible is just over £4,000 cheaper than the X. That’s probably the sweet spot of the range. But you wouldn’t be judged for paying the extra for the Invincible X’s badass looks.

Toyota Hilux Invincible 50 review

Tested March 2019 by CJ Hubbard

• Limited edition celebrates 50 years of Hilux
• Arctic Trucks suspension and bodywork mods
• Great looks – but how’s the performance?

Say whatever you like about the limited power output of the engine, Toyota can sure turn out a mean-looking version of the Hilux when it puts its mind to it.

The version we’re driving here is pretty special, however – a limited edition called the Invincible 50, it celebrates 50 years since the Hilux first went on sale, and has been put together in partnership with Arctic Trucks.

What’s special about the Hilux Invincible 50?

Just look at it. Finished exclusively in metallic black, the Invincible 50 is based on the regular Hilux Invincible double cab model, but festooned with unique additional detailing to make it stand out.

Most obvious are the four multi-LED spotlights mounted on the double-hoop sports bar behind the roof, but the 16-inch satin-black alloy wheels are bespoke to this model, too, as are the BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres.

Less immediately apparent from a distance are the enlarged wheel arches and raised suspension – both the work of Arctic Trucks, using Bilstein high-performance shock-absorbers – but once you get up close it’s clear this Hilux stands taller than regular models in the range.

Either way, it’s not hard to be certain it’s an Invincible 50 you’re looking at, as the thing is absolutely covered with Invincible 50 badging; from each of the spotlight surrounds to the alloy wheel centre caps to the numbered plaque on the centre console and the badges all over the exterior, the logo is everywhere.

Buyers also get a bed liner, Arctic Trucks mud flaps, rear parking sensors and – perhaps most important of all – retro-style Toyota tailgate lettering.

What kind of Arctic Trucks conversion is fitted to the Invincible 50?

In 2018, Toyota began selling Hilux AT35 Arctic Trucks conversions direct from its dealership (see our drive of the Hilux Bruiser show car for an example of what this is like) – but it turns out the Invincible 50 isn’t one of these.

Instead, although Toyota doesn’t say so explicitly, it is in fact a slightly more subtle AT32 conversion, similar to the one available on the Nissan Navara.

This means the Invincible 50 features smaller wheels and a less extreme suspension lift, and requires only modest wheel arch extensions – though these still look good, and neatly feature a badge telling you the tyre pressures, which looks suitably bad ass even when parked outside a supermarket.

And although it isn’t as extreme as the AT35, the suspension is still raised 40mm at the front and 20mm at the rear, resulting in increased axle articulation and improved approach and departure angles.

Put this together with the Hilux’s standard-fit four-wheel drive system and you’ll be able to tackle some pretty challenging off-road obstacles without too much difficulty.

What’s the Invincible 50 like to drive?

As is often the case with pickups that have been given the Arctic Trucks treatment, it’s an improvement over the standard product in some respects but doesn’t help the Hilux’s weakest area.

The Bilstein dampers aren’t super squishy, so the 50 still feels a little firm – compared with a regular car – but does have less of the usual jittery you get from a pickup. It retains its composure in the corners and feels, well, invincible when faced with a bit of light green laning.

The increased ground clearance may be modest, but with all the other accessories it stands tall enough that other road users give you plenty of respect – if you’re after a pickup with an imposing appearance, you could do a lot worse than this one.

The only real issue for us is the lack of outright power. There’s enough torque – 400Nm 1,600-2,000rpm – to get the truck rolling, but acceleration is not impressive on the standard truck. The larger, heavier wheels of the Invincible 50 only make this worse.

Still, you do get the six-speed automatic transmission as part of the package, so at least you don’t have to stir the manual gearbox to encourage this Hilux to get up and go.

Any changes on the inside?

Aside from the numbered plaque it’s standard Hilux Invincible inside. Full details of standard kit are listed in the main review above.

How much does the Toyota Hilux Invincible 50 cost and should I buy one?

Limited to just 50 examples, the on-the-road VAT inclusive price is £39,995 – around £2,700 more than the next most expensive Hilux. Not a bad deal for the exclusivity and the extra kit.

The price excluding VAT is £33,329.

You could buy a V6-powered VW Amarok for similar cash and get a lot more performance. But it wouldn’t look this good…

Toyota Hilux Invincible X automatic review

Tested February 2019 by CJ Hubbard

• Range-topping Hilux with unique front bumper
• Lots of standard kit including sat-nav and parking sensors
• Same 150hp 2.4-litre diesel; automatic gearbox only

The Toyota Hilux Invincible X sits at the very top of the standard Hilux pickup range. We have to insert ‘standard’ as a qualifier, as you can buy an Arctic Trucks modified Hilux direct from a Toyota dealer these days as well; the Hilux AT35 is more expensive than the Invincible X, but also a much more specialised purchase, with full-on off-road tyres, suspension and bodywork modification.

Unless you need this stuff, the Invincible X is a better choice, with loads of standard kit and a less fretful driving experience – which is to say, it fits down most city centre streets without making you involuntarily breathe in...

Besides, the Invincible X stands out in other ways. It’s the only Hilux to get this bluffer front bumper treatment for starters, somehow making the pickup look significantly more premium and bringing it further into line with the design of Toyota’s passenger cars.

Keeping this bumper just for the Invincible X, rather than facelifting the entire Hilux range, is a deliberate ploy to make the range-topper instantly identifiable. In other words: you’ve bought the best, and everyone will know it at a glance.

Aside from the bumper, what else is different about the Toyota Hilux Invincible X?

As the name suggests, the rest of the truck is largely based on the Hilux Invincible – but you do get a good amount of extra standard equipment.

For example, inside the cab – which is already among the most distinctive in the pickup sector, thanks to its tablet-style touchscreen – you get an all-singing, all-dancing sat-nav infotainment system, black leather upholstery and heated front seats complete with electric-adjustment on the driver’s side.

On the outside there are new chrome sidebars with integrated steps for front and rear passengers, a silver-coloured scuff plate up front, and parking sensors at the rear.

The Invincible X is also only available with the automatic gearbox; the regular Invincible can be bought with a manual transmission as well.

What’s the Hilux Invincible X like to drive?

There are no performance enhancements or suspension changes for the Invincible X, so this really is all about the looks.

As with every Hilux, the ride comfort is a pleasant surprise – like the VW Amarok, this is quietly remarkable given the use of leaf springs on the rear axle – and engine refinement is impressive. This is not a noisy truck.

However, also as with every Hilux, this is not a fast vehicle. With just 150hp from its 2.4-litre turbodiesel, the Toyota is one of the least powerful pickups on sale now – and though it will still tow 3.5-tonnes, acceleration even unladen is decidedly leisurely.

And that’s despite the X’s standard-fit automatic gearbox shaving half a second off the official 0-62mph time; 12.3 seconds still isn’t very fast in a pickup world where 258hp V6 versions of the Amarok and the Mercedes-Benz X-Class exist.

This probably won’t be the best Hilux choice if you need to do off-roading, incidentally, as both the side steps and that new front bumper will reduce the pickup’s ability to clear obstacles.

Is the Toyota Hilux Invincible X good value?

At the time of writing, the difference between the X and the regular Invincible automatic is over £3,200 (excluding VAT). You’re really going to have to want that front bumper for it to be worth it, we feel, as that’s the only element that can’t be added to the standard Invincible via the options list.

And no shame if you do. The Invincible X certainly looks a more premium machine precisely because of that front end change.

Should I buy a Toyota Hilux Invincible X?

Want the best Hilux available for mostly on-road driving?  Then the Invincible X is certainly it. We like the way it looks on the outside and in the cab, and certainly appreciate the quiet and comfortable way it drives.

As ever, the engine’s actual performance is a disappointment, however. Especially when you could get a 204hp Amarok V6 automatic (admittedly in a lower specification) and still have change from this Hilux’s £31,046 ex. VAT asking price.

All prices correct at time of writing.