WINDHOEK – For over 45 years, 13 million Toyota Hilux pick-ups have been forging trails around the globe from the Arctic tundra to the deserts of the Kalahari. This unstoppable vehicle has earned the highest trust and admiration for its off-road capabilities, endurance and overall ability.
And now, to celebrate 45 years of ‘bundu bashing’ excellence, Toyota South Africa is pleased to announce the introduction of the aptly named Legend 45. Applied to 100 percent of all Raider (high spec) production, this value-for-money, special edition 45 package is available in 4×2 Raised Body and 4×4 formats and across all variants – Single Cab, Xtra Cab and Double Cab. In total there are 13 different Legend 45 model variants.
Distinguishing it from the rest of the Hilux range, the Legend 45 gets new headlamp and front fog lamp design with black-out detail; smoked tail light design, stainless steel front nudge bar, stainless steel rear step bumper, exclusive Legend 45 badging for the nudge bar, side decals and tailgate, colour-coded door handles with chrome finish mirrors. The vehicle comes either as a 2.5 D-4D, a 2,7 VVTi, a 3.0 D-4D or the top of the range 4.0 litre V6 that produces 175 kW at 5 200 rpm and has a torque rating of 376 Nm at 3 800 rpm.
Who can forget the BBC Top Gear’s episode where it took an elderly 1988 diesel Hilux with over 305 000 km on the clock and subjecting it to all sorts of physical abuse. The mechanical torture consisted of driving it down a flight of steps, scraping buildings, crashing headlong into a tree, being washed out to sea, submerging it in the swirling water for four hours, driving it through a garden shed, dropping a caravan onto it, clobbering it with a wrecking ball, setting it on fire and, finally, placing it on top of a multi-story apartment block before unceremoniously setting off a controlled explosion which imploded the entire building.
Indeed in the words of Glenn Crompton, vice president of Marketing for Toyota SA Motors: “Hilux is the Corolla of the light commercial world and its worldwide success is by no means accidental. Evolutionary progress through the generations has produced a vehicle with the ideal combination of superlative off-road driving manners, car-like refinement, plus rugged workhorse credentials. More than perhaps any other Hilux generation, this seventh iteration has seen numerous, successive improvements throughout its life, each of which has enabled the model to consistently exceed consumer needs and assure its place right at the top of the sales charts. It’s undoubtedly the purest distillation of toughness and versatility you’ll ever find in pick-up and, best of all, it’s rooted in the guiding principles of Toyota’s QDR (Quality, Durability and Reliability).”
By Felix Tjozongoro