Earlier this yr, famend chef and automotive fanatic James Martin revealed his favorite motor on the planet – the Toyota Hilux.

James is enthusiastic about automobiles and boasts a group – that features a Ferrari, Bentley and Subaru Imprezza – price round £5m. So it is honest to say he is aware of what he is speaking about when he names his favorite.

The Toyota Hilux has been round in some type or one other since 1968 and within the 57 years because it has seen service world wide as a workhorse.

Within the UK, the place it has been on sale since 1972, it was actually propelled into the general public consciousness when  Prime Gear tried and did not destroy a fifth era mannequin in 2003 after which efficiently took a seventh gen automotive to the magnetic North Pole in 2007.

Movie star possession, Prime Gear legend standing and rugged dependability have cemented the Hilux’s recognition among the many British populous.

As Toyota releases the ninth era, one which incorporates an all electrical model, I took an eighth era automotive for a spin to see the way it feels on the highway in comparison with a few of its rivals.

With a selection of spec accessible, I went for the Invincible X 2.8 Double Cab model of the Hilux in Titan Bronze. Powering this £40,270.83, two-plus tonne car is a 2.8 litre (2,755cc) in-line four-cylinder engine.

The 204bhp energy unit drove all 4 wheels by way of a six pace guide transmission with two engine modes. Accompanying the engine modes – energy and eco – and serving to the Invincible X to drag 3.5 tonnes is an immense 420Nm of torque.

Accompanying the large pulling energy is in fact a large load bay, very similar to opponents such because the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, which means the rear house can carry simply over a tonne of weight.

The Hilux can obtain a 0 to 62mph time of simply over ten seconds and onto a high pace of 109mph and obtain a gasoline economic system determine of between 28mpg and 35mpg.

Slip into the Invincible X variant of the Hilux and also you’re met by a conflict of automotive traditions previous and new.

Whilst you have the three pedal arrange on the ground and a flyaway handbrake to your left, you’re additionally met with the brand new de-rigueur touchscreen in the midst of the dashboard.

Nevertheless, whereas this display screen is refreshingly smaller than these on different manufacturing automobiles and comes with its personal accompanying array of buttons, its extra display screen dependent than different methods from rivals such because the aforementioned Isuzu D-Max.

One such instance of that is turning off the lane help, one thing I used to be unable to work out do within the week I had the Hilux. Not that this precipitated a lot hassle, nevertheless, it was simply barely irritating. In any other case, the inside had variety of cubby holes and trays for all of the accoutrements of each day life.

On the highway the Toyota Hilux is a pick-up truck. While that was apparent from the photographs, what I imply to say is that one ought to naked in thoughts the character of physics and what the Hilux is for. It’s not designed to set lap instances or take corners as flatly as the most recent hyper saloon.

With that in thoughts, the Hilux is an amicable driving companion with the need of adjusting gears your self including an additional layer of driving engagement.

This mixed with the engine in its energy mode makes the unladen Hilux really feel sprightly out of gradual corners because it leaps enthusiastically to the problem of accelerating you ahead. The steering too is refreshingly partaking and you’ve got some concept of what’s happening beneath the entrance wheels and thru the rear ones too.

With all fashions coming with selectable four-wheel drive, slipping the Hilux into two-wheel drive provides you much less understeer and thus extra management by way of the doorway and center of a nook.

The place the Hilux differs from its rivals is that it’s somewhat stiffly sprung and tends  to really feel a bit ‘bouncy’; this isn’t a car that likes being pitched totally right into a nook, however then once more if you happen to’re searching for a car to that with you shouldn’t be wanting to buy a pick-up within the first place.

Total, it’s a tidy dealing with truck and one which stands up effectively to rivals, even when I did discover one specific a part of the driving expertise a bit irritating.

One of many options the Hilux comes with is computerized excessive beam activation. What this implies is when it reaches a sure stage of ‘not being gentle’, the excessive beams on the Hilux come on. This sounds all effectively and dandy, however not once you’re driving by way of city and enter patches of decrease gentle between streetlights.

Getting into a well-liked seaside city to go to household I discovered the excessive beams continuously dipping on mechanically. This would possibly sound like a minor factor, however once you’re spending each three seconds making an attempt to show the lights off it will get somewhat tiresome. Solely a small electrical downside positive, however perhaps one occasion the place driver is aware of higher than the pc.

Total, if you happen to’re searching for a pick-up truck that’s dependable, laborious sporting, effectively geared up, and difficult the Hilux needs to be in your checklist. Regardless of the odd operational irritation, throughout my week with the truck, it was simple to see why it has survived into its now ninth era. 

Verdict: 7.5/10

So, what does James Martin consider his Hilux?

When James Martin was interviewed by SL.Man about his Hilux he stated: “I’ve bought a Toyota Hilux pickup truck that I completely love – you possibly can chuck every little thing in it and it’ll go endlessly All my mates take the mick: ‘So you have bought all these automobiles, however you drive round in a pick-up truck?’”