Bangkok post : 2015 Toyota Hilux Revo review

2015 Toyota Hilux Revo review
15 Jun 2015 at 03:30
It's now a well-known fact that many Thais use pickups just like ordinary passenger saloons or SUVs. Rather than a
means of transporting pineapples, such workhorses usually accommodate merely people and their personal addenda.
This is one reason why Isuzu unashamedly tunes its highly popular D-Max with car-like driving characteristics,
including a soft suspension and easygoing steering set-up.
Mazda also acknowledges this trend by giving its current BT-50 a very happy-looking, if controversial, face. And
unlike its Ford Ranger sibling, the BT-50 has a more comfort-orientated chassis.
Toyota has now become the latest pickup manufacturer to assert these car-like attributes with its new-generation
Hilux, now also known as Revo rather than Vigo in Thailand. It's a serious confirmation coming from the country's
best-selling vehicle brand.
Take the Revo's appearance as a good example, whose front-end design now closely resembles that of the Corolla
compact saloon. Yes, it's a hotly discussed topic among pickup buyers because the Revo, like it or not, doesn't
necessarily look cool from all angles.
While the Revo's face and distinguished rear-door window pane design are key differentiators from the outgoing Vigo,
the rear end simply looks too similar — or bland when compared to its multitude of competitors.
It's satisfying, though, once you jump into the Revo's cabin, especially when it comes to the range-topping version as
tested here this week. The visual aesthetics and ergonomics the fascia has to offer is a quantum leap over its
predecessor and far better than in most rivals.
But don't let those door panels or dashboard plastics mislead you into thinking they are the soft-to-touch type —
they're hard on your fingers. That's quite a pity because the steering wheel and gearknob is nice to hold onto, as well
as when operating the air-con controls and dash-mounted display.
Such a fancy cabin is the result of Toyota listening to Thai customers, unlike buyers in other countries that are less
demanding of how pickup interiors should feel and look like.
It feels very car-like when taking the helm of the Revo, in which the driving position is quite low, although the
adjustments for the steering and seat have a relatively wide scope for a pickup.
The Vigo barely had any problems when it came to passenger room which is why the Revo sits on the same
wheelbase. It may not be as commodious as in the Ranger or BT-50, but all passengers will find sufficient comfort in
the Revo.
Fascia design is lavish by pickup standards.
Power and Eco modes are novelties.
And when you go for this top-of-the-line model, there's an unrivalled amount of passive safety features: five head
restraints and three-point seatbelts, plus seven airbags in the cabin.
The amount of convenience features is also generous and somehow justifies the 1.139 million baht price — the
highest yet to be found in the Thai pickup market.
In a bid to make the Revo as comfortable as possible on the move, Toyota has tuned the suspension with
passenger-carrying ability rather than cargo-hauling capability in mind.
As a result, the Revo has a comfortable ride quality when compared to most competitors. And the good thing is that
the setting isn't overly soft as in the Isuzu D-Max.
In fact, this is the first time that pickup distributors of Toyota around the world can choose from three settings. Other
markets usually prefer the firmer type because pickups, after all, are supposed to be workhorses and not saloons.
This is also another area where the Thai Toyota office now has enough leverage with its parent firm when it comes to
development of pickups. Other local agents of Ford, Mitsubishi and Nissan don't have as much say because most of
their production (Ranger, Triton and Navara) are for export.
Has the comfort-orientated suspension upset the Revo's handling properties, you might ask? A real-world driving test
reveals that the Revo strikes a rather good balance between handling and ride.
Toyota has also given the Revo a more relaxed steering feel when compared to its predecessor, which had a quicker
rack for incisive on-road handling but overly snappy turn-in during off-roading.
You can feel the extra vagueness the Revo's steering has in corners, where you will always be finding yourself
needing to apply more lock. This means that the Revo won't beat the Ranger when it comes to sheer handling or
driving fun factor.
At least the Revo's overall driving characteristics feel more resolved than in most of its competition. As a double-cab
with recreation in mind, it's probably the right balance.
What's impressive is cruising refinement. The Revo has good external noise suppression when compared to its
opposition. Combined with the composed ride, you could say that the Revo is the most comfortable four-door pickup
around to sit in and drive.
The new diesel engine is another facet worth praising. Rather than joining the power craze some other brands are
stuck in, Toyota has sensibly resorted to improving the tractability of its diesel engine.
The downsized 2.8-litre unit may only be slightly more powerful than the older 3.0-litre unit, but it has significantly
more torque — and achieved at lower rpm.
In layman terms, the Revo feels more responsive at low to medium speeds when compared to the Vigo and its rivals.
Overtaking others on the highway and driving up mountain roads also feel more effortless.
Actually, the way the Revo's engine responds to the driver's desires is very much like in the Vigo. Whether the motor
is more refined now is open to debate; at least it wasn't an issue in the past.
You can bring more life to the engine by pressing the Power mode or stick with green credentials in Eco — features
yet to be found in the Revo's opposition. And for the first time for a Toyota pickup, the Revo has manual shift.
Dash-mounted display is easy to use.
Rear space is ample, if not the best around.
Diesel engine has good low-end response.
You can feel the extra cog Toyota has added to the automatic transmission. When in sixth gear at 120kph, the revcounter reads less than 2,000rpm. Toyota isn't discussing actual fuel consumption figures, but only says there's a
10% improvement.
One thing they confirmed, though, is that CO2 emissions won't exceed 200g/km. That means that the Revo won't be
affected by the new excise tax system starting next year. So any rumoured increase in price will merely be a matter
of Toyota's own choice in doing so.
So, how does the Revo fare as a million baht pickup in range-topping form? If you're looking for a pickup that comes
closest to what a saloon or SUV offers, then the Revo is certainly it.
The Revo may defy some pickup convention which might matter to some people. But when it comes to Thai
consumer behaviour, Toyota seems to have responded quite effectively.
The Revo has comfortable road manners to stand out in its class.
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