Toyota HiLux SR5 2020 Review

The Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 dual-cab ute is priced from $55,240, while the auto version we’re testing here adds $2000. Any colour other than white costs a further $600.

So what you’re looking at in these photos is $58K before you add on-road costs (although there are plenty of deals around). What you’re buying is a four-door, five-seat ute with go-anywhere ability and substantial towing and carrying capability. It’s a versatile package that obviously appeals to plenty of Aussies.

The SR5 used to be the flagship of the HiLux line-up until the Rugged, Rugged X and Rogue triple-banger arrived in 2018, adding more cost and choice at the top of the range.

What you get here is a well-known quantity that’s remained fundamentally the same since the eighth generation arrived in 2015. The engine was new, being a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder that makes 130kW and 450Nm as a six-speed auto (the six-speed manual is limited to 420Nm).

It drives via a part-time 4x4 system that includes rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive high-range and low-range. Off-road traction control, hill descent control and a locking rear differential complete the package.

The HiLux is based on a ladder frame, uses a double-wishbone front-end, leaf springs at the rear, hydraulic-assist steering and a disc/drum brake set-up.

For what was recently the flagship of the range, the SR5 isn’t exactly over-endowed with gear. The seats are cloth rather than leather, the driver’s seat has no power adjustment, the air-conditioning is single-zone and there’s no liner or cover for the tub.

Like all Toyota HiLux models there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. Instead, for your sins, you have to put up with Toyota Link. There’s no sign of a digital speedo either.

What you do get includes LED headlights, 18-inch alloys, a stainless steel rear sports bar, tow bar, smart entry and start, 7.0-inch touch-screen with sat-nav and a digital radio, six-speaker audio and a cooler box.

Logical 4x4 dual-cab rivals for the SR5 include the Ford Ranger XLT, Mitsubishi Triton GLS, Nissan Navara N-Trek and various Volkswagen Amaroks.

You can also chuck in the Isuzu D-MAX and Mazda BT-50 but – like the HiLux itself – they are both due for replacement in coming months. The upside is there will be attractive deals for all three models during their run-out.

The Toyota HiLux SR5 is backed by a five-year/unlimited km warranty. Service intervals are unfashionably short at six months or 10,000km. At least they are pretty cheap initially, costing $250 each out to three years or 60,000km. It starts climbing after that.

The Toyota HiLux SR5 received a big boost in mid-2019 when it was upgraded with a family of driver-assist systems dubbed Toyota Safety Sense.

The key addition was autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a feature common in passenger vehicles but is only now becoming more widespread in utes.

Proper AEB detects obstacles on the road ahead, warns the driver and then jumps on the brakes and pulls the vehicle up if necessary. Some systems – including some offered by Toyota – only slow the vehicle down.

Not in this case. HiLux AEB operates from 10-180km/h if a collision with a vehicle is detected ahead and 10-80km/h in the case of pedestrians and cyclists (in daylight).

Other parts of TSS include adaptive cruise control, which operates at 40km/h and above, lane departure warning and road sign assist.

All this helps bump the Toyota HiLux up to a maximum five-star 2019 ANCAP rating.

Other safety gear includes seven airbags, traction and stability control, a reversing camera and lap/sash seatbelts for all five passengers.

So let’s crunch some of the key numbers when it comes to the Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 dual-cab auto.

The 1GD-FTV inline four-cylinder is a double overhead cam 16-valve engine with chain drive, common-rail direct-injection and a variable-nozzle turbocharger.

It makes 130kW of power at 3400rpm and 450Nm of torque over 1600-2400rpm. The claimed fuel consumption average is 8.4L/100km, but in the real world – without towing, carrying heavy loads or spending much time stuck in heavy traffic – we saw 9.8L/100km.

What has to be reported at this point are the issues the 1GD-FTV has encountered in Australia with both its diesel particulate filter (DPF) and dust leakage past the air filter.

Toyota says it has fixed the DPF problem – which causes excessive smoke and impacts performance – with a manual activation switch, but that’s not stopped a class action representing disgruntled Toyota owners.

Toyota has played down the ‘dusting’ issue, which forces the engine into limp-home mode and switches off safety features like stability control without warning. It says the fault impacts only a tiny percentage of vehicles used consistently in dusty environments such as mine sites.

The SR5 auto weighs in at 2045kg, has a 955kg payload, a 3000kg gross vehicle mass, a 5650kg gross combined mass and a 3200kg braked towing capacity. The manual version hits the 3500kg figure many HiLux rivals achieve.

In the tub there is 1109mm between the arches, which means it can’t carry an Aussie 1165x1165mm pallet.

It’s not hard to see why the Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 dual-cab attracts a strong buying audience. A test drive round the block from the local Toyota dealer would shows off some of its biggest strengths.

In development there was a real emphasis for this generation of the HiLux was making it more car-like. An obvious way that is expressed is via the quietness of the cabin. Plenty of sound deadening keeps diesel engine clatter under control.

Then there’s the ride and handling. Leaf springs and rigid rear axles impose some limitations on ride quality but the SR5 does an acceptable job of not getting too bouncy on corrugations when not carrying a load.

There’s also a certainty to the steering that’s reassuring. It goes where you point and that’s pretty much the same story whatever ute your drive … maybe Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok owners might dispute that.

Get on to slippery dirt roads and the SR5 appreciates 4x4 high-range. It just helps secure the rear-end that bit better.

Get seriously off-road and the HiLux is really capable. It has the 4x4 system, ground clearance, underbody protection and wheel articulation to do well.

The SR5’s engine is a solid rather than inspiring performer. When you consider the Ranger Bi-Turbo and Amarok V6 can be had for the same money, it really does drift into the background. It does get a fillip when power mode is engaged.

The engine works well with the auto, which will change down gears to assist with engine braking and even to slow the vehicle to keep it at its set cruise control speed. Hitting the power button on the centre console also means shorter gears are held longer, which aids acceleration. Go for the Eco mode and everything becomes a bit stodgy.

There’s decent space up front for passengers and OK space in the rear (some others utes are more spacious). The middle-rear seat is the short straw and for short people. The seats are quite generous in their size and the rear seat flips up to reveal storage cubbies underneath.

Storage options are plentiful up front, where there’s even two gloveboxes. There is only one USB outlet though.

Which brings us to the infotainment system. The way it works by stabbing at small buttons on the screen and what it offers makes this an obsolete set-up. It needs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for starters. A redesign of the head unit would also help.

The Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 dual-cab proves the biggest sales don’t always mean the best vehicle.

It’s a good operator around town where many examples will ply their trade. It’s also bloody impressive in the rough stuff off-road.

But it also costs plenty, misses out on plenty of gear and has had those unfortunate engine gremlins and infotainment issues.

If you want one now and can haggle a good deal, the Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 dual-cab is a great all-rounder.

But if you’re prepared to wait a few months and pay top dollar, the upgraded model will bring more power, better infotainment and greater towing capacity, so maybe that’s the SR5 to wait for?

How much does the 2020 Toyota HiLux SR5 4x4 dual-cab auto cost?
Price: $57,240 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 130kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 223g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)