Road Test: Toyota Hilux Legend 45

Toyota Hilux Legend 45 driven in 2015

Toyota Hilux Legend 45 road test in South Africa

The fact that the Toyota Hilux Legend 45 was launched in South Africa late 2014 does not mean it qualifies as a new car. Toyota’s success has been recently recognised by several special editions; in the time since the Hilux Legend 45 there has been another colour/sticker/scuff plate update with the Hilux Dakar Edition. On a global scale, leaked pictures of a newly conceived model mean even the Dakar version won’t be around for too long.

Toyota is famous for rushing out these limited edition models which guarantees that demand trickles in. Actually trickling is a grossly unfair measure; besides a brief month where the Toyota Hilux was outsold to a much fresher Ford Ranger, year on year it continues to be South Africa’s best-selling bakkie.

When confronted with the Toyota Hilux Legend 45 that is a statistic worth remembering because first impressions are of a slightly tech-ignorant, beleaguered bakkie that sells purely on reputation. However against the current trend of chrome plated grilles and stretched headlights or warped tail lights, we must confess that it still looks every bit a champion workhorse. Muscular, strong, dependable. Every adjective you want to associate with a workhorse that has been a local favourite for 45 years.

The Hilux Legend 45 paraphernalia has brightened it somewhat and although our test car was the top-spec double cab 4×4 with the 3.0-litre turbodiesel, the specification can be applied to a total of 13 different variants. Anthracite alloys, stainless rear step, stainless nudge bar, side steps, tow bar, smoked tail lights and a new fog design.

Changes have occurred on the inside with black leather and silver stitching around the seats, steering wheel and gearlever. A reverse camera is a highly useful inclusion. The steering wheel, despite satellite controls, doesn’t adjust for reach but driving position is typical bakkie fare with the long and heavy gear lever being another utilitarian reminder. The dashboard is logical and you can pull on things and bump them in the heat of off-roading without fear of changing the radio station and never getting it back.

And therein is the appeal that is so far embedded in the Hilux’s genome. There are other bakkies that offer better car-like refinement and innovative features that turn cell phones into objects of military sophistication or thumb prints to unlock hidden menus but in doing so they forfeit some of that ruggedness.

The Hilux Legend 45 still comes with engine displacement that stokes your ego, carbon emissions equal to its ground clearance, a dealership network that you can’t lose sight of, strong resale and a successful motor racing heritage. Around town the Hilux Legend 45 begs for softer and lighter controls but there are few bakkies I’d want to own for the next 45 years – even if we’re painfully aware it’s no longer class leading.

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