Bakkie sales leader gains limited edition version
REVIEW | Toyota Hilux Raider X is for the fans
Last year there were many unique expressions of the double-cab genre joining the market. From releases such as the latest Ford Ranger Raptor to the Isuzu D-Max AT 35, local buyers in want of a statement-making bakkie had options.
Towards the end of the year, Toyota launched the Hilux Raider X. The model is not a hard-core, pumped-up, range-topping pick-up in a similar vein to the other two mentioned above. Instead, it proposes a little more exclusivity to the buyer who would have been considering the standard Raider.
You might be a bit underwhelmed if you were expecting additional suspension enhancements or more power. Best light a candle for the prospect of a fully-fledged Gazoo Racing (GR) Hilux model, to address those ambitions. The upgrades applied to the Raider X are entirely cosmetic. That includes 17-inch, bi-tone alloys with a diamond-cut finish, black plastic fender extensions with red detailing, a chrome inset bar on the front grille, rear styling bar, integrated tonneau cover and lastly, Raider X badging. Observers do notice the tweaks and overall, the model looks sufficiently different to the average Raider.
Stylistically, the current Hilux is by no means a wallflower. Although its peers have taken on fresher design identities, the tough appearance of the vehicle still looks right for the category. From its scowling facial expression to its pyramid-shaped rear lighting clusters, everyone recognises a contemporary Hilux. One wishes more had been done to enliven the cabin, however. Apart from a subtle Raider X motif down by the shifter-lever, there is nothing else to reflect its status as a (mild) limited-edition model. Although the Raider X is unlikely to leave you slack-jawed over its specific enhancements, driving the model again was a great refresher on what makes the Hilux so admired in the first place. We should start with build quality.
Every fixture and element of switchgear feels very tightly screwed together, without a single rattle to take note of. This was something a faithful Hilux owner mentioned to us in conversation recently. How, after five years, his car remained rattle-free – and that he could not say the same for the other double-cab in his fleet. Conventional rotary dials, a basic infotainment system and coarse surfaces means the cabin of the Raider X is firmly on the utilitarian side of life. But those who put a double-cab to workhorse applications undoubtedly appreciate this sense of durability. The Raider X is sold exclusively in 2.4 GD-6 4x4 flavour, but buyers can choose between manual or automatic, both six-speed units. We had the latter. With 110kW and 400Nm, the well-proven motor has a stout feel.