FIRST DRIVE: Toyota Hilux Legend 55

Toyota is introducing a new ninth-generation Hilux sometime next year, but it says something about the strength of the brand that the current Hilux is still SA’s best selling vehicle by a wide margin despite the current generation being nine years old.

Its age is showing in the cabin, with an infotainment system that lacks the dazzle and vast number of features of newer rivals. You have to connect smartphones the old-fashioned way via cable instead of wirelessly, and the hard-plastic dashboard doesn’t radiate the classy feel of some competitors’ soft-touch finishes, factors which have led the Hilux to slip behind the Ford Ranger as the country’s best-selling double cab.

But overall, counting all body styles including single cabs and xtra cabs, the Hilux is SA’s best selling bakkie range, comfortably beating more modern competitors such as the Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and GWM P-Series.

It has to do with the power of a brand that is synonymous with toughness and reliability since the Hilux nameplate was introduced here in 1969, and it has become as South African as biltong and chutney.

Though the Hilux is nearly 10 years old in its current incarnation, Toyota has kept it fresh and front of mind with facelifts and updates, the latest being the introduction of the Legend 55 model this week.

The first Hilux to commemorate the vehicle’s birthday in SA was the Legend 35 launched in 2004, and since then there has been one launched every five years.

The new special edition replaces the outgoing Legend models and will be available until 2026.

It is a purely cosmetic exercise, unlike the more expensive, rally-inspired Hilux GR-Sport unveiled in 2024, which has more power, a wider stance, enhanced off-road suspension and an increased ride height.

Sold in a choice of Xtra cab and double cab body styles in either 4x2 or 4x4, the Hilux Legend 55 is recognisable by its chromed scuff plates, gloss black grille, front bash plate, rubberised load box, branded styling bar, detachable tow bar, exclusive badging and lockable roller shutter. Double cab models in addition get puddle light logos and a shark fin antenna.

The Hilux Legend 55 is offered in a choice of 10 colours including dark green mica metallic and sand beige.

Inside, chrome-branded scuff plates, heavy-duty rubber floor mats and sport seats with embroidered headrests highlight its limited-edition status. The 8” touchscreen multimedia system is complemented by a premium nine-speaker JBL audio system.

Where the 2.8l turbo diesel engine in the GR-Sport is boosted to 165kW and 550Nm, the Legend 55 makes do with the standard 150kW/500Nm available across the Hilux range, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

It provided ample cruising power when I drove the Hilux Legend 55 at its media launch in the Eastern Cape. The 2.8 turbo diesel has been a staple of the eighth-generation Hilux since its 2016 launch, and it’s a solid workhorse of an engine with burly midrange power and easy-overtaking grunt. It can be reasonably frugal when driven conservatively too, though our mostly high-speed cruising through the Karoo delivered a heightened 11.2l/100km average.

As mentioned, the digitisation in the cockpit looks dated against the glitzy, supersized infotainment screens of rivals such as the Ranger and GWM P500, but leather seats and ambient lighting help to elevate the feel inside the Hilux’s cabin. It still has physical buttons for many on-board functions, which is not as trendy as the digitised controls becoming de rigueur in bakkies, but less distracting.

While the Hilux shows its senescence in terms of gadgets and cabin trimmings, mechanically it has aged pretty well with a robust and sturdy feel, while its refinement mostly still stands up to the opposition. Noise levels are decently suppressed and the ride quality is up to par too, if not as wafty as some newer rivals.