Analysis of the Toyota Hilux Conquest: a pickup to reach higher

2023-01-26T09:22:42.336Z

This new version with an adventurous style comes with a differentiated aesthetic and with the usual reliable mechanics.

The leadership held by the

Toyota Hilux

is indisputable: it has been the best-selling pickup in the country for 18 consecutive years.

Saying that in a market where the participation of trucks is high and historic and that has an industry focused on the production of this type of vehicle further enlarges that reign.

During the past year the Hilux

sold 24,638 copies in Argentina

and was the third most chosen model in the total market.

Of course, it was the best seller of the Japanese brand, which was once again the company that delivered the most units for the second consecutive year.

There are a couple more cockades that the Toyota truck hangs from last year's results.

It was again the most manufactured model in the industry, with almost 140,000 units, and the most exported vehicle, with more than 110,000 trucks shipped abroad.

The Toyota Hilux Conquest has an exclusive design for the tires.

Photo: Luciano Thieberger.

But before closing that record 2022 that meant for the Hilux, Toyota added a new version that is located at the top of its range and that has a recipient: those who are looking for a more striking vehicle that is more focused on off-roading. road.

As the adventure

The

Conquest

version is a response to what other brands have been doing with their models.

For example, Ford with the Ranger FX4, Chevrolet with the S10 Z71, Nissan with the Frontier Pro4X or Renault with the Alaskan Outsider, who prepared their trucks, some with more modifications than others, focused more on recreation and adventure than on the worked.

The Hilux Conquest takes the base of the SRX version, the most equipped of the "normal" ones, and on top of it adds some exterior and interior elements that make it quite different from the rest.

On uneven terrain, the Toyota Hilux Conquest gets a bit bouncy.

Photo: Luciano Thieberger.

It is in some way, also, a preview of what will be the next GR Sport, which is not in the "normal" range, since it has another set-up.

There are aesthetic elements that are similar between the two, but what will be Toyota's most extreme truck in the country promises deeper structural changes.

The Conquest is easily identified by

a series of black plastic accessories

on the body.

Exterior mirror housings, door handles, window trims, side sills and overfenders are finished in that color.

The grille also sports a black frame instead of the chrome that other versions have.

The 18-inch alloy wheels, also in black, have an exclusive design, but are shod with the same 265/60R18 tires that appear on other versions.

The Toyota Hilux Conquest only changes a few finishes inside.

Photo: Luciano Thieberger.

The box comes with a couple of details that also distinguish it.

One is the metal San Antonio bar with the Conquest inscription and the other is a box divider (covered with protective plastic) whose purpose is to keep the load more orderly and safe.

It can be removed in case it is not used.

In practice we found that making

it run along the rails it is embedded in can be quite difficult

if they are not lubricated, as in the case of the test unit.

We also understand that if you put a bit of grease on it, for example, the dust could create a paste as the sliders are exposed.

There is a detail in which Toyota must work to improve its operation.

Inside, the color palette is broader: black, dark chrome and a similar brushed steel.

The doors have blue LED lighting, which complements the design of the dashboard.

The Toyota Hilux Conquest comes with ventilation inside the front seats.

Photo: Luciano Thieberger.

If air conditioning is considered by many to be one of the best inventions of humanity, the evolution of that invention appears in the Hilux Conquest:

the front seats with built-in ventilation

, an element that many customers of the SRX version already value in many points. from the country.

The mechanics are the same as those offered by the more powerful "normal" versions.

It carries the reliable

2.8-liter turbodiesel, 204 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque

This last value reaches that figure thanks to the 6-speed automatic gearbox (only option available).

As logic indicates for a vehicle designed for adventure, the drive is disconnectable 4x4 with gearbox.

The behavior does not change compared to the SRX version, since there are no mechanical changes.

The good thing about this is that it has an engine that pushes a lot, especially in a mid-range revs.

The Toyota Hilux Conquest's cargo divider is handy but doesn't run very easily.

Photo: Luciano Thieberger.

The bad thing is that, despite the changes received in 2021, it still has slow and heavy steering and remains one of the "jumpiest" trucks on the market.

But that will not matter much to whoever is looking for this version to do off-road, since it brings out all the robustness and strength that made this pickup great and that led to it being the most chosen in the country for almost two decades.