Toyota Hilux Reputation

The Hilux currently rests as one of the background decorations in the Top Gear studio.In the TV series of 2006, (series 8, episode 3), a Hilux was chosen by Jeremy Clarkson as his platform for creating an amphibious vehicle. Once recovered, the vehicle was moved back to the Top Gear Studio, where a confident Clarkson stated that he would be the only one capable of driving his truck home, since it was the indestructible Hilux.

In 2007, Top Gear ran a special program in which Clarkson and James May raced a customized 2005 model Hilux to the 1996 magnetic north pole from Northern Canada against Richard Hammond using a dog sled, and won. This episode, known as the Top Gear Polar Special, made the truck the first motor vehicle to make it to the magnetic north pole.

The Toyota War between Libya and Chad was so named because of the use of Hilux trucks as light cavalry vehicles by the army of Chad. The Toyota War saw use of the Hilux as a towing vehicle, serving to tow aircraft and tanks, including the T-62 heavy tank from the former Soviet army. The Toyota Hilux has been widely used by Pakistan Army. However, Mitsubishi L200s were bought instead of seventh-generation Hilux recently to replace worn out vehicles. US Special Forces also use specially modified Tacoma and Hilux in Afghanistan. After the test Toyota stopped the sales of Hilux equipped with 16 inch wheels in Europe.