Automotive design has always been very subjective. It all boils down to you and whether or not you like how one car looks. Your thoughts may affect someone else’s opinion, but at the end of the day, that’s all that they are—opinions.
But no matter how opinionated these discussions on design might be, I believe I speak for a lot of people (hopefully) when I say that the all-new Toyota Hilux’s design just doesn’t work. Of course, I also respect the fact not everyone will agree with me, so to be clear, I’m not out here claiming that I’m simply calling a spade a spade. I’m just voicing my opinions on this next-gen Hilux, because I really think Toyota could’ve done way better than this.
I’m no automotive designer. I’m not even an artist. For the life of me, I can’t even sketch a car properly. But heck, I’m sure that I know what a ‘nice’ car looks like for me, and this ain’t one of them, chief. The reason I feel so strongly about this is because I’m disappointed—Toyota has had such a good streak of Hiluxes. For this full model change, it had so much time to work on the styling, and I feel like the brand didn’t make the most out of it.
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I think the first four generations of the Hilux looked great, and the fifth and sixth ones were even better. Actually, I’m not big on trucks, but that sixth-gen model is still right up there on my project-car wishlist.
My personal favorite across all Hilux generations, however, would be the seventh—the one that debuted with Toyota’s IMV platform. It has aged gracefully, and while I think the eighth-generation was far from looking dated—facelifted or otherwise—the seventh-gen model’s still the one that really tickles my fancy.
Then came this new ninth-generation model. I won’t even try sugarcoating it—I’m not a fan. I see the direction Toyota wanted to go with this overhaul. It’s finally electrified, and fully at that, so it made sense that it now looks more like a Corolla Cross than a Fortuner. See that grille? Stare a bit longer and you’ll see the resemblance. Again, I see the direction, but it’s not something I would’ve gone with.
See, all previous generations had something in common: They looked simple. And that’s the biggest reason they all aged so gracefully, especially the classics. This ninth-gen model is anything but. It looks too sharp in my opinion, and I’m willing to bet that this design won’t age well. Look at the 10th-generation Honda Civic and compare it with its successor—the simpler and cleaner the look, the better.
This one’s just very different from the Hiluxes of old. Sure, in more ways than one, it actually is because it’s now a full-fledged EV, but it’s clearly lost that ‘Hilux-ness’ in my eyes. It doesn’t even look like a Toyota. Remove that badge on the front fascia and you’d mistake this for a Chinese pickup. Sorry, not sorry.
I strongly believe that had Toyota made it more Hilux-y and less EV-ish, it would’ve looked better. A less aggressive design, for starters, could’ve worked. A perfect example is the rear end. The light signature is spot on. The tailgate itself looks cleaner and less busy, and in my eyes, just better overall. Like I said, I’m no designer, so I’m not sure how exactly I’d want to fix this. But one thing’s for sure: I think it needs fixing.
But also circling back to what I said earlier: Not everyone will agree with me. I don’t even need to look far—our editor-in-chief Dinzo Tabamo likes the all-new Hilux. Though he’s a fan of weird-looking cars, anyway, like the BMW X6.
My boss, our president and CEO Carlo Chungunco, also gave a thumbs up when I asked who among us liked the design. “I like it—a bit Chinese-y and RAV4-ish—but I think it would look cool in person,” he said.
But so far, it’s only them who like the design. Our associate editor Sharleen Banzon said the Hilux “looks confused about what brand it is,” and I completely agree. Staff writer Billy Caluag also shared his disapproval of the new truck.
I’m sure sooner rather than later, we’ll finally be able to settle this, because it’s safe to assume that this Hilux will be arriving in the Philippines as soon as Toyota can launch it here. Until then, though, I’ll be happy to continue our discussions. So please, readers, if you have anything to say, the comments section is open. I would love to read your insights.
