Posted on 12/20/2023 10:39:40 PM PST by dennisw
It turns out the $10,000 pickup truck is actually too good to be true. But only by a little bit. The production version of the Toyota IMV 0 concept, now known as the Hilux Champ in Thailand, starts at 459,000 Thai Baht, or just over $13,000 at the current exchange rate. On the one hand, that’s 30 percent higher than the price we heard from Toyota engineers during a brief test drive in Japan.
On the other hand, it’s a brand new truck with a full bed capable of hauling 2,200 pounds that’s almost as cheap as a 22-year-old Ford Ranger on Bring a Trailer. As a further reminder, the 2024 Tacoma base price is $32,995.
The Hilux Champ is still a deal, and to learn more about how Toyota pulled this off, we got some answers straight from Dr. Jurachart Jongusuk, chief engineer for Toyota’s IMV platform as well as regional chief engineer for Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing.
One reason the Hilux Champ doesn’t cost much is the utter bare-bones nature of the truck. This is first and foremost a commercial vehicle, closer to the chassis cab Ford F-350 box truck you rent at U-Haul in terms of features and amenities than anything Toyota sells to the U.S. consumer. Dr. Jongusuk told Road & Track Toyota focused on “Optimization of specification to only necessary items through extensive target customer input, through a simple but highly functional interior and exterior.“
Another reason is the relentless cost-cutting that went into the Hilux Champ’s development, going so far as to apply the Toyota Production System all the way down the supply chain.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
The laws haven’t caught up to the E-bikes yet but they will.
The problem is the same as it always is. A few will ruin it for the many. I don’t like them personally. I ride a regular peddle bike often. When they go speeding by on the walking/bike paths, it ruins it for everyone. They even steal the signs that say “no powered vehicles” which they fall under.
$80000? Dude, visit a dealer, they’re closer to six figures if not past! Unbelievable what some people have in their pickup.
I tend to agree with your comments. We bought a new 2018 F150. In terms of engine and transmission, it’s great.
The “tricked out” part of it sucks to high Heaven. It’s clearly made for the city guy/gal. All the needless bells and whistles make it a pain in the neck for farm use.
For example the auto locking tail gate. Just think how stupid that is. You got a load of hay bales, go to the pasture to unload, get out and you forgot to unlock the tail gate from the cab. I fixed that by disconnecting the tail gate lock wires.
There are other endless annoyances.
We have a 1997 Chevy pickup. It’s such a pleasure to drive. Just get in it and go. No silly alarm noises, no restrictive auto locks. It’s just simple basic transportation and very comfortable too. I suspect that Hilux is just like that. Very basic without all the federally mandated crap or little goodies the city people demand.
Truck tailgates are frequently stolen. Good idea to lock ‘em up.
> E-bikes
They’re mopeds.
For city people - probably so. For those that live in low crime areas, absolutely not. The tail gate lock should be an option that could be cancelled out by getting into the system controls.
True that. Our government’s CAFE standards formula allows lower mpg for cars/trucks that are wider and longer. They basically punish car makers that make small pickups (unless they’re hybrids).
My ‘14 F150 has a manual key lock for the tailgate. I like it. I use my truck for towing my boat and other things.
That thing has practicality all over it. It’s clearly made to be used as a truck, not something so pretty it has to be washed and waxed once a week just to keep up with the neighbors.
Simply pressing a button on the key fob would unlock it no?
As a former auto industry engineer, I’ll offer 2 reason why they can do this. No EPA and no NHTSA. Both those agencies are major drivers of vehicle design now
Where did this do what your wife says mindset come from? I do what I want in my household when it comes to things like this.
Tell me, why, just why should a person alter their daily work routine? Over some silly-assed city slicker wanted tail gate lock?
You are driving along, stop, get out, dump off a couple bails, get in and go. Why should the engine be shut off, the key removed just to unlock the tail gate by pressing some stupid needless button? It’s a needless step forced upon us, just like the auto locking right door.
Sorry, you got me riled up. But this annoyance is just one small item that when coupled with all the other annoyances makes the Toyota Hilux a dream vehicle for those that use their trucks for work purposes.
Like I said in the earlier post, our 97 Chevy has none of this stupid needless stuff. Just get in it and drive.
The single biggest annoyance that F150 POS has is the perpetual “toodle do, toodle do, toodle do” alarm for everything possible. Everything the truck does has an annoying sound to go with it that cannot be cancelled out.
Microsoft PC operating systems have sounds built into them for every possible move a person makes. The good news is one can get inside the op sys controls and cancel them out. This option should be available on vehicles too.
We’ve pretty much decided to sell this POS and find a good used truck made in the early 2000’s. They were fairly simple back then and if taken care of will last 300,000 miles.
I need a pickup for my job so my company car is a F-150. The only options are Crew cab and 4WD. The floors are rubber which are great to clean. The bed us usually full and I often pull a 7000 lb trailer.
When we hit the mileage limit, we have the option to buy the truck. I’ve bought two and flipped them for a handy profit. I just bought number three last week which I’m keeping. I ordered a rootftop tent camper last night.
That said, the truck is far more luxury than I want or need. I’d love the option of a Hilux. From what I’ve read, they are practically indestructible.
Got a JLU Wrangler Willys Sport model in 2022, only extra was a 3 piece hard top. Manual seats, door lock and windows. About as bare bones as you can get in that model.
The coming thing in guerilla armor is going to be a Champ with a pedestal mounted machine gun.
I owned such a GMC Sierra truck made in 1978 for 27 years. I doubt there is such a truck made by GM today, a work truck absent bells and whistles. It did have a radio.
The problem that did it in was the Forks that connect the shift lever to the transmission. They just wore out and no replacements, even from a junkyard were available
Read later.
Bookmark mini truck thanks.
I would hate to get T-boned by a 6000 lb SUV in that thing.
You have to be into ugly to own one of those just about any auto is that way today.
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