Ute experts gain Kiwi insights

Two of Toyota Motor Corporation’s leading engineers behind the new-generation Hilux have visited New Zealand to put their latest creation through its paces in the South Island. 

Their goal was to meet owners and hear first-hand how they use their utes in the conditions Kiwi drivers face.

Designed and built by Toyota in Thailand, the Hilux has earned its reputation in some of the most challenging environments on the planet. 

The latest generation, announced in November, includes design input from Toyota Australia and has been tested off-road across the Tasman to ensure toughness and durability down under.

Overseeing the design and engineering development of the new Hilux were regional chief engineer Anyarat Sutthibenjakul, pictured above, Sankom Pasri, who is the deputy general manager of the vehicle performance engineering department, and Takeshi Tanabe, executive adviser to the regional design team, all within Toyota Motor Asia. 

Sutthibenjakul has been involved with the ute for more than 15 years. She has travelled the world to understand the Hilux customer and experience.

“The purpose of the trip was to understand more about the market,” she says. “This was my first time in New Zealand. I have been to many places in the world – Asia, Europe, America, South Africa and Middle East, so I know how customers use the Hilux. 

“It’s very attractive here and very different to other countries. There are so many locations I have never experienced before. After seeing the real conditions, real uses and talking with customers, I have strong confidence what we developed for the new Hilux will fit and serve well in this country.”

Sutthibenjakul says the main goal set for the new ute was simple and that was to make it a “lifetime partner” for owners. Sold in more than 180 countries and used in hugely varied environments, the ute needs to meet diverse needs and be part of people’s lives for the long haul.

Tanabe says the design of the Hilux ensures it keeps the original soul even within an entirely new body. “We set the keyword as ‘cyber sumo’. The sumo is, as you know, the Japanese wrestler, which is tough, with good stance but also quite agile, powerful. 

“Then we added cyber on top of that because it must be a vehicle for the 21st century. It had to be modernised with a new design, but still inside the trustful QDR [quality, durability and reliability] has to be the same or even improved.”

Tanabe adds the design of the new Hilux reflects its quality. Certain elements, such as the use of chrome, were dropped and new angles and trapezoid shapes used to emphasise the ute’s toughness.

A more integrated grille, using the body colour, was also adapted to create the impression of more stability and the wide stance of a cyber sumo.

Much attention was also given to the Hilux’s on and off-road performance of. On their trip to the South Island, the two engineers appreciated the rough terrain, treacherous river crossings and steep hills often encountered.

After visiting New Zealand and talking to Hilux owners and hearing their stories, Sutthibenjakul says she’s inspired to share her learnings with her team in Thailand and others in Japan.

“With some locations we went to, I never thought the Hilux could make it – crossing the river or climbing up the mountain – but it could. This made me think, we need to make the vehicle even stronger in the future. 

“I asked myself, how I’m going to make one product to meet those country specifications. But after long research, almost two years visiting so many locations and talking with hundreds of customers, I would say that requirement is quite similar to what New Zealand Hilux owners need.”

Toyota says customer feedback is vital to how it approaches the design and development of its vehicles. Even the way a new model or generation is evaluated is influenced by the views of owners.

“Normally when testing a new Hilux, we would carry the full payload and evaluate the vehicle on the full payload condition,” explains Sutthibenjakul.

“But if a customer is driving alone or with one passenger, they may feel a bounce. There’s some vibration when the ute hasn’t got a full load. We changed a way of thinking and evaluating the vehicle and made a new suspension to meet the most common usage conditions.”

The higher grades of the new-generation ute have had a substantial modification to their suspension systems for a more forgiving ride, particularly when it’s driven alone, with no payload, on the road.

The SR5, and higher grade Limited and Adventure, now have an increased rear leaf-spring suspension stroke paired with newly tuned damping to minimise shock harshness and elevate ride quality.

Regarding the Hilux’s future, Sutthibenjakul says there’s a multi-powertrain pathway strategy for the ute with Toyota committed to carbon neutrality.

“The Hilux is for work use. We need more power, towing and offroad capability, but it’s also our duty to give clean air for future generations. So, we came up with the battery-electric Hilux as well. In the future, Toyota will introduce more electrified product into the market.

“But the diesel is still there. It’s not so easy to pull diesel out of the line-up because the Hilux is for the customer, for offroad, work use and traveling to remote areas.”