Toyota Hilux: Top Alternatives

Toyota Hilux has been making the lives of its customers easier and rivals difficult for many years now. It is, undoubtedly, one of the finest pieces of machinery that we’ve got in the pickup truck segment in our country today. Toyota Hilux knows to get the job done no matter what.

Toyota Hilux price starts at Php 829,000 and goes up to Php 1.79 million. In this range, it offers a total of 12 variants, 6 colours, two transmission options, two drivetrain options, and two engine options.

Toyota Hilux Engine Options

Engine specs	2.4L	2.8L
Type	2.4L Diesel, 4 Cylinder, 16-Valve DOHC Variable Nozzle Turbo with Front Mounted Intercooler	2.8L Diesel, 4 Cylinder, 16-Valve DOHC Variable Nozzle Turbo with Front Mounted Intercooler
Displacement	2393 cc	2755 cc
Maximum Output (ps/rpm)	147 / 3,400	174 / 3,400
Maximum Torque (Nm/rpm)	400 / 1,600-2,000	450 / 1,600-2,400

Indeed, the Hilux offers plenty on the plate and sounds like a good buy, however, is it really the best pickup truck out there? There must be a bunch of alternatives available that one could/should consider before making the final call. What are those alternatives? Read on to find out.

Isuzu D-Max

Just like most of the other pickup trucks, Isuzu D-Max is capable of accomplishing quite a big bunch of tasks, perhaps, a few more than the others, especially when in off-road working conditions. That’s an area where the D-Max excels and everyone knows about it.

One of the key highlights of the Isuzu D-Max specs is its powerful, durable, and reliable 3.0-litre diesel engine which churns out 177 PS of max power and 380 Nm of peak torque. It comes with both manual and automatic transmissions as well as with either 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrains.

Isuzu D-Max price starts at Php 987,000 for its base model and reaches as high as Php 1.7 million for its range-topping variant. The prices are very identical to that of the Hilux.

However, in October, Isuzu unveiled the next-gen D-Max in Thailand. It gets all the features and updates it deserves and should reach the dealerships here in the Philippines soon.

Mitsubishi Strada

Thanks to Mitsubishi’s Dynamic Shield design concept, the Strada is among the best-looking pickup trucks available in the market today. It has a large grille at the front and a huge bumper. Also, the sleek LED DRLs add to the overall styling. When combined, all these features make the Strada very appealing.

When it comes to performance, the Mitsubishi Strada comes with 4WD high range, 4WD high range with a locked centre differential, 4WD low range with a locked centre differential, and off-road mode traction control. Under the hood is a 2.4-litre diesel engine with VGT. It produces 179 hp at 3,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 430 Nm at 2,500 rpm and comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Mitsubishi Strada specs also impress us with the safety features. Out of the many, some interesting ones are Mitsubishi Active Stability and Traction Control system (MASTC), Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS), etc. Mitsubishi Strada price starts at Php 1,165,000 and goes all the way up to Php 1,670,000.

Ford Ranger

If we are talking about pickup trucks, we can’t miss out on Ford Ranger. It has been around for many years now and continues to be one of the dominating names of the segment. It has won the 2013 and now 2020 International Pickup Truck Award.

It is known for its neat looks as well as the supreme power. Its latest variant comes with 3 engine options - 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel with 213 PS and 500 Nm, 2.0-litre Turbo diesel that produces 180 PS and 420 Nm, and 2.2-litre TDCI Turbo Diesel that delivers 160 PS and 385 Nm.

Ford also nailed it in the safety department. The Ranger comes with various safety nets like ABS, EBD, G-sensor, two-way limited-slip differential (LSD), and much more. Ford Ranger price starts at Php 1.03 million and goes all the way up to Php 1.7 million.

Nissan Navara

Just like the Hilux, Navara is Nissan’s only pickup truck on offer here in the Philippines. Perhaps, that’s why Nissan made sure that the Navara is built rock-solid. It has got an aggressive front end thanks to the frowning headlamps and, of course, Nissan’s V-Motion design concept. We also like how the alloy wheels, roof rails, and big wheel arches give the Navara a rugged side look.

The Navara is available in 7 variants that fall in the price range of Php 929,000 and Php 1.48 million. All of the variants are powered by the 2.5-litre diesel engine which has been tuned differently for the 4x4 and 4x2 variants. In the former, it has been tuned to produce 188 bhp of max power and 450 Nm of torque whereas, in the latter variant, it produces 162 bhp and 403 Nm of torque.

These were some of the top names that give the Toyota Hilux something to worry about. We hope that you find this information helpful. For more latest updates, keep checking Zigwheels Philippines.

Also read: Toyota Hilux – Top features