The Hilux Just Got Better! Legend 45 Edition

Just over 45 years ago, a legend was born. In March 1968, a little pickup van entered showroom floors across Japan, and slowly began etching its name into automobile folklore. From its humble beginning as a short-wheelbase model with a 4-cylinder 1.5 litre petrol engine, it has steadily grown in size and stature, and broken just about every pickup record on the way. It has survived being dumped in the ocean, buried under the rubble of an imploded high-rise building, first pickup to drive all the way to the North Pole and then the South Pole, and even collecting lava samples from volcanoes! It is the world’s best-loved pickup truck – known simply as, The Toyota Hilux!

 

 

The Toyota Hilux has been the top-selling vehicle (nevermind pickup truck) in South Africa, and other countries around the world like Australia, for many years. It has even been the choice of vehicle for guerrilla and rebel armies across the globe owing to its reputation of indestructibility!  To celebrate 45 years of our tough bakkie in South Africa, Toyota South Africa have released this limited Special Edition, dubbed aptly “Legend 45”

Below is all the info you will need on this special edition Hilux, as well as some photos we took on our showroom floor. Included are a few shots of the new Fortuner Epic Edition as well. With a promise to update you with a post on the Epic soon as well!

The Toyota Hilux Legend Goes On

For over 45 years, 13 million Toyota Hilux pick-ups have been forging trails around the globe from the Arctic tundra to the deserts of the Kalahari. This unstoppable vehicle has earned the highest trust and admiration for its off-road  capabilities, endurance and overall ability.

Who can forget Clarkson and Co of BBC Top Gear fame taking an elderly 1988 diesel Hilux with over 305 000 km on the clock and subjecting it to all sorts of physical abuse. The mechanical torture consisted of driving it down a flight of steps, scraping buildings, crashing headlong into a tree, being washed out to sea, submerging it in the swirling water for four hours, driving it through a garden shed, dropping a caravan onto it, clobbering it with a wrecking ball, setting it on fire and, finally, placing it on top of a multi-story apartment block before unceremoniously setting off a controlled explosion which imploded the entire building. All that remained was a pile of rubble and – yes you guessed it – that Hilux. Nevertheless it was dug out of the heap and resuscitated with nothing more than a few tools that were left in the truck’s toolbox. As testament to the Hilux’s never-say-die attitude it now enjoys pride of place in the Top Gear studios and was appropriately dubbed ‘The Invincible Hilux’.

In the words of Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing for Toyota SA Motors: “Hilux is the Corolla of the light commercial world and its worldwide success is by no means accidental. Evolutionary progress through the generations has produced a vehicle with the ideal combination of superlative off-road driving manners, car-like refinement, plus rugged workhorse credentials. More than perhaps any other Hilux generation, this seventh iteration has seen numerous, successive improvements throughout its life, each of which has enabled the model to consistently exceed consumer needs and assure its place right at the top of the sales charts. It’s undoubtedly the purest distillation of toughness and versatility you’ll ever find in pick-up and, best of all, it’s rooted in the guiding principles of Toyota’s QDR (Quality, Durability and Reliability).”

And now, to celebrate 45 years of ‘bundu bashing’ excellence, Toyota South Africa is pleased to announce the introduction of the aptly named Legend 45. Applied to 100 percent of all Raider (high spec) production, this value-for-money, special edition 45 package is available in 4×2 Raised Body and 4×4 formats and across all variants – Single Cab, Xtra Cab and Double Cab. In total there are 13 different Legend 45 model variants.

Features

Distinguishing it from the rest of the Hilux range, the Legend 45 gets the following exterior treatment:

• New headlamp and front fog lamp design with black-out detail
• Smoked tail light design
• Stainless steel front nudge bar
• Stainless steel rear step bumper Towbar
• Matt black side steps
• Exclusive Legend 45 badging for the nudge bar, side decals and tailgate
• Colour-coded door handles with chrome finish mirrors
• Multi-spoke 17-inch anthracite alloy wheels
• Full range of exterior colours including Glacier White, Chromium Silver, Chilli Red, Pacific Blue Metallic, Graphite Grey, Attitude Black, Silky Gold and Dark Steel Mica
• Tonneau cover and rear styling bar available as a cost option (Legend 45 Plus)

Likewise when it comes to the interior, Legend 45 models are tastefully and liberally specced:

• Full black interior for the cabin including dashboard finish
• Black leather with silver contrast stitching on the seats, door panels, steering wheel and shift lever boot (manual)
• Reverse camera now added to Xtra Cab Legend 45 models as well as 2.5 D-4D and 2.7 VVTi Legend 45 models (standard on all other Double Cab Legend 45 models)

It’s worth noting that in terms of kit, the Hilux is one of the most generously equipped pick-ups on the market with all 3.0 D-4D and 4.0 V6 Double Cab models coming standard with a full suite of luxury and safety accoutrements ranging from automatic climate control, auto lights, multifunction steering wheel and display audio (with reverse camera) to six airbags and stability control. (For a full list of equipment please see the spec sheet.) The Legend 45’s purposeful appearance is matched by the power that drives it. This special anniversary model is available with choice of tried and tested Toyota powerplants,
transmissions and drive types:

Pricing (As at launch – November 2014)

Legend 45 Single Cab

• 2.7 VVTi 4×2 Raised Body – R300 200
• 3.0 D-4D 4×2 RB – R345 100
• 3.0 D-4D 4×4 – R401 200

Legend 45 Xtra Cab

• 3.0 D-4D 4×2 RB – R374 100
• 3.0 D-4D 4×4 – R430 400

Legend 45 Double Cab

• 2.5 D-4D 4×2 RB – R411 900
• 2.7 VVTi 4×2 RB – R377 900
• 3.0 D-4D 4×2 RB – R438 300
• 3.0 D-4D 4×2 RB auto – R452 000
• 3.0 D-4D 4×4 – R495 500
• 3.0 D-4D 4×4 auto – R509 300
• 4.0 V6 4×2 RB auto – R451 200
• 4.0V6 4×4 auto – R533 900

Engine highlights

2.5 D-4D: This 106 kW diesel engine features variable nozzle turbo (VNT) technology. The turbine blade is infinitely adjustable, allowing for the blade angles to be optimised depending on engine load. The turbo is activated at very low rpm due to the fact that the blades are powered by an electric motor. Torque of 343 Nm is the same as for the 3.0-litre unit but comes in between 1 600 rpm and 2 800 rpm.

2,7 VVTi: Twin balancer shafts ensure smooth operation of this four-cylinder 16-valve petrol powerplant. It produces 118 kW at 5 200 rpm and maximum torque of 241 Nm at 3 800 rpm.

3.0 D-4D: Fuel delivery is controlled by an EDU (Electronic Driving Unit) that activates each injector at precisely the right time to inject a measured high pressure fuel charge drawn from the common fuel rail directly into each cylinder. This 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled engine with a 16-valve DOHC configuration delivers 120 kW of maximum power at 3 400 rpm. Peak torque of 343 Nm is delivered between 1 400 rpm and 3 200 rpm.

4.0 litre V6: Featuring a 24-valve DOHC configuration, this engine has a compact and lightweight design and makes use of an aluminium cylinder block. It produces 175 kW at 5 200 rpm and has a torque rating of 376 Nm at 3 800 rpm.

 

Credits to:

Toyota South Africa

History of the Toyota Hilux – Toyota UK