The Toyota Hilux famously endured a series of destructive challenges on the Top Gear program in 2003. Recently, the Japanese automaker recreated one of those extreme tests to assess if the new generation Hilux BEV (battery electric vehicle) retains the same durability as its predecessors.
Toyota's UK branch previously launched a poll on Reddit, asking users to choose a punishment for the electric pickup model. Participants could select between smashing the Hilux with a 1-ton wrecking ball or dropping a caravan from a height. The latter option was overwhelmingly chosen.
Keeping its promise, engineers used a crane to lift the 760 kg mobile home approximately 9 m above the Hilux BEV before releasing it.
The mobile home struck the roof of the mid-size pickup directly. The fragile wood and fiberglass structure of the caravan shattered under the powerful impact. For enhanced visualization, Toyota recorded the collision with high-speed cameras and installed a camera inside the caravan to capture the internal view as it hit the Hilux.
Despite taking a direct hit from the free-falling caravan, the Hilux BEV started immediately and drove itself away from the wreckage. The vehicle sustained a dented roof, a cracked windshield, and a dent in the rear bed.
The suspension system absorbed most of the impact force, temporarily lowering the vehicle's ground clearance. The battery pack, mounted on the ladder-frame chassis, and the electric motors remained unaffected, although the vehicle would likely be deemed a total loss.
Toyota advises viewers not to replicate the actions in the video due to the risk of serious injury or property damage. The company also stated that all debris from the caravan at Bentwaters Airfield (Suffolk, England) was collected and taken to a recycling facility.
This challenge serves as merely a warm-up for the Hilux BEV. Toyota has handed the vehicle over to Top Gear's YouTube channel for further durability tests.
Previously, in 2003, Top Gear's challenges for the Hilux included driving it down stairs, crashing it into a tree, submerging it in the tide, dropping a caravan on it, setting it on fire, and placing it atop a 23-story apartment building being demolished with explosives. Yet, after all that "torture", the pickup still managed to run.
The new generation Toyota Hilux currently offers mild-hybrid diesel and all-electric powertrain options, with a hydrogen-powered version anticipated to launch in 2028. However, the diesel variant continues to account for the majority of sales due to its lower cost, widespread fuel availability, and superior towing and payload capacities.
My Anh (via Carscoops)
