Toyota has dropped a 760kg caravan on one of its pick-up trucks to prove its “indestructible” credentials.
The brand recreated a famous Top Gear stunt from more than 20 years ago to prove that the latest, all-electric Hilux is just as tough as its predecessors.
The stunt came about after Toyota asked car fans on Reddit which challenge the new Hilux EV should face in a test of toughness – a caravan drop or being repeatedly hit with a one-tonne wrecking ball. Hundreds voted to recreate the famous scene from the 2003 episode, with Toyota taking up the challenge.
The stunt took place at Bentwaters airfield in Suffolk where a caravan weighing more than three quarters of a tonne was hoisted 30 feet off the ground by a crane then dropped directly onto the Hilux’s cab.
Once the dust had settled, Toyota’s engineers gave the truck a once-over before firing it up and driving away in silence. They reported that the Hilux EV started immediately and suffered “only modest bodywork scarring” during the stunt.
The ninth-generation Hilux is the first to come with an all-electric option alongside a diesel hybrid setup. The Hilux EV offers permanent four-wheel-drive from two motors delivering a combined 193bhp and 349lb ft. A 59.2kWh battery offers up to 159 miles of range and Toyota says it offers best-in-class DC charging of 150kW to deliver a 10-80% charge in 30 minutes.
Chris Hayes, director of Toyota GB’s products and services division, said: “Hilux has earned its reputation as the world’s toughest pick-up. Following on from our launch of the ninth-generation model earlier this year, we wanted to honour that legacy and demonstrate how Hilux is still as impressive as it was decades ago, even when it’s powered by electricity. Dropping a caravan on it wasn’t just about repeating the famous TV stunt, it was our way of showing how Hilux’s core toughness remains intact.”
