Toyota Hilux 2025: The Toyota Hilux has long had a badass reputation –a tank that’s rough and read in war zones, sandy deserts, or waterlogged city streets. The 2025 model takes that brawny ethos and adds a twist of elegance this time.
The Hilux has been gently re-sculpted by Toyota to appeal to both hard-core off-roaders and urbane lifestyle buyers seeking something rugged and reliable.
Well, if the previous models are anything to go by, it was, and still is, a go-anywhere machine. Let’s break it down.
Toyota Hilux 2025 Design: Muscled Body With a Bit of Sophistication
Styling-wise, the 2025 Hilux retains its heritage of toughness, but now features a touch of modern attitude. It has the same large hexagonal grille, swept-back LED headlights and aggressively flared wheel arches, so it makes a bold statement.
Although some of the body lines are still solid and square, there are more lines and less of a slab-sidedness to the surfaces than you’d expect from the previous generation workouts. While the rear is adorned by LED tail-lamps and a revised bumper design.
It’s not all that flashy but the Hilux doesn’t have to be. It talks power through presence, not adornment.
Cabin & Interior Comfort
Open the door, and the new Hilux demonstrates it’s not merely a hulking workhorse anymore. Toyota now has upscale interior aesthetics with higher quality materials, a new 9-inch center infotainment screen, and improved noise insulation.
The design is unchanged, with chunky buttons and solid ergonomics, but comfort and feel are noticeably better.
The front seats are broad and bolsterish, designed for long stretches on the highway. Rear seat space is good for a pickup, if not the best in class. Dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery on upper trims and even a cooled glovebox round out the list.
Performance & Powertrain
Powering the 2025 Hilux is the same 2.8-liter turbodiesel motor churning out about 204 PS and 500 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Especially in its automatic form, it pulls through the highway and city feeling smooth and self-assured.
Four-wheel drive is standard, complete with low-range gearing and locking differentials to ensure the Hilux remains one of the most capable off-roaders you can buy. From its ability to drive over rocky terrain to sand dunes to small rivers, this pickup can do it all.
For towing enthusiasts, it tows more than 3.5 tonnes, and that makes it great for utility buyers as well.
Ride Quality & Handling
The Hilux has made major strides in ride comfort, as a result of revised suspension tuning.
Body-on-frame as it still may be, and you can still feel the weight and stiffness here, but it now swallows bumps better, particularly if you’ve got a little weight in the back.
Steering is on the heavy side, but that’s typical for a utility truck. It remains planted and confidence-inspiring at highway speeds, but tight city streets and parking still are its Achilles’ heels — thanks to its sheer size.
Features & Tech
Toyota has not skimped on tech, though. The 2025 Hilux offers:
9-inch Touch-Screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
8-speaker JBL sound system (on up-level trims)
Cruise control
Rear-view camera
Automatic climate control
Multiple USB charging points
It’s not stuffed with fancy gizmos, but what you need is in there, made to last and easy to use.
Safety
Riding and handling Safety features heavily in Toyota’s philosophy these days, and the Hilux shows that. You get:
7 airbags
ABS with EBD
Vehicle Stability Control
Downhill Assist Control
Hill Start Assist
Optional ADAS including lane departure alert and adaptive cruise control on international variants (Indian spec variant may miss this)
Pros:
Tried and tested 2.8L diesel motor
Cons Excellent off-road ability is paid for in on-road fun.
Robust construction with very high dependability
More comfortable, more refined interior
Good towing and payload capacity
Cons:
It is big and hard to get around in cities
Pricy in comparison with lifestyle SUVs
Rear seat comfort is average
Some of the luxury amenities are an option for the price
Toyota Hilux 2025 Verdict: Still Legend, and Now With a Polish
The Toyota Hilux 2025 is for people who expect their vehicle to be tough, act tougher and never say quit. It’s not one of those soft, urban SUVs — it’s for lifestyle and utility both. More comfortable, with better features and the same unbreakable performance, it’s still the benchmark in the pickup category. If you fancy substance over style, the Hilux can’t go wrong.
