58 TradeFarmMachinery.com.au THE TRACTOR YOU WANT IS NOW EASIER TO FIND
thetrayit couldevenmanagedecenthillsathighwayspeeds
withouttheneedtoshiftoutoftopgear.Muchbetterridetoo
withtheextraweightin theback.
Fortherecordthedrop-sidealuminium-alloytrayis a genuineToyotaaccessoryandis 2.5metreslong,soa goodmetrelonger
thana typicaldual-cabtray.
INTHEPADDOCK
Swappingthestandardroad-patternreartyresformudtyres,or
atleastall-terraintyres,wouldbringabouta bigimprovementinpaddockperformance,especiallyif it everrains!
Asit is,theHiLuxis morethanhandyasa drypaddockute
givenit has4WD-stylegroundclearance,tough‘Light-Truck’tyresanda goodamountofwheeltravelattherear,soit doesn’t
lifta rearwheelonunevengroundasreadilyasmostcompetitor
utes.Andwhenit doesit hasthebenefitofelectronictraction
controltolimitwheelspin– a farmoreeffectiveset-upwhenslipperythanToyota’soldmechanicallimited-slipreardiffs.
The2.4-litreenginealsoa manualdiesel-particulate-filter(DPF)
burnswitch,whichmeansyoucancleantheDPFwhenyouwantandnothaveit doanautomatic‘burn’whenyoudon’t
want, as in long, dry grass.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The HiLux Workmate Hi-Rider may be a basic ute but it really
does rise above expectations. It performs well on the road,drives surprisingly nicely in terms of its refinement, steering and
general comfort, can carry a load without fuss and is even handyenough in the paddock provided you replace the rear ‘highway’
tyres with mud or all-terrain tyres. After all, how many people
pay the extra money for a 4WD ute and rarely use 4WD?TEST REVIEW
HiLuxWorkmateHi-RiderSingle-cab
Engine 2.4-litre4cylturbo
diesel
Maxpower 110kW@3,400rpmMaxtorque 343Nm@1400-
2,800rpmGearbox Five-speedmanual
Drive Rear-wheelsFront
suspensionIndependent/coil
springsRearsuspension Liveaxle/leafsprings
Wheeltype SteelTyre
specificationLT215/65R16106/104SUnladenweight 1,930kg
GVM 2,930kgPayload 1,000kg
Towingcapacity 2,800kgOveralllength 5,330mm(tray
dependent)Width 1,855mm
Height 1,815mmWheelbase 3,085mm
Fueltank
capacity80 litresADRfuelclaim 7.7litres/100kmTest fuel use 9.0 litres/100km
Range 839km**Based on test fuel use, claimed fuel capacity and a
50km ‘safety’ margin.
6
5
- It managed decent hills at highway
speeds without the need to shift out of
top gear- The extra weight in the back provided a
much better rideA HILUX FOR EVERYONE?
The HiLux is Australia’s best-selling new vehicle and has been
for a number of years now. With the choice of three bodystyles with and without a factory tub, three engines, and two
drivetrains, there are no fewer than 20 different HiLux variants
and that doesn’t take into account that most of those 20 modelsare available with either a manual or an automatic gearbox. And
if you wish to add the recently deleted petrol V6 models there’s
an even greater range if your buying options extend to low-kilometre second-hand.
The least expensive new HiLux – petrol, single-cab 4x2 – is just
$22K (plus on-roads) while you can pay up to $65K (plus on-roads) for a top-of-the-line diesel dual-cab 4x4.
HiLux 4x2s are currently available with all three engines, the
long serving 2.7-litre petrol four and two four-cylinder diesels, a
2.4 and a 2.8. HiLux 4x2s also come with a standard ride-heightchassis and in Hi-Rider models. HiLux 4x4 models are currently
only offered with the two diesel engines but include a very wide
range of dual-cab models.