Eighth-generation Toyota Hilux (GUN125)

Japan now has its own pickup back where it belongs and it's known as the Toyota Hilux, a global model that has been absent in the Japanese market for over a decade in a half, and now it's back for the eighth-generation model. Of course, this particular model has been introduced a few years ago in Thailand under the Hilux Revo banner but there is one major reason why a truck like a Hilux was introduced in Japan for the first time not because it's too late to start a JDM pickup renaissance. No, it wants to demonstrate to Japan what a real global Japanese model is.

2018 Toyota Hilux

You see, the Hilux was at the forefront of global Japanese models that went missing in their home market when they stopped selling one in Japan in 2004. Years later, it was followed by the Nissan Safari, Honda Civic, the Toyota RAV4, the Nissan Dualis, and then the Honda CR-V, Japan is a bizarre car market where what's sold globally is not available in its home market for reasons known only to themselves. Unless Japan's governing bodies deal with this ongoing trend, there will be Japanese cars that won't be available on Japanese soil while letting the rest of the world have one and that's unfair.

Today's Toyota Hilux is just like today's Honda Civic as its return to the Japanese market will strike a warning shot to those who buck the trend, those who are afraid to be Tomica-nized, and those that made Japan left behind with the rest of the globe in terms of cars. So, now that the Hilux is back on Japanese soil after its 13-year drought, what's new about the newly-revived truck?

2018 Toyota Hilux

Although Japanese in spirit, the new Toyota Hilux is an import from Thailand, the Land of Smiles, meaning that this pickup has a dual citizenship status just like the Mitsubishi Mirage, which is also made in Thailand as well. Keeping it true to the Hilux spirit for almost five decades, the Hilux's masculine design stretches out from the front, the side, and the back, and while it's rare to see a pickup truck roaming around on the streets of Tokyo, the Hilux's design shows that this truck is bravado in the land of anime, idols, gadgets, and small cars. It may be born in Thailand but it has a heart and soul of a Japanese otaku inside and out if you know what I mean.

2018 Toyota Hilux interior

2018 Toyota Hilux interior

On the inside, despite its bravado looks, the Hilux is as comfortable as a Toyota Corolla in so many ways, and judging from its Auris-styled dashboard, it's classic Toyota comfort for five passengers and accommodating inside the new Hilux can be downright average or decent if you may. Not too shabby but not too luxurious but hey, at least it's well-lavished for some country folks working hard for a living, and as a medium-sized pickup truck, the bed can accommodate up to 500kg of payload, which is not what you called a one-tonner or a half-tonner either, but rather above average to carry some stuff from your farm days or for your day off at the beach. Now that's versatile on so many levels.

2018 Toyota Hilux

Under the hood, the Hilux is powered by Toyota's 2GD-FTV 2.4L diesel engine that produces 150PS of power and 400Nm of torque, which doesn't sound so brisk for pickup standards but it's still got some push and pull to ruin your farm day by accident and curing the B-word. Mated to a 6-speed Super ECT gearbox, fuel economy is 11.8km/L based on JC08 Mode standards. Because the Hilux has a wide reputation for being unbreakable, it comes with a highly rigid frame like most pickups have, high tensile steel sheets, specially developed crumple zones, and impact-absorbing structures. Nothing says "Drive A Hilux, Be Unbreakable" more than driving one of the world's toughest vehicles on The Land of the Rising Sun, especially when Mother Nature's gone wild with it.

Like most pickups, the Hilux comes with a part-time 4WD system that can switch the driving method depending on the condition of the road surface. You can switch to either 2WD, high-range 4WD, or the offroaders' favorite setting; low-range 4WD, at the turn of the knob, and when you engage on 4WD settings, the active traction control, and rear differential lock as well as Hill-start Assist Control and Downhill Assist Control, keeps the Hilux prepared to take on uncharted territories no matter how crushing or brutal your exploration can be, and with the Toyota Safety Sense P tech, it makes it even more accessible to those who want a safe truck to drive. How's that for explorers?

The new Hilux starts at 3,267,000 Japanese Yen (around $33,000) and because being the only Japanese pickup available on its home base, it gets pretty lonely unless Nissan and Mitsubishi decide to bring theirs to the Land of the Rising Sun but that sounds unlikely and for now, the Hilux will be a niche to the Japanese customers and how the fate of this Thai-made Japanese pickup fares on its homecoming will be anyone's guess.

Available colors: Super White II, Crimson Spark Red Metallic, Silver Metallic, Nebula Blue Metallic, and Attitude Black Mica.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

Renault Alaskan

Renault's first-ever midsize pickup truck, the Alaskan, has enjoyed its notoriety at Latin America, its target market, and now it's ready for showtime at Europe, where it will face stiffer competition against the likes of the VW Amarok, the Fiat Fullback, or even the Toyota Hilux. While this is an all-new model, the Alaskan bears a familiar side everyone knows about and there's a clear reason for that.

2018 Renault Alaskan

The new Renault Alaskan maybe the company's first-ever pickup truck but what's underneath is co-developed by Nissan due to the nature of the Renault-Nissan Alliance so the way the Alaskan behaves puts you into the mind that it's like driving the not-for-Japan Nissan pickup truck that I cannot mention it to you due to search query reasons. But before that, what do you think about the looks? Well, at first glance, this is the first time you saw a pickup truck bearing a Renault badge on it, which is not very fleur by the looks of it but it has some masculine sense on it you would expect from the fruit of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

2018 Renault Alaskan interior

2018 Renault Alaskan interior

Unlike today's Renaults, the interior of the Alaskan is very different compared with the others because this is the same interior as you would expect from a Nissan pickup truck of today, although the steering wheel is different than the Nissan's by the looks of it. For a pickup truck with the sedan-like creature comfort, the Alaskan is pretty impressive in so many levels and rather than using it for work, it can also be used for leisure and with an ample bed space, just think about the endless possibilities you can do with Alaskan, as long as you're not making trouble with the public.

2018 Renault Alaskan

Since the Renault Alaskan is a Nissan underneath, it uses a ladder-frame chassis combined with the super-high-tensile-strength steel which makes it as tough as a Challenger 2 tank blowing a safe and in terms of its off-road ability, the Alaskan is a French car that is not very French indeed, in fact, it's like a French-Thai-Latino fusion cuisine that doesn't have any lactose on it, only tougher and braver when it was served on a wooden platter, which is very unique.

Under the hood, the Alaskan is powered by a 2.3 dCi engine with various configurations. The highest power output offered is 190PS and with 450Nm of torque output, it has a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes, which is very strong indeed for a foreign exchange pickup who got transferred from a banana republic to a superpower by chance. It's surprisingly durable as well.

As a pickup truck, the Alaskan offered different driving modes to choose from such as rear-wheel drive if you are driving normally (or if you are planning to slide this car through the road as a show-off), high-ratio 4WD if you're feeling under the weather, or low-ratio 4WD when things get rough. Apart from that, the Alaskan is prepared with a multitude of safety features such as ABS, ESP, EBD, EBA, TCS, that autonomous braking thing, and the one thing Nissan happily lend it to the Renault Alaskan; the Around View Monitor.

Should you buy it? The Renault Alaskan starts at 36,860 Euros, which is less expensive than the VW Amarok by a wide margin, and that makes it a fair value for those who want a pickup truck that can do so much more than 9 to 5. This pickup maybe made for the 9 to 5 stuff but rather than being a workhorse, the Alaskan can do some leisure stuff on the weekends. There's so much you can do with Renault's first-ever pickup truck as long as you're not a magnet of trouble with it.

Photo: Renault

Fiat Fullback

The new Fiat 124 Spider isn't the only Fiat with a Eurasian connection with a Japanese company, in fact, there's another Fiat with ties with another Japanese car company, this time with Mitsubishi for their midsize pickup truck called the Fullback. Wait, what?

2017 Fiat Fullback

We have all seen vehicles stealing fighter jet names. Raptor, Lightning, Typhoon, now Fiat's brand new midsize truck took the name from a very popular Russian fighter bomber meaning it's time to grab your axe because the new Fullback knows how to wield a mighty axe for people who got their hands full with their businesses, big or small. What this pickup truck means is that it deserves some serious businesses to work out with for anyone who wants to get their job done from sunrise to sunset.

2017 Fiat Fullback

2017 Fiat Fullback interior

Being another one of Eurasian Fiats ever made since the new 124 Spider, the Fullback is essentially based on the Mitsubishi Triton truck, which is the new model not sold in the Japanese market, meaning most of the stuff is purely Mitsubishi underneath the Fiat flair inside and out. It can be offered with either a single cab (that comes with bigger bed space or a double cab that trades bed space for more rear passenger space and two more doors. Whichever variant they choose, the Fullback delivers a bed width of 1,470mm and a loading compartment threshold of 850mm. Good enough to put some logistic-related materials, construction materials, or anything it can take on, even people for different purposes...although not recommended to do so.

2017 Fiat Fullback

Under the hood, the Mitsubishi-sourced Fiat Fullback features a completely aluminum 2.4L CRDi-VGT engine with two different power configurations, where the most powerful is the one with 180PS of power output and 430Nm of torque. It can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or automatic. With the Fullback comes with four-wheel drive, there's a nifty switch that offers four drive settings with a shift-on-the-fly system that allows drivers to adapt through different road conditions. It can be switched to either a rear-wheel drive, 4WD High Range, 4WD High Range with Locked Center Differential, or 4LLc.

Just like the Triton, the Fullback features Dual SRS Airbags, an Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, a turning radius of 5.9 meters, a Limited Slip Differential, and a Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution Body.

As far as they know, the Fiat Fullback starts at a theoretical 34,600 Euro pricing for the single cab model while the double cab costs around 36,430 Euros and an automatic variant costs 41,920 Euros. Sounds very costly for a pickup truck imported from Thailand and when compared to the VW Amarok, that pricing sounds so painful to own but despite the pricing, consider this a hearty alternative since VW has been in difficulties right now regarding the whole diesel flop they're facing with.

With a name unashamedly grabbed from a Russian fighter plane, the Fullback's ready to wield that mighty axe to the pickup truck fans with its potential capabilities that make it a keeper.

Available colors:  Verde Metallizzato, Blue Metallizzato, Rosso, Bronzo Metallizzato, Grigio Titanio Metallizzato, Nero Micalizzato, Bianco Perla, and Bianco.

Photo: Fiat

Vauxhall Maloo VXR

2012 Vauxhall Maloo VXR

Students of Top Gear will remember this as the HSV Maloo R8 but this one's a little bit different from the one Top Gear fans saw because this one now is sold in Britain as a Vauxhall.

The Maloo naming is Aborigine for thunder but HSV's former managing director, John Crennan, said they coined the naming from a book of Aborigine places. Strictly speaking because it was made in the country that hadn't signed up to the Kyoto treaty, this isn't a pickup truck, it's a ute. It was the world's fastest ute ever made, with a top speed of 168mph. It lapped an impressive 1:27.1 round the Top Gear Test Track, on par with the Aston Martin DB9.

What's a ute? With thanks to Richard Hammond from Top Gear, it started out in the 1930's when a farmer's wife wrote to Ford Australia complaining that there was no car that can take her to the church on Sunday and the pigs to the market on the Monday. The answer was the ute and the Aussies have worshiped those ever since.

For the first time, the HSV Maloo R8 has arrived in the United Kingdom as a Vauxhall Maloo VXR and it's essentially based on the E Series 3 version of the Maloo R8. You now have a two-seater ute that features a unique shockwave grille on the front, daytime running lamps, quad exhaust outlets, remote locking hard tonneau with alarm protection, cargo bay liner and lamp, rear park assist, E3 sports alloys, and the Enhanced Driver Interface that was last seen on the latest version of Top Gear's favorite muscle cars, the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS.

Under the hood lies a 6.2 litre LS3 Generation 4 Alloy V8, the engine that once powered the Chevrolet Corvette. It produces 425bhp of power and 405lb-ft of torque. It would go 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds and top speed limited to 155mph. Combined fuel economy is 21mpg and CO2 emissions is 320g/km. It is mated with a 6-speed manual transmission.

You might think that this is just a piece of farm machine with a big engine on it, drag racing is all it can do. Not so because the Maloo loves corners thanks to its incredible traction, sportscar poise, a limited slip differential, and tuned suspension. However, the Maloo can be carried away and adding weight on the back doesn't work that well either.

My Comment:
This is the first time the Maloo has finally landed on the United Kingdom where it was sold now as a Vauxhall. Since it's encounter at Top Gear, we were very sure that the Maloo is the kind of Aussie muscle that definitely give us a laugh and it's here in the UK and it's available at selected Vauxhall dealerships rather than specialist importers. We like the Performance, Ride, Handling, and the safety features (perhaps this was governed by an electronic nanny). What I really don't like was the fuel economy but it doesn't matter. The Maloo is one heck of a party crasher and this Aussie muscle really made the rain transformed. Imagine that..."I am lightning, the rain transformed"

Ssangyong Korando Sports

The now Indian-owned Korean car company, Ssangyong, unexpectedly started the year 2012 with a new model that some say is the production version of the SUT-1 concept car. This is Korando Sports, the evolution of Korea's first pickup truck since the Musso Sports in 2001 and the Actyon Sports in 2006. However, the Korando Sports has no direct relation to the Korando C crossover SUV despite the naming.

2012 Ssangyong Korando Sports

Take a second look at the Korando Sports and you'll see that nearly most of the components were exactly the same as the SUT-1 Concept Car but this is just an Actyon Sports refreshed...or is that a facelift? Well, despite being a replacement for the Actyon Sports, the Korando Sports is just the same old Actyon Sports being sorted out and that's just rubbish. You can't pick a fight against the Volkswagen Amarok with that!

2012 Ssangyong Korando Sports

On the Korando Sports' interior, well that's a coincidence. This looks the same as the Actyon's interior! I mean yes, the dashboard's been derived from the Actyon but refined with a new instrumental panel, and air conditioning, and that's it. This pickup truck has room for five passengers and high-end versions do get an available DMB navigation system and USB connectivity.

2012 Ssangyong Korando Sports

The e-XDi200 engine that powers the Korando Sports produces 155PS of power output and 36.7kg•m of torque. 2WD AT variants can go up to 13.5km/L of fuel economy while 4WD AT variants promise about 12.8km/L of fuel economy. A Korando Sports with a 2WD layout and a 6-speed manual transmission can go as much as 15.6km/L of fuel economy.

For safety, the Korando Sports comes with Electronic Stability Program, a 4WD system that has three modes depending on road conditions, and Depowered airbags.

The Korando Sports has seven colors; Indian Red, Canyon Brown, Marble Grey, Space Black, Fine Silver, and Grand White.

My comment:

About the Korando Sports... Brakes are rubbish, Ride's rubbish, seats are rubbish, THAT'S RUBBISH... Honestly, I still prefer the Korando C SUV for my own tastes. This is a pickup truck that is made with no soul and no flair and oh no! That's horrible!

In terms of pricing, prices start at 20,410,000 Korean Won (about $18,000 or 800,000 Philippine Pesos) for the entry-level variant up to 27,230,000 Korean Won (about $24,000 or 1,050,000 Philippine Pesos) for the CX7 VISION variant, which makes the Korando Sports a very good value.

Photo: Ssangyong Motor Company

Volkswagen Amarok

2011 Volkswagen Amarok

The Amarok name, which means wolf in the Inuit language, possesses predator-like attributes like the wolf hunting its prey, and the Volkswagen Amarok is the only predator that packs a punch from Europe, Africa, and South America.

Available as a double-cab only, the Volkswagen Amarok seems to be "macho" in the eyes of an entrepreneur. Could the Amarok be fair enough for the small business owner to take advantage of its rugged features? I guess not, but it depends on the entrepreneur's taste for business vehicles. Aside from being a business partner vehicle for the next generation of entrepreneurs, the Amarok makes a perfect gimmick trip friend that takes you places, even teenagers ready to bring their friends on their exciting adventures.

What can I say about the Amarok's interior? Well, for some reason, the interior seems to be OK for me, but it needs to be more luxurious to bring out its best. Therefore, the interior seems to be a bland mix of where you to look or where you want to relax, depending on your flavor. Imagine if I was an arms dealer, I would use the spacing on the Amarok to deliver military supplies to the troops, if you know what I mean.

The most difficult part to master on the Amarok is the standard 6-speed manual transmission, which means you are going to take things seriously to master the wolf within reach. The standard engine available for the Amarok is the Euro5-compliant, 2.0-liter BiTDi diesel engine with a power output of 163 PS. That engine has more power than the Toyota Hilux's 3.0L diesel engine, but would that be enough to outwit the Japanese pick-up trucks?

My thoughts about the Amarok:
The Amarok, when it reaches the Philippines, could be the most overpriced pick-up ever sold, because of the pricing that exceeds 3-4 million pesos, and it is more expensive than the Japanese pick-up trucks. This wolf will not be able to bring down the Japanese rivals by its pricing, but the performance side is the only main advantage for the Amarok. If you are really up for the challenge with the Amarok, make yourselves fine before challenging it. If you are with the Amarok, good luck trying it, the decision is in your entrepreneurship hands.