[megazoid]

Inside the forests at Maredumilli. Great for long distances in comfort especially with some weight at the back. The engine packs a punch and is ably suited for long journeys.

[Gendiesel]

The journey to Toyota Hilux !

To give you a glimpse about my taste in driving, I owned XUV 700 (FWD) since the end of BS4 era. At the beginning, I mostly enjoyed my first car experience over wide plains roads of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, under the scanner of hawk’s eye of the traffic police, mostly during for official purposes. Later over time, when it came to leisure or adventurous drives, my heart and my car both always directed me to one place - Himachal.

Over a period, I developed a taste of taking de-tours, though longer and sometimes approaching nowhere, in the mountainous region from the usual NH/ SH. There were two primary reasons for taking such risks, first, I always feel safe inspite of being non-domicile, and second, each such time it opened a hidden natural treasure to my soul. So, it was quite frequent to experience the drive over muddy terrain during monsoon in and around Manali, upright elevations of Dhaula-Dhar ranges, stony undulations of Lahaul & Spiti and, snowy roads (I won’t say off-roads) in and around Kinnaur. These were terrains where I could push myself the most with my limited driving skills on a FWD car. There were occasions I stuck my car in mud as well as in snow, even at midnights, when local kind hearted people of Himachal came to the rescue and made me realized of my ill-preparedness and limited capabilities.

It was now the beginning of summers in Apr’22 and I recently shifted to Hyderabad on my transfer after spending almost 4 years in Chandigarh. So, not just the temperature which changed here but an entirety of culture, tastes of people, way of traffic, and, so, the choices of car and the character of drive-destinations.

In Hyderabad, the adventure drives came to almost grinding halt lacking the taste I developed over the last few years. So, I started focusing more on gaining some knowledge in Automobiles. Post 2020 Covid-19 time, there have been surge of new influences and enthusiasts among the social media fraternity. Eventually, I was caught with a deep interest in off-road adventures, so, in 4WD cars. Since, I owned and mostly drove the diesel cars, I could never shift my taste in petrol. Diesel perhaps gave me the freedom and character where I found peace to my little driving enthusiasm.

It was now the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024 when there came a serious hunger to upgrade my existing car as it was now completing 5 years – increasing maintenance cost and decent resale value were in my mind.
Among 4WD cars, there were limited options like mighty Mahindra Thar (3 doors), Isuzu D-max V cross – a truck, newly launched Maruti Jimny and tough Force Gurkha (2021), as my budget corresponded. I was in no way looking for 2nd hand cars, so, the possibility of premium used 4WD cars I had in mind, was none.

Thar 3 door was a serious off-roader, reckoned among the off-roadering community, but, for me, it lacked in one undeniable psychological sense – the Character. Nevertheless, it was so well deigned and empowered to handle its native terrains - the off-roads - it lost its uniqueness over the period because of ignorant enthusiasts using it for attention-seeking-purposes. Functionally speaking, there were 3 factors where it performed poor compared to the competition viz. uncomfortable entry/ exit and tight spaces in rear seats, firstly, almost no storage space without costing seating space, secondly, and, horrible drive comfort with stock suspensions, thirdly. The new Thar (5 door) was in news that time and its imminent launch on the independence day of 2024. Ample of news were spreading around full of expectations about new Thar (Roxx) for its upgrade with respect to most of the points of my concern and even beyond. Though I was also eager to see the new Thar, but at the back of the mind, I lost my hope with Thar for the very psychological reason.

Isuzu D-max V cross, the truck, was one of the options, though over-priced. This, longer wheel base vehicle, lacked in three senses, first, looked and felt so outdated while no certainty over any facelift in near future,, second, the limited-service facilities and, third, lacking the differential lock.

The new Jimny was exclusively launched in petrol, so, was dropped for the very reason in my consideration.

Force Gurkha 2021 got its unique fan-following and a limited, but dedicated, enthusiast community caught my attention, though with its limitations on important fronts – 91 bhp engine, limited articulation, low lying lower-control-arms, poor age-old interior, and the reliability. But there were reasons for me to explore the Gurkha more for its distinct potentials viz. rugged built, the ergonomics and the driving comfort, the panoramic view and, most importantly, the character – which brought up the Gurkha in my eyes against the Thar for very reason. In the meantime, Gurkha 2024 was launched in early 2024 eliminating most of the points of concerns except the interiors which still was almost unchanged, to my shock.

But later on, there were stories of frustrated Gurkha owners who were struggling in their experience with this behemoth due to unforeseen and frequnt breakdowns. The owners’ dissatisfaction on service response, the petty oil leakages, seal issues, gear shifting issues, unreliable DPF are enough reasons, after someone spending 20+ lakhs, to question the sanctity of the 2024 facelift. It was very much understandable that not everyone can spend their entire day at the service center by choice. Our country, fortunately or unfortunately, still lacks the culture of self-maintenance. Enthusiasts and experts may find these breakdowns as opportunities, a FUN to cherish and a REASON to feel satisfied by knowing their car a bit more. But this might be a painful story for the rest of the community.

This was when for the first time, Toyota Hilux was in the boom among the social media influencers with a buzz of discounts. I started studying and did my maths to understand its feasibility.

After learning and test driving the Hilux, it gave me the sense of “new character” entirely. It was a diesel, torquey combination of engine and transmission, Toyota’s reliability, comfort (compared to Thar and my XUV 500), respectable interiors amongst others. Nothing additional to mention, about its capabilities, but it almost ticked on all check points.

So, it was almost now the end of 2024, and I was certain to change my XUV 500 with either of Force Gurkha or Toyota Hilux (STD) – the price difference was not much – for some unavoidable reasons:

1. My old car’s (XUV 500) rising maintenance cost
2. Lower resale value with each delay in selling (already crossed 5 years)
3. Govt policies against Diesel (news on uncertainties associated with this beloved fuel in passenger car segment like hiked taxation)
4. Upcoming BS7 norms – more complications in the new-gen diesel cars, so, its reliability and elevated costs - as we saw during shift to BS6.
5. Possibly last Diesel car purchase for me, for above last two reasons, with an eventual compelled shift to greener cars.

So, here I took the decision and went ahead with Toyota Hilux (STD) which satisfied me reliving me from the points of concerns:

1. The king-like-character of the DIESEL truck
2. Toyota’s reliability – engine or transmission or chassis! I can peacefully keep this indestructible vehicle for years to come.
3. Toyota service experience and the maintenance cost
4. The price point at which it was offered at the time of purchase
5. Full 5 seating space and additional carrier space
6. Numerous ways of customization opening a new dimension of overlanding

The Hilux is now home and became an inseparable member of my family. Be it at any time of the 24 hours, the passion it gives me while lifting the key to take it out is evergreen. Every single time, I unlock the car and grab the handle to get inside raises my adrenaline like climbing to sit on the throne. Lastly, I never miss a single chance to look back to it after reaching the destination for the ONE LAST TIME, AGAIN !

Lot of text is written, so, here are some photographs to the hungry eyes: