Posted on 12/20/2023 10:39:40 PM PST by dennisw
It turns out the $10,000 pickup truck is actually too good to be true. But only by a little bit. The production version of the Toyota IMV 0 concept, now known as the Hilux Champ in Thailand, starts at 459,000 Thai Baht, or just over $13,000 at the current exchange rate. On the one hand, that’s 30 percent higher than the price we heard from Toyota engineers during a brief test drive in Japan.
On the other hand, it’s a brand new truck with a full bed capable of hauling 2,200 pounds that’s almost as cheap as a 22-year-old Ford Ranger on Bring a Trailer. As a further reminder, the 2024 Tacoma base price is $32,995.
The Hilux Champ is still a deal, and to learn more about how Toyota pulled this off, we got some answers straight from Dr. Jurachart Jongusuk, chief engineer for Toyota’s IMV platform as well as regional chief engineer for Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing.
One reason the Hilux Champ doesn’t cost much is the utter bare-bones nature of the truck. This is first and foremost a commercial vehicle, closer to the chassis cab Ford F-350 box truck you rent at U-Haul in terms of features and amenities than anything Toyota sells to the U.S. consumer. Dr. Jongusuk told Road & Track Toyota focused on “Optimization of specification to only necessary items through extensive target customer input, through a simple but highly functional interior and exterior.“
Another reason is the relentless cost-cutting that went into the Hilux Champ’s development, going so far as to apply the Toyota Production System all the way down the supply chain.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Of course once they have to add all climate and safety parts to it for US importation and pay the tariffs, that $13K truck goes up to $25K+.
Toyota will never sell this in the USA. This truck is for the top tier developing nations in Asia #1 ....... then throughout the world. Consumers will scarf it down in places like Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina.
Single cab by the way!!! Not like the dual cab, all tricked out $80000 monster pickups trucks here. In USA your wife will kick out of the bed if you buy a new single cab pickup. She will not tolerate that status drop. If you can even find a single cab to buy new.
Nice, I bet there a certain throwback feel to the old Toyotas from the 70s.
Be interesting to find out whether they bother with airbags or seat belts that tighten down in a crash. If they don’t have them, that tells me what I already suspect regarding air bags.
Looks a great truck! Too sensible for US buyers. It comes flat, that you must add a bed too. Or say you want a mobile snacks and coffee truck aka roach coach. You add all that onto the flat bed that it comes with standard.
For not so wealthy nations, I see many aftermarket suppliers springing up, offering what you need for business. That will slot in precisely into this barebones pickup.
In nations with civil wars and for Jihadists in general. Easy mounting of .50 machine guns.
"Use by militant groups
[Photo: Kurdish YPG fighters with Toyota Hilux]
Due to its durability and reliability, the Toyota Hilux, along with the larger Toyota Land Cruiser (J70), has become popular among militant groups in war-torn regions as a technical.[240] According to terrorism analyst Andrew Exum, the Hilux is "the vehicular equivalent of the AK-47. It's ubiquitous to insurgent warfare."[241]
U.S. counter-terror officials have inquired with Toyota how the Salafi jihadist extremist group Islamic State has apparently acquired large numbers of Toyota Hiluxes and Land Cruisers. Mark Wallace, the CEO of the Counter Extremism Project said, "Regrettably, the Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux have effectively become almost part of the ISIS brand."[242]
The Toyota War between Libya and Chad in 1986 and 1987 was named as such because of the heavy, successful use of Hilux and Land Cruiser trucks for technicals.[241]"
My guess is no airbags but comes with very effective seatbelts to make up for this.
“Pick Up Trucks” (my quotes) are little more today than luxury vehicles with a cargo bed that is never used.
I do think there is a market need for a basic pick up that is capable of doing work with out all the foo foo crap.
“My guess is no airbags but comes with very effective seatbelts to make up for this.”
Agree, and it knocks thousands off. I remember one of my cars, long ago, getting a notice that the airbags would explode and re-arrange one’s face (even on a minor impact). They didn’t have any replacement available due to the many millions that were defective, so instead they said to just drive carefully. I said screw-that and simply removed the damn things.
When I bought my last vehicle, I told the dealer that I wanted the bare bones base model. It still came with features that I normally would have expected to pay for, so had no complaints.
I don’t want nor need all the extras they push on you for extortionate amounts of money.
Will somebody start competing pricewise with the American car market?
Some manufacture could likely produce a good quality non electronic, non computerized vehicle with roll up windows, and the only power being the steering and antilock breaks, and sell it for a rather cheap price.
Comes with a very expensive anti-theft device - an R family 5-speed manual.
But it won’t meet mandated emissions laws. That’s the problem in all western countries while India, China, the Middle East, Africa, etc. couldn’t care less about all that plus all the safety equipment that’s also mandated.
Looks like the little truck the farmer who lives behind me uses to drive around the property
Part of very effective seatbelts will be ones that cross your chest from both directions. Making an X. Cheap and more effective than what we have in the USA.
Old type crank windows or electric as an option. Nothing wrong with cranking them. Especially when you have multiple passengers .... Which is more likely in the 3rd world.
A/C is expensive. Maybe more fans instead? In the doors for example.
That apparently doesn't apply to electric scooters... I've almost been run over by people doing very excessive speeds in my downtown area... They don't even have helmets on.
You can get these...
https://mayberryminitrucks.com/
I saw one the other day...pretty neat little thing.
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