The so-called “Chicken Tax” is to blame for the lack of Toyota Hiluxes in the United States. This tax refers to a 25% tariff that the U.S. government levies on imported goods like brandy, potato starch, and dextrin as well as light trucks like the Hilux. If the Toyota Hilux were produced in the United States, it could be sold for a reasonable price and not be subject to the Chicken Tax.
Toyota must produce a truck in the United States in order to avoid paying this tax. The Tacoma is essentially Toyota’s answer to the Chicken Tax.
Therefore, Chicken Tax prevents the Hilux from competing in the American pickup truck market since this tariff drives up the price of the vehicle. On the other hand, you are free to import a Toyota Hilux from someplace else in the world. There are no legal restrictions on purchasing a Toyota Hilux in the United States.
In This Article...
Will there ever be a Hilux for sale in the US?
As previously said, the Toyota Hilux got off to a solid start and kept becoming stronger. The Toyota Pickup, which is another name for the Hilux, was a well-liked option for business fleets in the 1990s. Owners adored their vehicles since they were not only functional but also comfortable to drive and had a hint of luxury inside.
In 1995, the Toyota Hilux vanished from the North American market despite all of this. Emission and safety regulations may be a factor in Toyota’s decision to discontinue the Hilux in North America. Toyota stopped producing the Hilux in the US and instead introduced the Toyota Tacoma as a new model for American consumers.
Although it costs a lot, it is technically still possible to import a Toyota Hilux into the United States today. A 25% tariff is necessary to import a light vehicle made outside of the US due to the Chicken Tax, a tax policy the US government has enacted. The Hilux is now too expensive to compete with other compact pickup trucks on the US market thanks to this 25% price increase.
The consumers would no longer be compelled to pay the additional 25% levy if Toyota produced the Hilux in the US.
Why aren’t Toyota diesel vehicles marketed in the US?
It is true that Toyota sold the Hilux in America until 1995, when the Tacoma took its place.
Since there used to be a fair number of them on the highways, the Hilux was frequently referred to North America as just the “Toyota Pickup.”
Why then did Toyota switch to the Tacoma if they had been selling the Hilux up to that point despite the Chicken Tax? Why alter a positive trend?
The United States implemented rules in the 1980s that made it more difficult to import cars into the US market (you can learn more about this in our article on why the Nissan Skyline is illegal in America).
Short version: These legislative amendments added to the difficulties already caused by the feared Chicken Tax, making it more difficult and expensive for Toyota to sell the Hilux in America.
This confluence of elements gave Toyota the inspiration to create a light vehicle that was better suited for the American and Canadian markets.
The Tacoma had a better ride and more comfortable ride than the Hilux, along with better on-road performance and safety features, at the sacrifice of durability and payload capacity.
The Hilux is regarded as the ideal vehicle for off-roading, construction work, and agricultural use in many markets. As a result, Hiluxes were frequently marketed to companies (particularly farmers) who valued toughness, cargo capacity, and off-road performance over creature amenities. The Hilux is still one of the most popular business/commercial vehicles in New Zealand, where we are situated, despite the fact that other trucks (or “utes” as they are called here) offer greater driving dynamics and conveniences.
However, “light trucks (i.e., smaller utility vehicles) are less frequently used as strictly commercial vehicles in the North American market.”
The preference of North American consumers to buy larger trucks for use as agricultural vehicles, “tradesman trucks,” etc.
For the American market, the Hilux had a strange market niche. It was too tiny to serve as a proper commercial or agricultural vehicle, and the majority of domestic purchasers were starting to favor SUVs like the Hilux-based 4Runner.
This is made worse by the fact that the Hilux performs best with diesel engines yet that the American market prefers bigger gasoline engines (at least when it comes to vehicles used for personal transportationwhereas in countries like Australia and New Zealand it is not unusual at all for a family to purchase a diesel car for everyday use).
Our investigation indicates that Toyota does not currently provide any diesel-powered automobiles for sale in the United States due to consumer preferences and requirements for emissions management. The greatest diesel engine options for these trucks, as any Hilux lover will tell you, are another factor working against the Hilux in the American market.
Are there Toyota Hiluxes in the USA?
A mid-size pickup vehicle with a reputation for being virtually indestructible is the Toyota Hilux. You will understand what I’m talking about if you have seen those “Killing a Toyota Top Gear” episodes. The Hilux seems more than a little alluring, whether you’re an off-road enthusiast or someone who needs a highly reliable commercial vehicle. It’s a terrible shame that they discontinued selling the Hilux in the US in light of this.
That’s accurate, the Hilux was sold in North America from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, but in 1995 the Toyota Tacoma took its place, and the Hilux hasn’t been offered in the country since. However, other rumors claim that the long-unavailable Toyota truck could soon return to US markets.
There isn’t a lot of information yet, but Autowise notes that a Hilux model powered by a third-generation Toyota turbo diesel engine could go on sale in the USA as early as 2020. Initial reports state that “the engines will deliver overall increases in economy and power” in terms of horsepower and torque. Are we getting too optimistic? Not altogether, because you are aware of how unpredictable initial reports may be. However, it would be really exciting to see the mighty Hilux for sale in US dealerships around this time the following year.
Can I purchase a Hilux in Mexico and import it to the United States?
One of the most well-liked, resilient, dependable, and adaptable pickup trucks in the world, the Toyota Hilux is the standard model in a huge number of nations. You might be wondering why you can’t buy a Toyota Hilux in America if the Hilux is so great and no country likes trucks as much as we do in America. And before we go any further, selling the Hilux in the US is not prohibited.
The Chicken Tax, a 25% tariff (tax) levied by the American government on imported brandy, dextrin, potato starch, and light vehicles like the Toyota Hilux, prevents you from purchasing a Toyota Hilux at the moment. The Hilux wouldn’t be subject to that tariff if Toyota constructed it here in America like many other Toyota models, enabling Toyota to sell it for a reasonable price. The Hilux would become uncompetitive in the market for compact pickup trucks as a result of the levy.
Although it’s impossible to purchase a Hilux in the United States, you can get some excellent secondhand trucks and other automobiles for incredibly inexpensive costs here that might be sufficient. Ex-government and confiscated automobiles of various varieties are available for purchase at government auctions, where savvy bidders can score a significant discount.
How does the Tacoma compare to the Hilux?
Everything in America is bigger than you would imagine, and the Tacoma is no exception. The Hilux and Tacoma’s differences, however, are not particularly significant.
According to Driving Line, the double cab Tacoma is only marginally wider than a Hilux in its class. Given that American roadways are a bit wider than those in many other nations, these measurements are appropriate for the Tacoma.
In terms of the trapezoidal shape, the most recent Hilux resembles the Tacoma, but the Hilux sports a more streamlined front and sleeker headlights. Additionally, it has more defined wheel designs and sharper body lines. There are alternatives for a tough exterior that has a lot of cladding, though.
The Tacoma, on the other hand, has a block appearance with bulging fenders, glaring headlamps, and a squared-off body shape.
Are Tacoma and Hilux the same?
The Tacoma and Hilux are significantly distinct trucks, despite the fact that they may appear to be very similar to a casual observer. The latest generation of each has, however, been available for roughly the same amount of time.
The third generation of the Texas-made Tacoma and the eighth generation of the Hilux, built at factories all over the world, including Thailand, a significant market for the truck, respectively, went on sale in 2015.
What makes the Toyota Hilux so unique?
The first vehicle to travel to the Magnetic North Pole was this one. The Hilux was the first vehicle to be driven to the Magnetic North Pole in 2007. Jeremey Clarkson, a broadcaster for Top Gear, was operating the vehicle.
Can I purchase a car in Mexico and import it to the United States?
An R34 cannot be registered or operated on public roads in the United States before 2024, according to the NHTSA, and is only permitted for use on tracks. This calls for specific NHTSA approval and the conversion of the vehicle to track-only use prior to importing.
That still leaves one border open, therefore today we’ll talk about how to bring an automobile from Mexico into the country without the use of a professional business. Fortunately, importing an automobile from Mexico is not all that dissimilar from doing it almost everywhere else. The procedures for importing an automobile from Mexico are largely the same as those for shipping one from outside, with the exception of the fact that you can just drive the vehicle across the border.
Let’s take a deeper look at the procedures you must follow in order to legally import and operate a Mexican vehicle in the United States.
What does Hilux mean?
“Highlux” combines the words “high” and “luxury.” Large waves are referred to as “surf,” which represents the utility of the vehicle’s range. May 2,1984. SPORTS PICKUP BY HILUX. The words “high” and “luxury” are combined to form the word “Hilux,” while “pickup” has the same meaning as in English.
What is the Toyota Hilux’s reliability?
It’s not surprising that Autocar ranked the Hilux as the finest pickup truck in the UK for 2021. Furthermore, Parker.co.uk rated the Hilux 4.6 out of 5.0, making it the most dependable pickup truck on UK roads.
It received a 4.0 out of 5.0 rating from Auto Express for dependability and safety, which is a respectable score for an off-road pickup truck.
We can trust Top Gear, despite the fact that RepairPal and J.D. Power did not grade the Hilux because it is not sold in the United States.