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.
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Can a Toyota Hilux be sent to the US?
The Toyota Hilux is totally legal to import from elsewhere in the world if you so choose; it is not prohibited in the United States. However, after including in all the import-related expenses, such as the 25% Chicken Tax, you’ll find that your little truck actually cost you much more than a brand-new Toyota Tacoma, and you’ll lose a lot of money when you try to sell it.
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.
Are Toyota Hilux and Tacoma the same thing?
Except for those in North America, almost every country has access to the Toyota Hilux as its midsize truck. Why? Our Hilux lasted until 1976. We then changed its name to Toyota Truck and then Tacoma.
The Hilux (or Hi-Lux) evolved from being the same fundamental truck we have in this country to a totally distinct truck for the international market. Over time, the Hilux developed distinctive features that set it apart from the Tacoma.
It has a separate platform and distinct powertrains now. Its capabilities, outward design, and interior design are all different. Simply said, it’s a truck that is almost entirely unique.
The 2.8-liter, 1GD-FTV four-cylinder common rail diesel engine of the Toyota Hilux used in this movie produces 177 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque. Although it had a six-speed manual transmission as standard, the owner in this video chose the six-speed automatic instead. The Hilux differs from the Tacoma in terms of cargo, towing, and size.
When the new truck(s) platform version of the TNGA is introduced, all of that could alter in the future. In the future, other components might be shared.
This video shows:
We get a great and thorough look at a 2019 Toyota Hilux thanks to this video entry from Malaysia. The American Tacoma differs significantly from what the rest of the world receives right away. Despite being completely different, it nonetheless enjoys a sterling reputation.
Toyota discontinued the Hilux for what reason?
In 1968, the Toyota Hilux made its debut as a small vehicle that could go everywhere. Even the suspension was independent rather than built on a frame. Eventually, in the 1990s, this small vehicle turned out to be a fantastic choice for business fleets.
The Toyota Hilux was adored by drivers as a luxurious option that was also practical. It was adaptable and offered a smooth, comfortable ride. However, the last Toyota Hilux we saw in the US was in 1995! The Toyota Hilux wasn’t very safe, and maintaining current emission requirements would be challenging. As a result, Toyota discontinued the Hilux in the US and introduced the midsize Toyota Tacoma.
What makes the Hilux so trustworthy?
As a result, the HiLux continues to be successful due to a number of factors, including its reputation as a dependable workhorse, Australia’s continued love of four-wheel driving, a vast array of variants, a comprehensive sales and service network, high resale prices, and a large market share.
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.
The Hilux will Toyota bring it back?
The Toyota Hilux and Toyota Tacoma are very similar to one another in many aspects. Both vehicles have rear-wheel drive as a basic feature and four-wheel drive as an option. Each vehicle has a 2.7-liter gasoline engine. Both have a reputation for being dependable and enduring.
Despite this, there are a few minor variances between the Toyota trucks in terms of design and engine specifications. The Tacoma is bigger and more rugged, whereas the Hilux, which was marketed as a compact pickup truck until 2004, has a more streamlined SUV appearance. Additionally, the Hilux offers a single cab layout as an option, whilst the Tacoma does not.
The Hilux is the only one of the two vehicles with a diesel engine option, a 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine with 201 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder gas engine with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission is an additional option for the 2021 vehicles.
In contrast, the Tacoma does come with a 3.5-liter V6 engine. However, the Tacoma’s maximum towing capability is 6,800 pounds, compared to the Hilux’s 7,700 pounds.
Simply said, as a work truck, the Hilux places more value on its high torque ratings, whilst the Tacoma, as a capable off-road vehicle, places more value on horsepower.
The Tacoma costs over $25,000 while the base model of the Hilux costs over $15,000. Both vehicles have higher-end variants that cost around $40,000.
Therefore, even if it’s unlikely that a new Hilux would be sold in American markets in the foreseeable future, the style of the forthcoming Hilux may start to resemble the Toyota Tacoma more. Or perhaps it’s the opposite. The Hilux was the first, after all.
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Why is the Toyota Hilux so well-known?
In 2010, the Hilux fueled with jet fuel successfully completed an epic 5,900-mile drive to the South Pole without encountering a single mechanical issue. This was done in an effort to surpass the South Pole in addition to the North Pole.
As a result, the HiLux continues to be successful due to a number of factors, including its reputation as a dependable workhorse, Australia’s continued love of four-wheel driving, a vast array of variants, a comprehensive sales and service network, high resale prices, and a large market share.
No rivals in the major Japanese brands have been able to match the overall sales numbers of the Toyota HiLux for decades.
Still, since the 2011 arrival of Ford’s most recent Ranger, there has been activity at the station.
The Ford and Mazda engineers that designed the Ranger in Australia did a fantastic job.
The Ranger might lead in private sales if the fleet and government purchases were eliminated.
As it stands, the four-wheel-drive Rangers edged out the four-wheel-drive HiLuxes for the entire year of 2017 (36,932 to 35,297 sales), with Mitsubishi’s Triton coming in third with 20,513 sales.
With 11,796 two-wheel drive utes delivered as opposed to 5796 for the Ranger, the HiLux struck back.
However, despite the fact that the four-wheel-drive ute category is highly competitive, with competitors from all over the world, it will be decades before Toyota’s legendary HiLux goes out of business.