Meet the coolest Toyota pickup truck we don’t get in America
Have you ever traveled abroad? Perhaps you noticed that the vehicles in other countries on different continents aren’t the same models you’ll find on the road in Atlanta or Los Angeles. What’s worse, if you fall in love with one of those vehicles, you may find that importation is exceedingly expensive, if not nearly impossible. One of those forbidden fruits is the Toyota Hilux, the rugged, go-anywhere little pickup truck. We don’t get the Hilux. Instead, we get its sibling, the Tacoma.
The Toyota Hilux is the small pickup truck you’ll find in Australia, the UK, and elsewhere– but not in the USA
America likes little trucks. Sure, large pickup trucks consistently outsell most other models. However, a brief look at Toyota’s truck offerings reveals a different story. Last year, the Tacoma outsold the larger Tundra to the tune of 33,285 units. And that’s not even the most popular truck model the brand produces.
The Toyota Hilux is the automaker’s bestselling pickup truck globally. In 2023, the Hilux was the sixth best-selling vehicle in the world, regardless of individual market or vehicle type. The US, sadly, isn’t one of those markets.
In Australia, the forbidden Toyota pickup truck is shorter and narrower than the Aussie-market Tacoma. However, the Hilux Rogue is taller and tows more with a capacity of over 7,700 lbs, per Chasing Cars.
Toyota also has an entry-level version with a sub-$14,000 price tag. That’s cheaper than any road-going car, truck, or SUV on the market in the United States right now. And Americans want it. It’s the Toyota Hilux Champ, and it’s a 2,800-lb, what-you-see-is-what-get pickup. Better yet, budget-minded truck buyers can opt for a 2.4L diesel engine to complement the gas-powered offerings.
And like the Hilux, the Champ is available with a manual transmission. However, the Champ is similarly unavailable to American buyers. Of course, where there’s a will, there’s a way. One such option is to take advantage of the “25-year importation rule.”
Under the rule, American car buyers can import vehicles from other markets if they exceed 25 years of age. Considering the first Hilux debuted in 1968, there are plenty of classic models to import.
