By: Reon Pillay

For the past couple of weeks I have been fortunate enough to spend some time in the new limited edition Toyota Hilux Raider X. It's been a while since I got into a Toyota bakkie and getting in brought back a lot of memories from my Toyota Fortuner days, which still to this day was one of the best adventure vehicles I owned.

After a few days of daily driving, fetching the Mrs from work and going to the shops, I was quite impressed with the fuel consumption averaging only 9.0L/100km. This is always good for a vehicle of that weight and size.

With the current fuel price, this is something we are all looking for, so I thought this would be the ideal time to take a drive down to KZN as well.

Once again, the consumption was really good, averaging 8.5l/100km.

On the inside, the Hilux Raider X is spacious and comfortable. The only thing that I would have preferred was leather seats instead of the modern material used and also a bit more styling on the dashboard. It seems a bit basic.

The exterior has a real good look to it with the modern headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, rubberised load bin, tonneau cover, flared fender arches, side steps and the chrome and black grille with the Raider X branding, which are all standard features on the new Hilux Raider X.

Being SA's most loved bakkie with over 18,000 units sold so far this year, it's not difficult to see why. The Hilux range has all you need as a day to day vehicle and also when you need to put it to work. It's also known to be the most trusted and reliable bakkies for generations and I am glad to see that over the years, the motor and transmission is still as strong as ever.

Toyota Hilux Raider X Pricing (November 2023)

2.4 GD-6 double cab 4x4 manual – R674,800

2.4 GD-6 double cab 4x4 auto – R704,300

The price includes a 3-year/100 000 km warranty and a 9-service/90 000 km service plan (with intervals of 10,000 km).