Toyota Hilux Available In A Miniature Version With McDonald’s In Japan

The promotional video beautifully connects the pickup’s do-it-all prowess with a child’s limitless imagination

• The Hilux is Toyota’s globally renowned pickup with a reputation of being able to do almost everything a personal vehicle should.

• The video shared by Toyota Japan shows the miniature pickup tackling different kinds of terrain.

• It has a blacked-out body featuring red and yellow graphics with “McD-specific” branding.

• Toyota brought the pickup to India relatively recently as a premium lifestyle offering.

• India-spec Hilux gets the Fortuner’s 2.8-litre diesel unit with 4x4 capability.

Toyota’s entrant in the pickup segment in India is the Hilux. It is based on the same body-on-frame architecture as the Fortuner and known for its offroading prowess, which we got to test for ourselves. A rather interesting proposition has come to the fore in the carmaker’s home country (Japan). Toyota has tied up with McDonald’s (or McD as it’s famously called) to offer a miniature Hilux as part of its “Happy Meal” for children. The campaign is supported by a very creative video to represent both the pickup’s capabilities and the possibilities in a child’s imagination together.

Cool Stuff Seen In Toyota’s Video

The video shared by Toyota Japan shows two kids playing with the Hilux’s scale model while having their meal. The toy vehicle gets an all-black exterior (including blacked-out alloy wheels) with red and yellow graphics and McD’s branding on the sides and the hood.

This video shows the Hilux going over the table, then through city streets which soon transform into a countryside landscape, and then the pickup can be observed crossing a wooden bridge. Following that, the Hilux is seen traversing a desert and later on it’s going over an ice-cream softy, representing snowy areas. The pickup is then shown going into space, and queueing up at a McDonald’s drive-thru on a golf ball-shaped moon, after which the Hilux is given a takeaway meal loaded in its payload bay. All these scenarios are indicative of the Hilux’s ability to tackle all kinds of terrains, its durability and its payload capacity.

Also Read: Toyota Hilux: 5 Things We Learnt From The Drive

What Enables It To Do It All?

The India-spec Hilux gets the same 2.8-litre diesel engine (204PS/up to 500Nm) as the Fortuner, mated to a 6-speed manual or an optional 6-speed torque converter automatic. Toyota has provided it with two drive modes: Power and Eco. It gets a 4x4 drivetrain as standard. The powertrain, combined with the robust chassis and suspension, which has further potential with specialist aftermarket parts, gives the pickup its sturdy reputation.

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How Much Does It Cost?

While globally the pickup is often a working man’s choice of vehicle, its size and powertrains make it a premium offering in markets like India. Here, Toyota offers the Hilux in two broad variants – Std and High – priced between Rs 30.40 lakh and Rs 37.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Its only direct rival in India is the Isuzu V-Cross, but due to its pricing, it also goes up against 4x4, full-size SUVs like the MG Gloster and Toyota Fortuner.

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