If you're looking for an endorsement of a new car, you could do a lot worse than getting the opinion of a two-time Formula One world champion and Le Mans winner. Happily for Toyota, the Japanese giant just happens to have such a person knocking about the office - Fernando Alonso.
Alonso-approved pickup
While prepping for the gruelling Dakar Rally (you're literally not allowed to mention Dakar without saying gruelling) Alonso and motorbike racer Marc Coma - a five-time Dakar Rally winner in the motorbike class and a six-time FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion - were given pre-production prototypes of the new Hilux pickup truck to play with. And play with them, they did...
Now, this all took place last year, long before the lockdown, but Toyota is only releasing the photos and details now, as the new Hilux gets closer to going on sale. The two racers got to test out the prototype Hilux alongside the rally raid-spec Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux which took the pair to the finish line of their first-ever attempt together at the Dakar Rally which is often considered as one of the toughest motorsport events in the world.
New engine and suspension
Toyota isn't giving away too much in the way of detail about the new Hilux, only saying for now that it gets a new, more efficient, 2.8-litre diesel engine and re-designed rear suspension geometry.
'Hilux is an icon'
Following the test on a challenging gravel and dirt special stage designed for rally cars, Fernando said: "The Hilux is an icon and I've always been a fan of this car. When I first saw the New Hilux, it looked spectacular. It was nice to test the new car in a difficult environment, on a rally stage, and to push it to the limits. The new 2.8-litre engine behaves really well and the new suspension feels great. Even if you push the Hilux to the limit, the comfort is still there. I think the New Hilux can be invincible."
The test-drive obviously did both Alonso and Coma some good - the pair brought home their Toyota Hilux in a respectable 13th place overall in their first attempt together, in Dakar 2020, held earlier this year.