Toyota Borrows a Brutal Durability Test from Top Gear (4 Photos + 1 Video)

Toyota has put the new electric Hilux through an extreme durability test by dropping a travel trailer onto the pickup from a considerable height. The stunt was inspired by a legendary 2003 episode of Top Gear, chosen by Reddit users in an open poll run by the automaker.





A 760-kilogram caravan was dropped onto the pickup from a height of nine meters. Despite the heavy impact, the Hilux sustained only minor body damage and drove away under its own power. The truck was then handed over to the Top Gear YouTube team for a series of follow-up tests.

Notably, the test took place at Bentwaters Airfield in Suffolk, England—a familiar filming location for Top Gear. It was here in 2017 that The Stig set a world speed record in a bumper car, hitting 164.475 km/h.

The runner-up option in the Reddit poll would have seen the Hilux smashed with a demolition wrecking ball.

The battery-electric Hilux made its debut in January. Built on the model's ninth generation, it preserves the truck’s signature ruggedness, including battery pack protection for off-roading and water wading. Depending on the powertrain—fully electric or a 48V mild-hybrid diesel—the pickup boasts a payload capacity of up to 1,065 kilograms and a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes.