Key highlights:
- Toyota drops a 760kg caravan onto the Hilux BEV
- The Hilux ute survives the massive impact and drives away
- The stunt pays tribute to Top Gear’s 2003 Hilux test
Toyota has put the new Hilux BEV through a punishment that directly revisits one of the ute’s most famous durability tests. The 2026 stunt by Toyota UK recreates the spirit of Top Gear’s legendary 2003 “Indestructible HiLux” segment, this time using the brand’s new battery-electric workhorse.
The test aimed to answer a simple question: can an electric Hilux take the same beating as its predecessors? Toyota dropped a 760kg caravan onto one from around 9.1 metres.
Reddit chose the punishment
Toyota UK partnered with Reddit and asked users to choose how the Hilux BEV should face its next punishment. The Japanese automotive giant offered two options:
- A 1-tonne (2205lb) wrecking ball
- A 760kg (1676lb) caravan dropped from high altitude
Users overwhelmingly picked the caravan drop, and Toyota followed through.
Engineers lifted a 760kg caravan roughly 30 feet (9.1m) into the air using a large crane, and they positioned a brand-new Hilux BEV underneath it at Bentwaters Airfield in Suffolk, England. Then they let gravity take over.
The caravan slammed directly onto the roof of the mid-size ute, and its lightweight fibreglass and wood construction crumbled under the impact. Toyota captured the collision with high-speed cameras for a closer look.
It even placed a camera inside the caravan, showing the impact from inside the mobile home as it landed upside down on the Hilux.
Toyota designed the stunt as a direct homage to Top Gear’s famous 2003 “Indestructible HiLux” segment. Back then, Jeremy Clarkson subjected a 1980s diesel Hilux to a series of brutal destruction tests.
One of those tests involved dropping a caravan onto the ute, and the new stunt asks whether the same legendary toughness carries across to a battery-electric Hilux.
Toyota has warned viewers not to attempt or replicate any action shown in the video and also confirmed that crews recovered all the caravan debris from Bentwaters Airfield and sent it to a recycling facility.
Hilux BEV drives away with modest damage
The Hilux BEV took a direct hit and still powered up immediately; then it drove away from the wreckage. The truck did not escape without damage, though. Its battle scars included:
- A deformed roof
- A cracked windscreen
- A dented rear bed
The suspension appeared to absorb the impact forces, briefly giving the ute a lowered, almost street-truck stance. More importantly, the battery and electric motors remained unharmed on this electric ute’s ladder-frame chassis.
The truck will likely count as a write-off because of the roof damage, but the test showed the major electric drivetrain components survived the impact.
Also read: Toyota HiLux hydrogen confirmed for 2028 with 400km+ range
Top Gear gets the next round
The caravan drop was only the “warm-up”, according to Toyota, as the company has offered the Hilux BEV to the Top Gear YouTube channel for more rough treatment. That sets up another round of punishment for the electric ute.
The latest Hilux generation is not available in North America, but the prospect of WhistlinDiesel getting hold of one adds another possible level of abuse.
Toyota wants electric Hilux to keep its reputation
Toyota wanted to show that switching the Hilux from an internal-combustion engine to a battery-electric powertrain does not mean sacrificing the ute’s reputation for ruggedness and durability.
The caravan drop delivered a suitably brutal answer.
The roof took the hit, the battery and electric motors survived, and the Hilux BEV drove away.
The new Hilux currently comes with mild-hybrid diesel and fully electric powertrains, and Toyota has also confirmed a hydrogen variant for 2028.
Despite the expanding powertrain range, the diesel Hilux still accounts for the vast majority of sales.
Its lower price, more usable fuel type, and stronger towing and payload ratings continue to make it the preferred choice for most buyers.
Thinking of buying a tough-old Hilux ute? Explore these used Toyota Hilux utes offered with a 30-day return policy on Cars24 Australia.
Comments
New Comment