On high demand and request by our followers, PakWheels has brought the owner review of Toyota Hilux Vigo, 2013 model. Toyota launched Vigo in 2006-07, and earlier, most of these cars came from Thailand in Pakistan. Then the company started to manufacture it locally under the name of Vigo Champ.
There imported Vigo from Thailand has two types of engine, i.e., 2500cc and 3000cc. This car’s UK version also comes in 3000 and 2500cc.
The vehicle under review is also a UK Model, named Hilux HL2.
Engine Power:
This car comes with a 2500cc 2KD engine, but it is much better than the Pakistani version. The owner said this model’s engine is relatively different from the local version. “It has Turbo and intercooler,” the owner said.
We want to tell our readers that Pakistani version is also 2500 2KD, but the UK version is better equipped. The local version does not have an intercooler and its Turbo is a smaller one, while this car’s turbo is same as 1KD 3-Liter engine. The Turbo and intercooler make a vital impact on car’s torque and overall engine performance. “Local engine can produce 100bhp, while this car can produce up to 140bhp, and there is a difference of 70-80nm torque between two engines,” the owner said.
Furthermore, the engine power of this 2500cc imported variant is not much different from 3000cc.
Why Manual Car?
This car is a five-speed manual transmission car. Discussing the reason for buying a manual car, the owner said there is no specific purpose behind it. “I believe car’s performance should be good, no matter whether it is manual or automatic,” the owner said, adding he drives this car daily and never faced any issue.
There is another misconception about this car is that its clutch would be heavy because it is a big car, which is not current at all.
Price:
The owner said he purchased this vehicle for Rs3million about four months ago. Meanwhile, the 2013-14 local variant also costs almost the same. “Thailand 3000cc, 2013-14 model costs around Rs4million, while UK model Invincible Automatic costs around Rs3.7million,” the owner said.
Fuel Average:
This car’s long-route fuel average is 15-16 kilometers per liter, while its intra-city mileage is 11-12 kilometers.
Is This Car Value-To-Money?
The owner believes this car is entirely value-to-money vehicles, especially concerning continuous price increasing in Pakistan. “Since I have bought this car, many people have asked me to sell this car, which means it is in high demand in the local market,” he said, adding that this car has all facilities of any 4×4 vehicle.
Interior:
This car comes without steering control and retractable side mirrors, unlike 3000cc UK Invincible variant. “This car’s panel is manual, and AC is not auto-climate control,” the owner said, adding that this car has fabric seats, which he likes mainly because of hot weather in Pakistan.
The owner got its head unit changed because original one from the UK lost its GPS.
Furthermore, the backseats of this car are relatively uncomfortable, just like all Hiluxes. “But this UK model has soft suspensions as compared to other variants, which makes sitting relatively comfortable,” the owner said.
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Exterior:
Exterior: The owner said this HL2 car is a basic variant of UK Hilux and comes without fenders and alloy rims.
Safety:
This Hilux HL2 has two airbags, making it safe for you and your family.
Missing Features:
According to the owner, he misses retractable side mirrors because manual ones cause a serious issue while parking. The second feature he misses is steering controls, which makes driving more convenient and easier. Other than this, he does not find any function missing in it.
AC Performance:
The performance of AC is excellent, even in the summer heat of Pakistan. Even passengers on backseat never complain about its AC.
Reason of Vigo Success in Rally Races in Pakistan:
The owner said that Vigo is mostly the first choice for the off-road rally racers in Pakistan because its parts are readily available. After all, this vehicle is also assembled in Pakistan. “Its maintenance is also very cheap as mechanics understands this car,” the owner said.
Negatives:
According to the owner, there are no significant negatives in this car; you just have to maintain it carefully under your own supervision. Moreover, its injectors are relatively costly, but you can counter this issue with good quality diesel and get its diesel filter changed on time.
Another issue in the UK variant is that its radiator is smaller as compared to local ones. “But you can replace it with local or Thai radiator very easily,” he said.
Oil Change:
The owner said that cost of oil change of double cabins, land cruisers, and Hilux is costly because it needs a double amount of Mobil oil as compared to a regular car. The cost of its oil change is around Rs7,000 after every 5000 kilometers.
Suspension:
The suspension of its stock condition is soft, while the owner of this car has changed its suspension for rally races. “The ride in stock suspension is smooth, but little rigid as compared to SUVs,” the owner said.
Resale Value:
The car has excellent resale value as it is highly in demand in the local market.
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