Toyota is highly regarded in the US for trucks like the Tacoma and Tundra, but there’s one truck in the Toyota lineup that American drivers can’t have. The Toyota Hilux was once seen as the most innovative truck on the road. The truck gained a positive reputation for its comfort and space while most trucks were meant for hard work. However, it cannot be purchased at American dealerships. Last hour?
Other vehicles are banned in the United States
The Toyota Hilux is the only notable vehicle to be banned in America. Many other desirable cars have also been banned, including the popular Land Rover Defender and the Nissan Skyline GTR.
Although the word “banned” has connotations of scandal, most of these cars are only banned because of a law called the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act, or IVSCA.
According to Slash Gear, the IVSCA states that if a vehicle cannot be purchased in the United States, it cannot be imported. Since there are no Land Rover Defender models sold at Land Rover dealerships in the United States, a driver cannot simply import one.
However IVSCA does not apply to classic vehicles and it defines classic vehicles as being 25 years old. If your dream car is a classic foreign car, you don’t have to worry about how IVSCA will do.
If you have a new foreign car that you really want, you can take advantage of another exception if you claim the car as a car for display and demonstration. A driver would have to drive up to 2,500 miles a year to do this, though.
Why You Can’t Buy a Banned Toyota Hilux in the US
The Toyota Hilux is a revolutionary pickup truck, but since the 90s, it has been unavailable in the US. Toyota first sold the Hilux in America in 1969, and it was a remarkably forward-thinking truck.
Pickup trucks of that era were not designed with everyday driving in mind. The typical truck owner used their truck to help with farming or other tasks. The Toyota Hilux, meanwhile, offered additional cabin space and had a more comfortable ride.
Today, trucks are common everyday vehicles, but in 1969, the Hilux was an anomaly. If it was seen as such a special vehicle, why was it banned? The primary reason for the Hilux’s departure from American dealerships was the introduction of another Toyota truck, the Tacoma.
In many ways, the Tacoma offers the same experience as the Hilux. It was designed to be both functional as a work truck and comfortable for everyday driving. Because of this, the Tacoma replaced the Hilux in the United States, and Toyota has not sold the Hilux in America since.
Features of the new Toyota Hilux
Outside of the United States, the Hilux is still a popular Toyota model, and Toyota continues to manufacture the Hilux today. The Slash Gear article also states that if a buyer really wants to drive a HiLux in the US, it’s still technically legal, but it comes at a big cost. Imports like the Hilux come with an additional 25% duty and since the Hilux is considered similar to the Tacoma, it may not be worth paying that much extra for a Hilux.
The Toyota Hilux is not just a rebadged Tacoma, and it has plenty of features that continue to make it an innovative pickup. According to HotCars, the Toyota Hilux is powered by a 204-horsepower, 2.8-liter turbo engine. Unlike the Tacoma, the Hilux offers a diesel engine option.
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