1997 Toyota Hilux: A rare, ultimate adventure machine
In Bangladesh, you won't find too many people happily owning a 4-door pickup truck as a personal vehicle. We met with Sajid Rahman Anan, a university student and adventure enthusiast, who has owned and been driving a 1997 Hilux since 2020
In North America and some Middle Eastern countries, a 4-door pickup as a personal vehicle is common. The wide stretch of roads and the tough weather conditions make it a feasible choice.
After all, pickup trucks are particularly built to carry items weighing in tonnes of kilograms while requiring maintenance that won't make a hole in the pocket.
In Bangladesh, however, you won't find too many people who passionately own pickups by choice as personal vehicles. There are some exceptions though. We met with Sajid Rahman Anan, a university student and adventure enthusiast, who has owned and been driving a 1997 Hilux since 2020.
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Anan is no stranger to pushing the limits of his vehicles. Some readers of Wheels might remember his Kawasaki KLX 150 which we took on a muddy off-road adventure a couple of months ago. This time, we met him again, but in a stage that's bigger, with stakes higher and in an off-roader that's four-wheeled.
At the heart of this pickup lies a 2,779 cc 3L inline-four diesel engine paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. Powering all four wheels, this nearly three-decade-old powertrain churns out 88 hp and 185 Nm of torque—modest by today's standards— but proven to be indestructible internationally.
Anan's sentiment echoed this. "It drives like it's bulletproof, I've taken it both on and off-road, and it never disappoints."
If that's not convincing enough, in Top Gear's iconic season 3 episode, Jeremy Clarkson attempted to destroy one in every imaginable way. Yet, by the end of the episode, it survived.
For Anan, the decision to purchase the Hilux was to tackle the nightmare of the roads where he lived, where moving around with other cars was no less than physically damaging them. This Hilux, however, checked all the right boxes for him. It's cheap to repair, reliable and built to last.
"It's one of the easiest vehicles to maintain compared to my other 4x4, the Land Cruiser Prado," he said, noting that it's much easier to work on, and parts are still readily available and cheap. Regular servicing and good-quality fuel are all it takes to keep this machine running.
On top of that, with its pickup status, the annual income tax (AIT) is only Tk4,000 which makes it significantly cheaper to own than SUVs with similar engines with no compromise to practicality.
Before Anan's purchase, the Hilux was already treated with a custom metal bumper and snorkel for off-road duties. To make it completely ready to go off the tarmac, he just added the final cherry on top by opting for larger off-road tyres.
Despite the quirks of SUVs at a fraction of the price, why aren't pickups like these popular as family vehicles in Bangladesh one may wonder.
To this Anan, after four years of ownership, said, "I can't park it everywhere and narrow roads are a challenge. The ride isn't the most comfortable either, but it's fine for what it is. It's a diesel truck, so it's not as smooth as modern cars, and it lacks safety features."
"One of my favourite memories was riding on an open highway, sitting in the back of the truck on a bean bag," Anan recalled with a smile. But the Hilux's true home is the off-road trail, "Every time I take it off-road is memorable," he added. It's a simple, no-nonsense machine that prioritises reliability over bells and whistles.
Anan also has memorable moments with the Hilux. "One of my favourite memories was riding on an open highway, sitting in the back of the truck on a bean bag," he recalled with a smile. But the Hilux's true home is the off-road trail, "Every time I take it off-road is memorable," he added.
It's a simple, no-nonsense machine that prioritises reliability over bells and whistles. Hence on weekends, one may spot Anan with a group of friends and the Hilux's bed loaded up for an off-road adventure on the outskirts of Purbachal.
As for the future, Anan has no plans to make any drastic changes. "I'll keep it as is, take care of it, and keep it running," he said.
A repaint might be on the cards someday, but it's not a priority. After all, the Hilux's rugged exterior tells a story—a story of reliability, resilience and adventure against anything nature, or perhaps Dhaka's under-construction roads, has ever thrown at it.
