Comparison: Ground clearance Toyota Hilux vs. competitors 2025

Over the years, the Hilux has evolved, much like my own waistline, albeit in a more rugged and appealing manner. Initially, Toyota kept the ground clearance data in (presumably) a Fort Knox-like vault, with the early generations from '97 to 2008 being as mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Then, in 2008, the curtain was lifted, revealing a ground clearance of a not-too-shabby 203 mm. But hold onto your hats, because in 2016, Toyota decided to give the Hilux a pair of metaphorical stilts, boosting it to an impressive 277 mm. However, in a twist that not even M. Night Shyamalan saw coming, the 2020 facelift saw it stride a step back to 227mm, possibly in a nod to urban practicality or perhaps just to mess with us.

Now, if the Hilux were to line up with its Toyota siblings, it'd probably stand tall, not quite the giant among men but definitely not the kid picked last in dodgeball. With numbers like 227 mm, it would effortlessly hurdle over the Toyota GR Supra, GR Yaris, and even make the Toyota RAV4 look down at its shoes in embarrassment. But when it comes to the big boys like the Toyota Land Cruiser waving its 205 mm ground clearance badge, the Hilux cunningly nods, respecting the hierarchy, knowing full well it's playing in the upper echelons of ground clearance nobility within the Toyota realm.

But let's not get too comfortable on our high clearance throne and take a peek over the castle walls at the serfs and knights beyond. When you throw the Hilux in the ring with beasts like the Volvo XC60 boasting an audacious 230 mm, you realize this is not a battle of inches but of versatility. Then there's the Isuzu D-Max, striding in with a lofty 255 mm, making our Hilux look like it's wearing ballet flats at a construction site. However, not all is lost, for when the Ford Edge with its 152 mm ground clearance saunters by, the Hilux can't help but give a smug, knowing grin, reassured in its dominion over a considerable slice of the vehicular landscape.