Toyota Malaysia recently held its Hilux Unleashed: The Ultimate Challenge event in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Melaka. Each event gave families, friends and adventurers of all ages an exciting day out in the form of a treasure hunt and various other fun activities designed to highlight the pick-up truck‘s strengths.
The KK event saw 42 teams of 121 participants in all converge at Pacific Sutera Harbour on May 10. The treasure hunt took them through Anjung Waterfront, Kokol Hill and Tuaran, besides allowing them to experience an off-road taxi ride, Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) Blindspot Challenge and Hilux Precision Driving activities.
Clinching first, second and third respectively at the Nexus Resort & Spa Karambunai end point were Dolumin Dommin and Team 32, Teo Seh Tiong and Team 12, and Rudy bin Borhan and Team 23.
Meanwhile, 45 teams of 138 participants descended upon the UCSI Hotel on May 17 for the Kuching chapter. Their wild goose chase took them through locations such as Saradise, the famous cat statue at Padungan, and Samariang to finish at Damai Lagoon, where Lee Min Qi of Team Hilux 20 emerged victorious, Letizia anak Nicholas Steven of Team Hilux 31 took second, and Serene Tan Yan Yu of Team Hilux 15 took third.
Like their KK counterparts, the participants also enjoyed an off-road taxi ride, PVM Blindspot Challenge and Hilux Precision Driving activities.
With 41 teams of 140 participants from Kuala Lumpur plus 49 teams of 139 participants from Johor Bahru, the May 24 Melaka event saw the greatest turnout. The treasure hunt began at the Glenmarie Hotel & Golf Resort, going through Johor Bahru’s Pulai Spring Resort before culminating at DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka, with a social media photo contest spicing things up.
Taking first, second and third respectively for KL were Team Hilux 3’s Omar Abdul Rahman, Team Hilux 38’s Faiz Kamaruzzaman and Team Hilux 45’s Kwan Siu Me, while JB’s corresponding victors were Team Hilux 67’s M. Dzulfaqar, Team Hilux 68’s Ashley Wong and Team Hilux 71’s Shawn Liew.
Toyota Malaysia also held two-day sales carnivals to coincide with the KK, Kuching and Melaka events, at Likas Stadium, Saradise and Klebang Beach respectively. Besides car displays and test drives, there were taxi rides, free vehicle inspections and Topmark evaluations, plus GR merchandise on sale.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
What is going on with most Automakers giving cool features and big wheels for their SUVs and pickup trucks while giving less features and small wheels for their sedans and hatchbacks. It’s NOT about going off road, it’s about having a car with a high-seating position and can drive on our Beautiful, Bumpy and Rough roads . Sedans and hatchbacks can be cool like SUVs and pickup trucks, it just depends on whether automakers want to make them cool….. Or…… Automakers just want to make SUVs and Pickup trucks cool…. And let their sedans and hatchbacks stay as boring cars. Even the gearbox, for example, Toyota can give a 6-speed Auto, a turbocharged engine, decent HP , high ground clearance and big wheels for the Fortuner and the Hilux, but they decided to give a 4-speed CVT, low ground clearance, Noisy NA ENGINE , less HP and small wheels for the Vios and the Yaris…Just why? And I know people will say “because if they give their sedans and hatchbacks decent ground clearance, big wheels, cool features and a 6-speed Auto or a 7-DCT Gearbox , that would increase the car’s cost. ”
True I agree, but even with little techs and gizmos, people are still paying a high price to buy sedans and hatchbacks….. And getting very little features , a sluggish gearbox and low ground clearance.
In conclusion, Automakers can make their sedans and hatchbacks cool like SUVs and pickup trucks, it all depends on whether automakers want to…. Or not. And to be honest, as a car guy, I’m very sad and disappointed that nowadays most Automakers just want to focus on making their SUVs and Pickup trucks cool while leaving their sedans and hatchbacks lineup bland and boring.
And worst, with all these corrupt, greedy and evil politicians coming up with strict emission rules, laws and regulations, Automakers are forced to down-size their engines to smaller and noisy engines….or go into electrification.
Any CyberTruck want to join along?