Toyota Granvia vs Toyota HiLux

What's the difference?

The Granvia VX is great at being plush, comfortable and easy to drive, but it's not as practical as a people mover should be. And while the engine provides a great driving experience, you'll be filling up the tank often if your trips are mainly urban and city focused.

The HiLux’s age-defying sales and resale values confirm it’s still one of the top two 4x4 dual cabs on the market. However, its new V-Active technology feels underdone, as it adds weight (we reckon about 40kg) and complexity without gains in performance you can feel or economy you can meaningfully measure. Hopefully, Toyota’s next crack at a 'hybrid' HiLux will be more convincing.

The Granvia is a new-generation people mover based on the Toyota HiAce commercial van and arrived in Australia in 2019. The resemblance to the HiAce is obvious although dressed up in its Granvia clothes it's a handsome and professional looking little bus.

I'm a fan of the protruding nose (which helped it earn the five-star ANCAP rating, see more on safety below) and I even like its big, shiny Transformer face and the 'L-shaped' tail-lights which aren't to everybody's taste.

Also, when I say little bus that's only in comparison to actual buses, like the one I convinced people not to get on in my video. Compared to a seven-seater SUV such as the Kia Sorento or Toyota Kluger, the Granvia is enormous.

Look at the dimensions. The Granvia is 5300mm long, 1990mm tall (not counting the aerial) and 1970mm wide, not counting the wing mirrors (which can be folded in).

While the length was hardly ever a problem for me while driving it over the week, the height saw me just make it under the 2.0m clearance in our underground carpark and I had to fold the aerial down to do it. Beware, many carparks have a max headroom of just 1.9m.

The cabin of the VX is impressively plush from the quilted leather reclining second-row seats to the 'woodgrain-look' trim throughout.

During my test I played bus driver to a number of passengers (no, seriously I picked up random strangers off the side of the road – see the video) and all were impressed by the Granvia's premium-feeling interior.

The HiLux’s enduring appeal is the ‘unbreakable’ feel when you step aboard. Even though its curvaceous styling is increasingly dated, we can’t fault the build quality as it displays a peerless standard of fit and finish which never wavers.

Our only major gripe (since its launch in 2015) is the cramped rear seating. It’s particularly tight for tall people, giving that I’m 186cm and when sitting in the rear seat with the driver’s seat in my position, my knees are pressed into its backrest and my head rubs on the roof lining.

Shoulder room for three large adults is equally challenging and tolerable only for short trips. We reckon the Ranger’s more accommodating rear stalls are significant in its sales leadership.

The Granvia VX tested was an eight-seater (four rows of two seats) and being so tall and long would mean the space inside is going to be good, right? Nup. The Granvia doesn't seem to make the best use of its enormous cabin.

Seating, while undeniably comfortable and luxurious in the second and third rows, doesn't offer great legroom when you have a full load of people on board. I could only just sit behind my driving position in the second row and then behind that in the third row, but there was no way I could then fit in the fourth row.

And while cabin storage is great with the biggest centre console bin I've ever seen – I could fit my head in it (see the video) – and there are 10 cupholders, six coat hooks and a folding table, there isn't a boot or any room for cargo, not in the eight-seater (with all seats in use) I tested anyway. With all four rows in place there is only enough room for a few items no wider than a box of cereal (watch the video, to see what I mean).

Folding up the base on the fourth row seats means they can slide forward and that does free up a little bit of space for cargo, but if you are only going to be using the Granvia for six people, then my advice is to go with the six-seater and have a big boot at your disposal all of the time.

The Granvia VX is outfitted well with charging points – there are seven USB ports all the way back to the third row and two 12-volt outlets.

We'll get to what the Granvia is like to drive in a moment, but what I can say here is that the driver and passengers sit high, like looking-down-on-four-wheel-drive-utes high.

Access into the front seats is a bit of a climb up and proved tricky for my 75-year-old Dad with his gammy knee, but entry into the second-row seats was easy thanks to a wide step and a large aperture.

The small table between the second-row seats blocks the aisle, so the only way to get to the third row is by sliding the second row forward. Fourth row access is more difficult but compared to entry into the back row of most seven-seater SUVs it's a breeze.

With its 2150kg kerb weight and 3050kg GVM, the SR5 V-Active has a 900kg payload rating. It can also tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 5850kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would require a substantial 700kg reduction in payload to only 200kg, which could be used up by a driver and passenger alone. 

Alternatively, you could lower the trailer weight limit by the same 700kg to 2800kg (which is still a sizeable trailer) and retain the SR5’s maximum payload. We reckon most owners would do this anyway, given few (if any) would need to tow 3500kg.

The load tub is 1570mm long, 1645mm wide and 495mm deep with 1105mm between the wheel housings. Therefore, it can’t carry a standard Aussie pallet but will take a Euro-sized one. There are four load-anchorage points and we welcome the new lower/raise assistance for the hefty tailgate.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in each front door, plus pop-out cupholders on either side of the dash, upper and lower glove boxes (with the upper having access to air-con) and an overhead glasses holder.

The latest centre console layout has a wireless phone-charging pad and vertical phone-storage slot, small-bottle/cupholder, a bin for small items and a box with padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

Rear passengers get a bottle-holder and bin in each door, pockets on each front seat backrest and a fold-down centre armrest with two more cupholders.

Only the narrower driver’s side of the 60/40-split rear seat base-cushion can swing up and be stored vertically as the passenger-side is now fixed, given the V-Active’s 48V battery resides beneath it and is ventilated by a louvered air intake in the passenger footwell.

The new electrically-assisted drivetrain is available only in SR/SR5 4x4 dual cabs and the Rogue, paired with the HiLux’s ubiquitous 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and six-speed automatic.

Our SR5 V-Active 48V test vehicle has a list price of $63,260. It’s also equipped with the optional premium interior package, which for an additional $2500 adds black leather-accented seats and door trims, heated front seats and an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Its eye-catching 'Nebula Blue' premium paint option adds another $675.

Latest MY24 updates feature a redesigned front fascia with black ‘honeycomb’ grille, plus wireless phone charging, two USB-C ports in the centre console for rear seat passengers to use and a tailgate equipped with gas-struts to ease opening/closing effort.

 Otherwise, it’s the same SR5 with which we’ve grown very familiar. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloys and 265/60R18 tyres with a full-size alloy spare, along with LED lighting, side-steps, sports bar, privacy glass and more, even though Toyota still won’t throw in a tub-liner.

Inside is remote keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate, an air-conditioned cooler box, multiple USB ports/12-volt sockets and a 220-volt outlet, premium-grade steering wheel and shifter-knob, driver’s 4.2-inch colour multi-info display, a 360-degree camera view and more.

 The 8.0-inch touchscreen for the multimedia system, including six-speaker audio, appears to shrink as each year passes, but is easy to use and offers multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and digital radio. It also projects imagery for the various camera views.

The Granvia has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – the same one found in the Toyota HiAce van and with 130kW/450Nm I found there was more than enough grunt to handle city duties or overtaking on motorways.

Equipped with a diesel particulate filter there's a burn-off switch located near the driver's right knee. The Granvia will tell you when it's time to activate the burn-off function.

The 2.8-litre diesel is fairly quiet and responsive while the six-speed automatic shifts smoothly. There's not much to complain about in terms of the usability of the engine and transmission, they performed well – it's just that with it having to carry around a vehicle weighing nearly 2.7 tonnes fuel economy was never going to be great (you can read about this below).

The venerable (1GD-FTV) 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with V-Active produces the same 150kW and 500Nm as the standard engine, driving through a six-speed torque converter automatic.

However, Toyota claims fuel economy gains of up to 9.5 per cent when this drivetrain is combined with the new hybrid technology, which comprises a 48-volt electric motor-generator, 48-volt lithium-ion battery and idle-stop system.

The turbo-diesel engine uses a silent-belt to drive the motor-generator, which charges the battery under the rear seat. This battery, which Toyota claims weighs less than eight kilograms with 4.3Ah capacity, also supplies electricity to the vehicle’s 12-volt system through a DC/DC converter.

This system can send up to 8.4kW of power and 65Nm of torque through the motor-generator to assist the engine. Toyota claims this delivers smoother and quieter yet more responsive performance and reduces engine load under acceleration. It also results in a small reduction in idle speed from 720rpm to 600rpm.

Deceleration and braking energy are also recovered, converted into electricity and stored in the 48V battery for later use.  Toyota claims “hydraulic braking combined with regenerative braking creates a more effective and natural deceleration feel and supports downhill manoeuvring.”

The idle-stop system does not use the starter motor like conventional set-ups. Instead, the electric motor-generator, which is permanently connected to the engine via its belt-drive, delivers this function with greater smoothness and quietness.

Idle-stop duration can also be extended by the driver and, when restarting the engine on inclines, the idle-stop system retains brake pressure until enough drive force is generated to ensure smooth acceleration.

In another first for HiLux, its part-time, dual-range 4x4 system (with switchable rear diff-lock) in V-Active variants is paired with 'Multi-Terrain Select' to enhance off-road ability.

The driver can switch between six traction control settings tailored to suit a variety of terrain including 'Auto', 'Sand' and 'Mud' (high- and low-range), 'Deep Snow' and 'Dirt' (high-range) and Rock (low-range).

The specifications given by Toyota give the Granvia's combined fuel consumption as 8.0L/100km from the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

That sounds fantastic, but in reality after a combination of motorways and urban use the trip computer was reporting 12.9L/100km. A separate fuel test (carried out by myself) saw the Granvia use 21.4L over 127km of city and urban driving (measured at the fuel pump), which comes to 16.8L/100km.

That sounds like a lot, but it makes sense when you consider how heavy the Granvia is. It's 2660kg without anybody on board! If you're carrying eight people weighing 60kg your total mass is tipping the scales at 3140kg and your fuel economy is going to be significantly higher again. The GVM, by the way, is 3500kg.

Really, the Granvia is the perfect argument for a hybrid powertrain, because tour operators or parents ferrying their family around the city are going to want better fuel economy.

We completed a total distance of 580km, which comprised a mix of city and suburban driving with an empty load tub and up to four adults on board, plus some freeway/highway running with a near-maximum payload.

When we stopped to refuel at the end of our test, the dash display was claiming average combined consumption of 9.5L/100km, which was lineball with our own 9.4 figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings.

Both are higher than Toyota’s official 7.2L/100km figure but within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between OEM ratings and real-world figures.

Interestingly, the last time we tested a 4x4 SR5 auto dual cab ute (without V-Active) in 2023, using similar routes and payloads, we achieved 9.6L/100km. So, the V-Active’s drop in consumption was only about 2.0 per cent, compared to Toyota’s claim of up to 9.5 per cent.

So, based on our real-world figure, you could expect a useful driving range of around 870km from its 80-litre tank.

For a 5.3m long, 2.0m tall box on wheels the Granvia sure is easy to drive. I live in Sydney's Inner West (get your chai latte jokes out of the way now, please) and drove it daily through horrendous traffic on potholed roads, navigated through the tiniest streets and squashy car parks, went fishing in it and ate up motorway kays on the weekends.

There are going to be people who snort at that eight of 10, but I'm telling you  it's down to three things: comfort, ease and engine.

The seats were comfortable and supportive (my passengers felt the same way – again see the video of me being a bus driver), the ride is composed thanks to the suspension and no doubt the weight and the wheelbase of the Granvia.

The visibility is excellent thanks to those giant windows, the ride height and tech such as that digital rear view mirror, while the steering is light, and the turning circle is excellent at 11.0m.

Finally, that 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine. Yes, it's thirsty but from a driving perspective only it's great – smooth and responsive.

Often vans are prone to a booming sound reverberating around the cabin and the Granvia VX was also a victim of this phenomenon with road noise echoing around inside. It's not bad and I could still hear people in the second and third rows, however.

If you’re expecting a tangible difference in performance with the V-Active system, you’ll probably be disappointed. Fact is, after almost 600km of testing, on a variety of roads with a variety of loads, we could not detect any noticeable gain in acceleration, braking or smoothness compared to a standard SR5.

That’s not to say the V-Active system is not delivering up to 8.4kW of power and 65Nm of torque, as Toyota claims. It’s just that these gains are modest and delivered so discreetly that they are undetectable in real-world driving.

This was perhaps best demonstrated when we loaded 650kg into the load tub, which when combined with our two-man crew was a total payload of 830kg. That was only 70kg shy of the payload limit.

It made light work of our 13 per cent gradient 2.0km set climb at 60km/h by self-shifting down to fourth gear at 2250rpm, where it tapped maximum torque to easily haul this payload to the summit.

However, in our previous test of a standard SR5, on the same incline with 100kg more payload, the gear selection and engine rpm were the same as the V-Active. The same applied to engine-braking on the way down.

The HiLux achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019, so its six-year validity will expire next year. Even so, there are seven airbags plus AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping, active cruise control, speed-sign recognition, panoramic view/reversing camera and more.

The rear seat offers ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the two outer seating positions plus top-tether restraints on all three seating positions.

The Granvia is covered by Toyota's five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended by Toyota at six-month/10,000km intervals with capped price servicing of $240 per service for three years or 60,000km.

Toyota covers the HiLux with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is par for the course in the mainstream market.

Service intervals are relatively short at six months/10,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for the first five years/100,000km totals $3889 or an average of $779 per year.