This Toyota Hilux Can Stop Rifle Fire, But Its Armor Costs Almost As Much As A Brand New Land Cruiser
The Toyota Hilux has a reputation for taking a beating, but this South African version is built to handle something a lot more serious than rough roads. SVI Engineering has fitted the latest-generation pickup with B6 ballistic armor designed to protect its occupants from specified rifle fire. The catch? The armor alone costs nearly as much as the truck. The conversion is based on the Toyota Hilux Double Cab Legend 4×4, with SVI working to keep the added protection hidden behind the pickup’s familiar exterior. From the outside, it looks much like an ordinary Hilux. Underneath that bodywork, though, there’s a lot more going on.
The Armor Costs Almost As Much As The Truck
SVI charges R945,239 for its B6 armoring package before South African VAT. That’s approximately $57,255 at the exchange rate cited by AutoEvolution. The Hilux itself has a listed price of R1,001,900, including VAT, in South Africa. In other words, the armor conversion costs almost as much as buying the pickup in the first place. And that’s before you add the cost of the truck to the bill.
The B6 package is designed to protect against specified rifle ammunition, including rounds associated with the AK-47. SVI uses ballistic steel, composite materials and 38-millimeter-thick ballistic glass to protect the passenger compartment, with reinforced areas around doors and windows to help prevent vulnerable gaps. The goal is to keep the truck looking relatively ordinary while adding substantial protection. However, B6 armor doesn’t make the Hilux invulnerable. Its capabilities depend on the ammunition and conditions involved, so it shouldn’t be mistaken for protection against every possible rifle threat.
The Weight Is Not Helping Either
All that armor adds approximately 1,543 pounds to the Hilux. That’s a substantial amount of extra weight for a pickup, and SVI makes further modifications to help the truck handle it. The conversion includes suspension upgrades and reinforced door hardware. There are some everyday compromises, too. The driver’s window can reportedly descend only about 5.9 inches, while the other windows remain fixed unless otherwise specified.
The extra weight also raises questions about braking, handling and payload capacity. Without independent testing or more detailed specifications, it’s difficult to say exactly how much the conversion affects those areas. For buyers who need protection against armed attacks, those compromises may be worth making. For everyone else, the price is likely to be a deal-breaker. At nearly $60,000 for the armor alone, this Hilux offers a very expensive way to get some extra peace of mind. And that’s before paying for the truck itself.
Source: SVI Engineering
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