Toyota Hilux vs MINI Cooper Convertible [2016-2018]

I'm smitten by pickup trucks and their versatility. So, there's no second guessing what I chose when the Toyota Hilux made it to the line-up of the fourth edition of CarWale's annual off-road day. In fact, it was the only massive pickup amongst SUVs here. To cope with the bulk, it has a 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine producing 200bhp and 500Nm of torque. All this power is routed through a six-speed torque converter automatic to the four-wheel-drive system. The latter gets High (H4) and Low (L4) range paired with electronic 2WD/4WD control. Despite the length, it has good approach (29.22degree) and departure (26.36degree) angles and runs on stock Bridgestone tyres (265/60 R18). Let's see how it performed.

A fashion accessory for the enthusiasts. We had Mini Convertible in India before – a car driven by a paltry 1.6-litre unit producing 122bhp and performance no better than any of the C-Segment sedans. It didn’t matter much considering the purpose; for those looking to be in spotlight, it was a no-brainer. The new one seems to be as good in those aspects, but with the 190bhp engine it promises to be a lot more.

To celebrate what we have left, we gather a bunch of true-blue 4x4s every year and give them hell!