The best-selling car in Australia in 2023 so far has a much cooler European sibling, but it might not be the kind of thing you’d expect from the same region that favours a city hatchback.
The Toyota HiLux 6×6, called the HiLoad by Prospeed – the modification company that builds it – is designed to be a smaller, more manoeuvrable alternative to small trucks that might not be able to take on certain service or emergency tasks.
In this case, the wheel-wealthy HiLux is tasked with putting out electric car fires, which can become far more intense than combustion engine car fires due to their battery packs.
The HiLoad is built to be only 1900mm tall, so that it can get into multi-level carparks where other firetrucks would struggle.
In this instance, the Prospeed-built 6×6 is fitted with electrical firefighting equipment from Czech company Atenta, which builds various types of fire response utes for different “modern fires”, and even larger situations like forest fires.
The HiLoad 6×6, as built by Prospeed, is created with a custom ladder-frame chassis, just 10 per cent heavier than the OEM Toyota frame, then lifted by 25mm.
Its suspension is height adjustable and has a load sensing air system, while all its original functionality in terms of safety like ABS and stability control remains.
Prospeed has built the HiLoad 6×6 with a custom ladder-frame chassis.The HiLoad can handle a 3000kg payload, and tow a 3.5-tonne braked trailer, with the company saying the 6×6 can, in total with a trailer, weigh up to 8.1 tonnes.
Prospeed also manufactures versions of the HiLoad for commercial and utility use such as in mining, or in military and police capacities such as troop carrying or even artillery transport.
Since Prospeed is a UK-based company where right-hand drive is the standard, and the HiLux is so prevalent here, it’s not out of the question for the company to be able to build Australian vehicles – as long as they meet ADRs, which aren’t cheap to undergo compliance approval for.
It might not be worth Prospeed trying, however, as Australian company Multidrive appears to already offer a 6×6 conversion for HiLux utes locally for the its current generation.
Keyword: FireLux! Toyota HiLux 6x6 built to respond to electric car fires in Europe, but could Ford Ranger-rivalling emergency ute work here?