- Toyota UK tested the 2026 Hilux BEV with a 30-foot caravan drop chosen by Reddit users
- The 760 kg caravan fell on the Hilux, crushing the camper but sparing the truck's key systems
- The Hilux BEV started and drove away despite a damaged roof, cracked windshield, and dents
The Toyota Hilux has long carried a reputation for being nearly indestructible, a legend cemented by the brutal Top Gear stunts of 2003. Fast forward to 2026, and Toyota UK has revived that spirit this time testing whether the new Hilux BEV can survive a similarly punishing ordeal.
The Internet Chose The Punishment
Toyota turned to Reddit, inviting users to vote on how the zero-emission workhorse should be tested. The options were simple but brutal, a 1-tonne wrecking ball or a high-altitude caravan drop. The internet overwhelmingly picked the caravan drop, and Toyota delivered.
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Engineers hoisted a 760 kg caravan roughly 30 feet into the air using a large crane, then parked a brand-new Hilux BEV directly beneath it. Gravity did the rest. The camper, with its fragile fiberglass and wood construction, crumpled on impact, while high-speed cameras and an interior-mounted camera captured the chaos from multiple angles including a view from inside the caravan as it landed upside down on the truck.
Toyota Hilux Walked Away
Despite taking a direct hit from what was essentially a falling house on wheels, the Hilux BEV powered up immediately and drove away from the wreckage. The damage was significant but largely cosmetic and structural to the body: a deformed roof, a cracked windshield and a dented rear bed. The suspension absorbed much of the impact, briefly compressing as if the truck had been converted into a low-rider.
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Crucially, the battery mounted on the ladder-frame chassis and the electric motors emerged unharmed. Toyota notes that the truck is likely a write-off due to the roof damage, but the fact that it could still drive at all speaks to the durability of the underlying platform.
Toyota has warned viewers not to attempt to recreate the stunt, citing risks of serious injury, death or property damage. All caravan debris from the Bentwaters Airfield in Suffolk was recovered and sent to a recycling facility.
What Comes Next
The caravan drop, filmed with Very Nice Films and Bickers, was only the "warm-up" for the Hilux BEV. Toyota has handed the truck over to Top Gear's YouTube channel for further rough treatment, promising a second round of torture tests. It remains to be seen how the electric Hilux holds up under continued abuse.