If your Toyota Hilux swerve on the highway or during strong crosswinds, Toyota has a solution. The Japanese carmaker has announced a new skid plate as an accessory, which not only protects the underbody but also reduces the body roll significantly. Know all the details about it below.

Moreover, if you are searching for a used Toyota cars, look no further than Cars24 UAE.

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What is the Toyota Hilux Shibetsu Fin Undercover?

Toyota’s retrofit and customisation subsidiary, called the Toyota Upgrade Factory, has introduced a new accessory part in Japan. It is badged ‘Shibetsu Fin Undercover’, and it has been designed after extensive research on the body roll and crosswind behaviour of the Hilux pickup truck.

Mind you, the Hilux in question here is the old-gen, or the one that is currently on sale in the Middle East, and not the new-generation model. So, what does this undercover plate do?

Well, the brand says that this plate has been designed after studying the underbody airflow of the Hilux on the highway or at high speeds. The standard model Hilux is prone to swerving due to the high ground clearance, which leads to an airflow difference at the rear left and right sides, resulting in control loss.

However, the engineers have studied this issue closely and crafted this new undercover plate that has built-in aluminium fins in it. These fins smooth out the turbulent airflow, which ultimately leads to a reduction in vibrations caused by the high ground clearance.

Toyota claims that the vibrations have been reduced from 1 Hz to one-tenth, which is a substantial upgrade in the stability at higher speeds and around the curves. But achieving this was not easy, as the brand had to get rejected by multiple industrial firms.

At the end, the company approached the specialised metalwork artisans who helped in the multi-stage metal-moulding process by hand-adjusting the plates on metal bending machines. The Shibetsu Fin Undercover is not new for a Toyota vehicle, as the brand has previously introduced a similar cover for the Land Cruiser 250.

The best part is that this skid plate does not affect the approach angle of the Hilux. Moreover, it does not hinder the oil drain plug, thus keeping the oil change process easy.

The listed price of the Shibetsu Fin Undercover plate in Japan is 75,900 Yen (approximately AED 1,726). This plate is compatible with the models manufactured between August 2017 and August 2022, and between July 2023 and October 2024.

Cars24 UAE says

The new Shibetsu Fin Undercover plate is a smart and sensible upgrade for all Toyota Hilux owners, as per us. This plate not only provides additional protection to the engine and mechanical components but also resolves the biggest problem of the pickup truck, i.e. body swerving and body roll.