A new Toyota HiLux is just around the corner.
Toyota’s new workhorse has been approved for sale in Australia, according to documents published by the Federal Government regulator.
This is often the final hurdle before a vehicle lands in local showrooms, and history tells us the new HiLux should be on sale in the coming months once this process has been completed.
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Details of the new HiLux are scarce in the documents, but it does refer to a 1GD-FTV engine, which is the same in the current version.
Two variants of this are mentioned, with one using mild hybrid assistance.
This is the same engine used in the current version, which is a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 150kW and 500Nm.
Toyota claims this motor uses about 9.5L/100km, depending on the variant.
The other engine option appears to ditch the mild hybrid tech, which was the old HiLux motor. This could be the new base engine option to replace the current 2.7-litre petrol and 2.4-litre turbo-diesel motors currently available.
This would give all HiLux variants the same potent 150kW and 500Nm outputs.
It is rumoured Toyota is prepping plug-in hybrid power for the HiLux at a later date.
Toyota’s new RAV4 will be the brand’s first plug-in hybrid in Australia when it launches next year. That model’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol and electric motor combo deliver 227kW, and while torque is unknown expect it to be in the 500Nm range.
If applied to the HiLux it would also bring other benefits such as vehicle-to-load ability, which allows tradies to power or charge tools directly off the vehicle.
The HiLux will get a new look, with recent spy pics showing a reworked front end to bring it more into line with the brand’s newer vehicles.
It is also believed to have a step integrated into the tray exterior for easier access.
Think of it as an evolution, not a revolution.
Bigger changes are coming to the cabin, according to design sketches published by Thailand’s Headlight Magazine.
The design sketches show a focus on in-cabin screens, increased storage, a new dash and vents, and — in a nod to its 4WD siblings — the gear shifter from the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.
Full details are sure to come to light soon, ahead of the car’s official reveal and on-sale date.
