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Next-generation Toyota Hilux – Everything we know

We’re inching ever closer to the reveal of the next-generation Toyota Hilux, with several particulars on the bakkie already out in the public arena.

Toyota has been rather secretive about its new creation, however.

Yet to be seen in prototype form or even as a digital render, most publicly available info on the new Hilux has thus far been based on hearsay, though the sources always seem to have a close tie to the automaker.

We run through the latest rumours and details on the next version of South Africa’s favourite vehicle below.

Fashionably late as always

First off, it’s expected that the new Hilux will be unveiled in mid-to-late 2025 in time for a commercial rollout in early 2026.

Like the current generation, the upcoming model will be built at Toyota’s Durban factory and the automaker announced in August 2024 that it is already preparing for production with the establishment of a new R1.2-billion component manufacturing plant at the Dube Tradeport in KwaZulu-Natal.

The new parts facility will supply a range of necessities exclusively to Toyota including rocker panels, radiator supports, sills, roof rails, body pillars, and rear floor cross parts, and it’s earmarked to open its doors in July 2025.

Once fully operational, it’s likely that Toyota will start phasing out production of the old Hilux and bring in the new one, hence, we can expect the bakkie to be revealed more or less around this time, or at the very least catch glimpses of pre-production models in and around the Durban factory.

However, it won’t go on sale to the public before 2026, said Andrew Kirby, President of Toyota South Africa.

Kirby told The Citizen earlier this year that the next-gen Hilux “will not be coming to market next year” – i.e. 2025. Be that as it may, his wording suggests that it could still be unveiled in 2025 albeit not going on sale before the end of December of that year.

Toyota took the wraps off the new Prado in August 2023 well before the commencement of its market rollout in early 2024, and it might be eyeing a similar strategy with the Hilux.

It’s also likely that the launch will be fast-tracked following the major sales success of the new Ford Ranger, which already reached the market in 2022 and has been steadily chipping away at Toyota’s market dominance ever since.

Case in point, Toyota Australia’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide that we’ll “have to wait until ’25” when asked whether the bakkie will retain its diesel power.

2023 Toyota Hilux FCEV Prototype

On that note, the next-gen Hilux is expected to receive a range of powertrains as time goes by including petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric, and hydrogen.

Toyota execs at the 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show divulged to the media that the automaker should have a battery-electric (BEV) version of the next-gen Hilux ready to go to market before 2026, as per Reuters.

The tail end of 2022 saw Toyota unveil a Hilux BEV concept with a driving potential of approximately 230km, which functioned as a working subject for the development of the powertrain, hinting that we will likely find it in the upcoming generation at some point.

Even hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) drivelines are being studied by Toyota for their commercial viability in tandem with BMW, the automakers this month jointly announcing that the eco-friendly system should be ready for the public by 2028.

Toyota has even gone so far as to develop 10 Hilux FCEV prototypes which are undergoing “rigorous testing around the world to ensure safety, dynamic performance, functionality, and durability meet the high standards required of a production model,” said the manufacturer.

The system was adopted from the Mirai and stores hydrogen in three high-pressure fuel tanks, which when filled completely gives the Hilux FCEV an expected driving range of more than 600km.

Back to the more traditional propulsion technologies,  Hanley also said the company is in the process of developing a plug-in hybrid option for the new Hilux, which will reportedly offer over 200km of pure-electric driving range.

Apart from these, future buyers can expect variations of the regular 2.4-litre and 2.8-litre diesel, and 2.0-litre and 2.7-litre petrol mills found in the existing version.

2024 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter

The new Hilux is expected to be underpinned by the same TNGA-F architecture as its stablemates, the Prado and Land Cruiser 300.

It should grow in size accordingly and also provide enhanced ride comfort and noise levels, which are virtues rarely associated with the Hilux of today, as well as improved on- and off-road performance in comparison to the present generation.

Japanese publication Response has the dimensions of the new bakkie pegged at 5,355mm long, 1,860mm wide, and 1,800mm tall – making it 30mm longer, 60mm wider, and 15mm lower than the current Hilux Double Cab S.

It has further been reported that the upcoming Hilux will take many design cues from the Tacoma, the entry-level Toyota bakkie in the US market.

The Tacoma features a brawnier silhouette underscored by squared corners and sharp creases, which may very well find their way to the locally built 4×4.

With the Hilux now moving upwards in the echelons of the bakkie realm, the Hilux Champ is set to take its place as the workhorse in the family.

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