Toyota has revealed details of the update to the mid-size Hilux pickup truck for Australia, most of them come in conjunction with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel, which received a 48-volt mild hybrid add-on.
Toyota published the first photos of the updated Hilux pickup truck for the Australian market at the beginning of the month, and now additional details have been revealed ahead of the start of sales. Let us remind you that the current eighth generation of the Toyota Hilux pickup truck has been in production since 2015; the pickup experienced the previous comprehensive update, which affected design and technology, in 2020.
Australia is one of the key markets for Hilux. Mid-size pickups traditionally lead the ranking of the best-selling new cars in this country: last year, the Ford Ranger pickup took first place (63,356 units sold, 33.4% more than in 2022), while the Toyota Hilux dropped to second place (61,111 units, -5.1%). Until 2023, the Hilux remained the best-seller in the Australian market for seven years in a row. Third place in the ranking at the end of 2023 was taken by the Isuzu D-Max pickup (31,202 units, +28.2%).
External updates to the Toyota Hilux pickup truck for the Australian market include a more prominent front bumper and a new mesh design of the radiator grille, and the grille no longer has a chrome edging; the upper part of the frame, depending on the configuration, is now painted in body color or gloss black. The tailgate received a gas shock absorber, which facilitates lifting, and a cable limiter instead of a lever one.
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The main technical innovation is a mild-hybrid add-on in the form of a 48-volt starter-generator (16 hp, 65 Nm), which assists the internal combustion engine when starting from a standstill and during intense acceleration. We are already familiar with this add-on from the European version of the Hilux Hybrid 48V, but in Australia Toyota was embarrassed to call such a primitive design a hybrid, here it received the name V-Active Technology. The starter-generator is connected to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine by a belt drive; the belt is made of particularly durable material and is equipped with a double-lever tensioner.
V-Active Technology is included only with the 2.8-liter turbodiesel (204 hp, 500 Nm), 6-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, and only on SR, SR5 and Rogue trim levels with a two-row four-door cab , since the space for the backup lithium-ion battery is only provided under the rear seat. Toyota's Australian press office promises 10 per cent fuel savings with V-Active Technology, while European PR specialists promise only 5 per cent, despite the fact that the technical description of the system is the same in Europe and Australia. Mild hybrid pickups are also equipped with the proprietary Multi-Terrain Select system, which optimizes vehicle performance for different types of soil – dry dirt, wet dirt, sand, stones, deep snow.
Other engines in the range of the Australian Hilux have been retained – a 2.7-liter naturally aspirated petrol (166 hp, 245 Nm), a 2.4-liter turbodiesel (150 hp, 400 Nm) and a more powerful 2.8-liter turbodiesel (224 hp, 550 Nm) for the GR Sport version.
The interior of the pickup truck was not affected by the restaling, but there are functional new things: diesel pickups with V-Active Technology received dual-zone climate control, automatic door closers windows, wireless charging for a smartphone and two USB-C ports for rear passengers.
Sales of the updated Toyota Hilux in Australia will begin in March, prices have increased slightly compared to pre-reform cars and range from 26,475 to 74,310 Australian dollars (from 1.61 million to 4.51 million rubles translated at the current exchange rate).
According to the Australian magazine Drive, next year the Hilux will enter its ninth generation and become related to the fourth American Toyota Tacoma pickup generation, that is, it will become larger, more expensive and more solid. The Hilux Champ pickup truck is now responsible for the workhorse segment at Toyota.
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