Toyota USA announced a new grade for its next-generation Tacoma midsized pickup truck that is off-road-focused and has an unexpected Australian connection. Toyota HiLux’s next generation, the highly anticipated Japanese vehicle, will debut in 2025.
2025 Toyota HiLux
The Hilux, which has been Australia’s top-selling vehicle for seven years running, needs a major makeover. The drive has revealed that the next Toyota HiLux is expected to be produced before 2025. The new HiLux will be revealed in the first half of 2025. It is expected to arrive in Toyota Australia showrooms by the second half, barring any unexpected delays.
2025 Toyota HiLux Redesign
The new Toyota Hilux is likely to borrow design cues and be based on a new platform – a TNGAF chassis, which also forms the basis for the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and LandCruiser 300 Series 4WD. The latest Toyota HiLux will share its underpinnings for the first 20 years with the Toyota Tacoma.
The next Toyota HiLux is still a mystery, but we do know that it will have a mild-hybrid diesel engine. Toyota has announced that by the end of the decade, it will electrify nearly all its models, including HiLux. It is not yet known if the HiLux will be equipped with hybrid, hydrogen, or electric technology.
Interior
Standard features include 16-inch or 17-inch steel rims on the low-riding models and a 4.2-inch information display on the high-riding versions. Also included are fabric seat trims, an 8.0-inch multi-touchscreen with Apple CarPlay connectivity and Android Auto compatibility, as well as a 4.2-inch info display.
Engine
Several rumors are circulating about new engines, electric and hybrid Hiluxes, in the future. Now, they claim that it will also have a brand new ‘international’ TGNA platform. Let’s begin with the engines. The 3.3-liter turbodiesel engine from the Land Cruiser 300 is likely to find its way into Hilux.
Toyota is left with few options. Ford has already started producing turbodiesel engines for the next Ranger at its Struandale PE plant. Amarok will be available later this year and in early ’23. Do you think Toyota would let Toyota have this niche to itself? We don’t either. This lump produces 230 kW in Cruiser trim and 690 Nm. Expect it to be more like the Ranger V6 diesel’s 185 kilowatts, and 600 Newton metres or so in Hilux.
This is also a better option than the current VW Amarok 3 liter V6 turbodiesel with 200 kW and 580 Nm. Mercedes-Benz X-Class 190 kW 550 Nm, which is now extinct. Ford will be supplying engines for the new VW. Toyota is scrambling to repair its factory and has delayed the release of the 155 kW 550Nm GR Hilux, which was expected as a stopgap in the current Hilux. The V6 was introduced too late for the current Hilux to incorporate into this model.
Toyota wants to use the Dakar Rally-winning Hilux in its flagship Gazoo racing model, set to compete with the Ranger Raptor. The Ranger Raptor has already confirmed that it will be a turbo petrol v6. Don’t be shocked if the Cruiser 300 turbo petrol V6 is also used in the Hilux. It’s already used in the Dakar T1+ racing Hilux.
Chassis
Toyota has also hinted at a further Toyota Hybrid, which will follow the Corolla Cross. It’s also no secret that Toyota is planning a hybrid Hilux. It’s more a matter of when than if. Then there is the electric bakkie, which Toyota showcased a few months ago when it announced its ambitious EV plans. When the new Hilux finally comes out, expect to see petrol, turbodiesel engines, and other engine advancements on lower-spec and workhorse models.
2025 Toyota HiLux Specs
A little news about the 2025 Hilux chassis before we continue. Now it appears that Toyota bakkies in the rest of the world will share a new platform based on the universal TGNA Toyota platform with American pickup trucks. Hilux shared a platform until 2004 with the US-spec Toyota Tacoma. It seems this will be the case again when Toyota’s next global midsize light commercial vehicles, Hilux, and Tacoma, share a new frame-on-body version of that modular Toyota New Global Architecture.
The TNGA chassis is hybrid and EV-ready. With Toyota already committing a hybrid biturbo V6 petrol hybrid for the Tundra it seems that the Hilux will also be TGNA-ready. This confirms the speculation. This platform is likely to be produced in Durban again for European consumption. We all know that EVs or hybrids are a requirement to compete in Europe.
2025 Toyota HiLux Review
2025 Toyota Hilux Release Date & Price
The Toyota HiLux cannot be purchased in the United States because of high taxes and retail prices, it is legal to own one. Toyota HiLux costs on average $22,029.68.
