If there’s any truth in the rumours that the next Toyota Hilux will be more closely related to the Tacoma, then consider this a sneak preview:
ALTHOUGH the current Toyota Tacoma is similar in size to the Hilux, it is a very different vehicle, and one that caters for North American markets.
However, it has been strongly rumoured in numerous circles that the next-generation Tacoma and Hilux models will have a lot more in common and if that is true then what you see here could be our best preview yet of the next Hilux.
These pictures are said to be leaked patent images of the next-generation Tacoma, which is due in 2024, and the new midsize bakkie strongly resembles the latest Toyota Tundra that was revealed back in 2021.
Of course, Toyota has yet to mention anything about the next-generation Hilux, so all we have to work on for now is pure speculation.
But it has previously been rumoured that the new Tacoma and Hilux bakkies would be based around a variant of Toyota’s TNGA-F platform that underpins the Tundra and Land Cruiser 300.
Of course, that has also fuelled rumours of a Raptor-rivalling Hilux arriving armed with the ‘Cruiser’s 3.3-litre V6 turbodiesel, which produces 225kW, as well as the 3.5 V6 turbopetrol that’s rated at 305kW.
It remains to be seen whether the next Hilux will also inherit the Tundra’s coil-sprung rear suspension system; it might not make sense to offer it across the range but flagship models could certainly benefit from the improved ride quality that coils would offer.
It’s also not clear when the new Hilux will be with us, but as Drive points out the midsize bakkie is usually replaced every 10 years so a 2025 introduction is perhaps most likely for the next version.
IOL Motoring
