The Ford F-Sequence might endlessly reign within the USA, however outdoors North American borders, the Toyota Hilux is the extremely in style pickup truck that pulls in consumers throughout the globe. Throughout over half a century in the marketplace, it is offered greater than 27 million items and has been recognized because the most indestructible passenger vehicle on the planet by some guys who would know. Now, the Hilux evolves into its ninth technology, a crucial step that sees it welcome in new capabilities and tech, together with a number of electrified powertrain choices.
Toyota is displaying the brand new Hilux at this week’s Brussels Motor Present, which has just lately raised its profile as a serious automotive occasion to fill among the void left by the 2024 cancellation of the annual Geneva Motor Present. It could lack the pure unique supercar energy that made Geneva such a pretty place to visit, however what was as soon as only a sleepy gross sales gathering for the Belgium home market has turn out to be a extra necessary date on the calendar for the European automotive sector at giant, internet hosting various main premieres.
Toyota did not maintain the Hilux for a Brussels world premiere, having first revealed it back in November, however it’s utilizing the occasion to point out the truck to the European public for the primary time, a notable reveal in itself given the Hilux’s continued reputation on the continent. The Ford Ranger has been Europe’s gross sales chief amongst pickup vehicles for the past decade, however the Hilux has lengthy been nipping intently at its heels as a powerful quantity 2 contender.
Toyota Europe
We will not say we’re massive followers of Toyota’s new Hilux styling course – it simply does not really feel proper for this truck … or every other pickup, actually. We love that Toyota pulled its all-caps badge entrance and heart, bringing styling in step with the new Land Cruiser, however all the things surrounding it – these razor-thin headlamps and body-color grille perforations or indents – feels extra suited to a small SUV, not the world’s hardest midsize pickup truck.
The a number of polygonal recesses and panels and sharp creases all through the decrease half of the front-end are an uninvited reminder about how keen Toyota’s design crew appears to throw itself into absolute overwrought styling territory. It is simply an excessive amount of.
Fortunately, after expending critical time beyond regulation up entrance, the design crew lightened its hand over the remainder of the truck, which stays a stout, sturdy pickup with out the over-accentuation that characterizes the brand new US-market Tundra and Tacoma. Outlined wheel arches inside calmly bulged fenders give the Hilux the look of a stable, off-road-ready workhorse with out going overboard. And the extra-large stamped “TOYOTA” tailgate is all the time welcome in our e-book.
Maybe the Hilux’s extra avant garde front-end design is supposed to trace on the modernized powertrain buzzing under. Toyota identifies plans for its quantity vendor to come back powered by a 2.8-liter diesel engine with 48-V gentle hybrid system, a powertrain that was first launched on the eighth-generation Hilux in 2025.
Toyota enhances the diesel engine with a motor-generator, lithium-ion battery and DC-DC converter in a structure that was designed for modest effectivity and emissions enhancements whereas additionally selling a quieter, smoother and extra refined experience total, significantly when beginning up and accelerating.
Toyota Europe
Regardless of taking over new powertrain {hardware}, the Hilux maintains its capabilities and capacities, together with 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) of towing, a 1,000-kg (2,200-lb) most payload and 700 mm (27.5 in) of wading functionality.
The brand new Hilux will even be obtainable with a pure-electric powertrain for the primary time within the pickup’s historical past. Toyota refined the battery-electric underpinnings by several years of prototype R&D and can launch the BEV in Europe this spring because the first-available new Hilux variant. In an effort to ship the traction and off-road-readiness the Hilux nameplate calls for, Toyota installs electrical axles on the entrance and rear to create a battery-driven everlasting AWD system with 268 Nm (198 lb-ft) of terrain-biting torque in again and 205 Nm (151 lb-ft) up entrance.
Estimates name for 257 km (160 miles) of mixed vary from the 59-kWh lithium-ion battery, a 715-kg (1,575-lb) payload and a 1,600-kg (3,525-lb) towing capability. We would not be so enthusiastic about halving our towing and three-quartering our payload versus the sunshine hybrid, however we would even be seemingly to decide on the diesel-hybrid out of the gate in order to not have to fret about vary or charging availability.
Toyota Europe
The Hilux BEV does keep its 700-mm wading depth for these trying to energy by creeks and rivers and gives 212 mm (8.3 in) of floor clearance.
Each the BEV and hybrid will come solely in double-cab structure and can embrace a Multi-Terrain Choose system tuned in step with their particular {hardware} for extra conditions-specific drive efficiency.
Past the hybrid and electrical choices, Toyota additionally plans to supply standalone diesel and petrol engine choices for choose Jap European markets. A hydrogen gasoline cell mannequin will observe in 2028.
Toyota Europe
The slew of Hilux powertrains falls into Toyota’s higher “multi-pathway” technique for decreasing CO2 numbers. That initiative goals to create flexibility in providing cleaner powertrain choices to satisfy the calls for of various markets and buyer bases. Toyota announced Wednesday that 77 % of the record-breaking 1.23 million autos it offered in Europe in 2025 featured some type of electrification, up 5% from 2024’s numbers.
Toyota is holding additional Hilux particulars, specs and pricing data till nearer to launch. The Hilux BEV will hit the European market in April 2026, adopted by the 48V hybrid model in July.
Supply: Toyota Europe
