We recently reported how rumors suggested that the Toyota Hilux could soon make its way to India. The pick-up truck offering from Toyota has had a history of around 75-years in the international markets and it could surely find some takers here. Now, our reader Utpal Thakur spotted the Hilux in transit completely undisguised. We suspect that the Hilux is being dispatched to dealers before its official launch in January. Let’s take a look at what to expect from the Hilux:
Design
The Hilux will share the same IMV-2 platform as the Innova and the Fortuner. Having said that, this pickup is significantly longer than the two cars, and measures just under 5.3m in length, and has a wheelbase of over 3m making it a behemoth on the road. The width of this pickup will be roughly the same as the Indian Fortuner. This truck gets a double-cab version for our market. At the front, this truck gets a large hexagonal grille, clad with plastic.
The headlights emerge from the grille and neatly contour along the edge to the fender. Along the side, the flared wheel arches are only apparent. The front wheel arches extend and merge into the foglamp housing. Moreover, we also get to see a side step. The rear-view mirrors, door handles, and side steps are all covered in black. The rear as in all pickup trucks is simple, with small taillights and a gate to the cargo bed. Overall the rugged and off-road content of this car is neatly packed within its round arches. Additionally, it has a good ground clearance coupled with a decent approach angle.
Also read: Pickup-Truck Fans, Assemble! Toyota Hilux Is Finally Coming To India!
Interior
On the inside, the Hilux gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Furthermore, it gets automatic climate control, cruise control, colour MID, steering mounted audio controls and a reverse parking camera. In terms of build quality and strength, the Toyota Hilux got a 5-Star rating at the ASEAN NCAP.
Performance
Based on the same platform as the Fortuner and the Innova, we expect to see the same 2.4L Diesel engine that puts out 150HP or the larger 2.8L diesel engine that puts out 204HP. We could get FWD variants as well as the four-wheel-drive variant for the Hilux. As of now, the gearbox options are yet not clear as we have seen that both engines have been offered with a manual or automatic gearbox in our market.
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