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A new report out of Japan claims the next Toyota HiLux could mount a challenge to a growing breed of plug-in hybrid dual-cab utes, alongside a conventional diesel engine.
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The next-generation Toyota HiLux – poised to be a heavy update of today's model – may be the first with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power to rival the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger PHEV.
It is according to Japanese magazine Best Car, which claims "there are ... plans" for a PHEV HiLux to join the diesel engine due at the new ute's launch by March next year.
It would be a surprising addition to a vehicle spy photos suggest will be a heavy update of its predecessor, rather than an all-new vehicle.
No details of when the PHEV would arrive, if it will consume petrol or diesel, or how large its battery will be are quoted in the report, but it is implied that it will follow later in the ute's life cycle.
The addition of a plug-in hybrid would represent a significant investment for Toyota, which has only dipped the HiLux's toe into electrification through 48-volt mild-hybrid technology to trim fuel use.
Spy photos have suggested the new HiLux will be a heavy update of its decade-old predecessor, with the same body structure and underpinnings, but new front and rear ends.
Best Car instead claims the ute will adopt the new-generation GA-F body-on-frame platform beneath the LandCruiser 300 Series and Prado.
It is possible the truth may involve a mix of both, upgrading the old platform with elements of the suspension and structure of the newer four-wheel-drive SUVs to more easily accommodate hybrid technology.
The Japanese outlet speculates "there is a possibility" full battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell variants "may be added", given prototypes of both based on the current HiLux have been built and exhibited.
Electric HiLux test vehicles have been used in Thailand in a single-cab, tub-backed form not offered in Australia.
Toyota has confirmed plans to launch an electric ute in Europe by 2027, which is expected to wear a "familiar and instantly recognisable" name – making the HiLux badge a prime candidate.
The Japanese car giant has set a target of offering an electrified version of every model it sells – excluding GR performance cars – by the end of the decade, a plan which would include the HiLux.
"We've made it very clear many times that nothing's changed," Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley recently told Drive.
"By the end of 2030, the vast majority of our cars will have some form of electrification, whether it's hybrid plug-in, hybrid battery, electric vehicle or fuel-cell electric vehicle."
Mirroring rumours out of South America, Best Car reports the new HiLux will use familiar 2.4-litre and 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engines, the latter available with 'mild-hybrid' assistance.
Unlike Toyota hybrid passenger cars, the 48-volt HiLux's electric motor can only provide a small boost to the engine under acceleration, and turn it off at the traffic lights to save fuel, rather than drive the wheels on electricity alone.
Outputs do not appear likely to deviate much, if at all, from the current HiLux's 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre and 110kW/400Nm 2.4-litre diesels.
However, it says the six-speed auto will be replaced by the new Prado's eight-speed unit, albeit with the same part-time four-wheel-drive system as today's HiLux.
A GR Sport model is due to form part of the new range, Best Car says, with similar dimensions to the current model.
More details of the 2026 Toyota HiLux are due closer to its full reveal, expected in the coming months, ahead of a likely Australian launch early next year.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
