At the start of the year, we reported that Toyota filed a trademark for the name ‘Hilux Travo,’ which we presume is the replacement for the current model known in Thailand as the Hilux Revo. So new suffix, new generation? Not quite it seems.
Based on the photos recently published by Headlight Magazine, the next Hilux appears to be more of a heavy facelift rather than an all-new model. The upcoming model has a new front and rear design, but the cab remains the same.
When Toyota launched the IMV-based all-new Tamaraw, I saw it as a hint that the IMV chassis would be sticking around for a while. While the next Hilux is not the junior Tacoma some people were hoping for, its IMV architecture is at least much younger than the 70 Series Land Cruiser.
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Based on the spy photos, the next Hilux will sport slim headlights linked by a panel. I added EPU Concept-inspired details like the DRL light bar split by the central ‘TOYOTA’ lettering. Will it be a split headlight design? Seeing that the prototype’s bumper is completely covered, the slim units at the top are most likely the main light clusters.
It appears to have faux air intakes on each corner, though I have a feeling it may have slit-like air curtain openings like in the current GR-S variant. It features huge aero flaps in front of each front tire, perhaps another element it inherited from Toyota’s current Gazoo-modified pickup.
The sides look largely unchanged. For the wheel arch extensions, I cleaned it up by removing the metallic gray trim accents—I have a hunch Toyota could move in this direction. At the rear, Toyota seems to have retained the triangular shape of the taillights when viewed from the side, but this time it was inverted with the wider section at the top.
Another noticeable feature of the next Hilux is the integrated spoiler at the top of the tailgate. Moving down, the rear bumper seems to hug the body more with almost flush sides like on Toyota’s American pickups. The prototype spotted was equipped with a new variation of the popular twin-six-spoke wheel pattern Toyota has used many times before.
While there are still no engine details for the next Hilux, it will most likely carry over its current powerplants which include the 48-volt mild hybrid diesel offered in some markets. We can expect a BEV variant to join the new Hilux lineup too.
Would you consider the next Hilux if it looked like our renders? Let us know in the comments.
