Toyota officially announced that the Hilux will be getting mild hybrid power by next year. It will be equipped with a 48V battery and a small electric motor-generator, and it’s also expected to be sold worldwide. Keen to prove it’s still the Hilux most folks know and love, Toyota Africa recently demonstrated its abilities during a special stage of the Safari Rally.
The demo car used during the exhibition was a bog standard Hilux MHEV, albeit with a more aggressive wheel and tire combination. It was driven by one of the World Rally Championship’s legends, Juha Kankkunen.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Congress seeks increasing the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC)
Toll collection for NLEX Connector Road may start by July
If you don’t know who Kankkunen is (and you really should), we’ll give you a quick history lesson. Kankkunen has four WRC titles with three different manufacturers. He was crowned the sport’s champion in 1986, 1987, 1991, and 1993 with Peugeot, Lancia, and of course, Toyota. Just the man for the job, then.
The veteran rally driver did several flying laps in the electrified Hilux, flinging mud and water along the way. The latter should quell any fears of hybrids getting damaged when passing through floods. Sure, it wasn’t as quick as the GR Yaris WRC, but it still looked like a blast to hurl around a rally stage.
As for the specs of the road-going Hilux MHEV, Toyota isn’t mentioning any official figures just yet. However, the company confirmed that it will pair its mild-hybrid system to the familiar 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine. Toyota claims the setup will reduce NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) levels inside the cabin, along with a fuel consumption improvement of about 10 percent.
The Toyota Hilux MHEV is expected to arrive in the first half of 2024 in Australia and the electrified powertrain will be available on the 4x4 SR5 and Rogue Double Cab. Those models are the equivalent of the G and the V Conquest variants in the Philippines. Worldwide sales are likely to follow, but confirmation for the Philippine market is yet to be determined.
