Toyota promises “one more surprise” due for Hilux ute in 2024

The current-generation Toyota Hilux has been on sale since 2015 but is determined to stay in the headspace of buyers as Australia’s reigning best-selling vehicle approaches its twilight years.

Speaking at the launch event of the new flagship Hilux GR Sport variant, Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley promised more was yet to come.

“The arrival of the 48-volt battery will be the third major update for Hilux since October last year,” he said, adding that “we have at least one more Hilux surprise in store for next year.”

The wording “at least” perhaps indicates not just that we should expect one further update in 2024, but that additional plans are brewing for 2025 that could be brought forward.

Since October, Toyota has introduced a substantially updated Rogue variant, ushering in updates such as four-wheel disc brakes and a wider track, before later introducing 48-volt technology on select grades – the first time a hybrid system has been seen on a Hilux.

Staying true to its ‘many eggs, many baskets’ approach to pursuing a zero emissions future, Toyota has also recently shown off a fully-electric concept of the Hilux known as the Revo BEV, while in the UK the local division is producing a hydrogen-electric version with a targeted driving range of 590km of range.

Earlier this year, Toyota unveiled its all-new Tacoma pick-up in The States, a vehicle similar in size to the Hilux but designed for the left-hand-drive North American market. The Hilux is expected to follow suit with its next-generation replacement due in either late 2024 or 2025.

It’s entirely unclear what the future ‘surprises’ could be but a new variant based on the current generation is the most likely addition, as Toyota will understandably look to maintain its sales momentum.

Anything planned for 2025 or beyond is more likely to be part of an all-new generation.

While the Hilux maintained its position as the best-selling vehicle in Australia in 2022, newer rivals such as the Ford Ranger backed by solid supply to our market present a very real threat to this outright sales dominance.