Toyota has teased its next-generation Tacoma ute via Instagram, a model that could influence the likes of the next Toyota Hilux for Australia.
Leaked patent images have shown off the boxy design of the next Tacoma, with a chiselled front end and squared-off nose. It’s noted that the grille-mounted Toyota badging from the current vehicle is absent from the patent images.
Rumours suggest that the next Tacoma will use a 2.4-litre hybrid-assisted four-cylinder petrol engine also found in the Toyota Crown and Lexus RX, however this information is yet to be officially confirmed.
The current shape of the Toyota Tacoma
The current Toyota Tacoma is powered by either a 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine or a 3.5-litre V6 engine.
Could the new Tacoma influence the next Hilux for Australia?
With models such as the Tundra now set in stone for a future Australian release, Toyota’s US-market models such as the Tacoma could very much influence the future of the Hilux ute product locally.
Patent images reveal the shape of the new Tacoma
Previous reports by Chasing Cars have indicated that the Hilux could use a hybridised version of its 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine for its next generation, however the 2.4-litre hybrid powertrain for the Tacoma could be a real possibility for an electrified Hilux going forward.
Toyota Australia has confirmed to local media that its popular-selling Hilux will be electrified – it’s just a matter of exactly when that will happen.
It’s likely that the Hilux will go hybrid first (in typical Toyota fashion) and then will gain an entirely electric powertrain by the end of the decade.
