The new-generation Toyota HiLux has been revealed and will go on sale in Australia from December 2025, with an expanded lineup including diesel, electric and fuel-cell powertrains – and an Australian-designed exterior.
The HiLux – which was Australia’s best-selling vehicle for seven consecutive years until the Ford Ranger knocked it off the top spot in 2023 – is the brand’s best-seller here, with Toyota long the top-selling brand.
This is a significant vehicle for Australia’s biggest auto brand and its competitors include not only the top-selling Ford but also the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and newcomers such as the BYD Shark 6, Kia Tasman and MG U9.
The automaker pulled the covers off the new HiLux in Bangkok, Thailand – where it will be made – to reveal an Australian-led exterior design which is “a deliberate departure” from the existing model.
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“Over the past 10 years, we have been working on significant HiLux updates, special models and of course accessories for global HiLux family models, alongside our partners at the technical centre in Thailand,” said Toyota Design Australia senior manager Nick Hogios in a statement.
“It was only natural that Toyota headquarters selected us to design the exterior for the next generation, again in close collaboration with the teams in Japan and Thailand and our global Head of Design and Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries.”
The ninth generation of the HiLux since 1968, the new 2026 HiLux uses the same ‘Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle’ (IMV) underpinnings dating back to 2004, meaning designers worked around similar proportions to the current version.
There’s a new ‘Cyber Sumo’ exterior theme, inspired by the ‘Sonkyu’ sumo wrestling squatting pose, with high-set headlights, body-coloured mesh grille and chunkier front bumper for a ‘two volume architecture’.
From the windscreen A-pillar to the back of the cab, the outside of the new HiLux cabin is unchanged from the outgoing model – including its door skins, roof and window glass – while higher-spec SR5 and Rogue models feature moulded wheel arch extensions and blacked-out window surrounds.
The fresh exterior sees the lower portion behind the rear wheel include an integrated step – as seen on the Ford Ranger since its current generation arrived in 2022 – to enable easier access to the tray area.
The ‘combat ready’ cabin saw considerable input from Toyota Australia Design, too, which saw members of the Australian team on assignment in Japan for two years during development – and includes newly designed front and rear seats behind an all-new ‘three-tier’ dashboard design.
All variants have a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a row of physical switches for key functions like air-conditioning, while there’s a digital instrument cluster measuring between 7.0- and 12.3-inches depending on model grade.
There’s also a LandCruiser Prado-esque steering wheel with squared-off centre, as well as a chunky gear selector, prominent buttons for off-road functions such as hill descent control, and a centre-mounted rotary dial for drive mode selection.
An electronic park brake replaces the traditional pull-up version in the outgoing HiLux, although a conventional lever may remain in some models, while the centre console is both wider and taller for greater stowage.
Full equipment details are yet to be announced, but Toyota has confirmed 16 different diesel model grades from launch, with a battery-electric HiLux to follow in the first quarter (January-March) of 2026.
A hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) HiLux will also join the lineup in 2028 and will be the first fuel-cell Toyota available to public buyers here, as the current Mirai is only offered for lease in Australia.
Diesel-powered HiLux variants will hit showrooms from December 2025 and will be offered in single-, extra- and dual-cab body styles, with 4×2 and 4×4 drivelines, and in WorkMate, SR, SR5, Rogue and Rugged X model grades.
A Ranger Raptor-rivalling GR Sport version, among others, is expected to join the lineup down the track with more power, torque and off-road capability than the rest of the lineup.
The same 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder (codenamed 1GD-FTV) has been carried over from the existing model and is the only engine offered from launch, with the previous 2.4-litre turbo-diesel and 2.7-litre petrol engines dropped.
Both dropped engines have succumbed to upcoming Euro 6 emissions laws in Australia, which is also the reason Toyota will not bring the new FJ LandCruiser to local showrooms.
The new HiLux will be offered with six-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions, with the arch-rival Ford Ranger becoming automatic only when the current generation arrived in 2022.
Outputs remain unchanged at 150kW/500Nm (with the previous GR Sport at 165kW/550N) for automatic models and 150kW/420Nm for manual-equipped versions.
Some model grades (yet to be confirmed) of automatic HiLux will come with 48-volt mild hybrid tech as standard – with fuel efficiency figures, towing and payloads yet to be confirmed.
Comprehensive testing locally also saw Toyota Australia work on the two different suspension tunes which will be used across the HiLux range and help fine-tune the ‘Multi-Terrain Select’ 4×4 drive mode system.
Further details of the 2026 Toyota Hilux will be revealed later this month.
