New HiLux to debut in Sydney

Toyota's eighth-generation HiLux will make simultaneous world debuts in both Australia and Thailand, a week from today (May 14).

The Japanese giant will unveil the exterior of a pre-production prototype for the first time in Sydney next Thursday (May 21), underlining the importance of Australia to the company's top-selling ute.

Just hours later, a similar reveal will take place in Thailand, another of the world's major ute markets and where Australia's HiLux will be built.

Toyota says it will only announce limited details ahead of launching the new HiLux, traditionally one of Australia's top-selling vehicles, later this year.

All information is embargoed until 6:00pm on May 21.

Toyota will not reveal the new HiLux interior next week, but we've previously published a spy shot of the one-tonner's all-new dashboard. Its new colour LCD instrument cluster has also emerged via Facebook.

As we've revealed, the larger new HiLux will bring a pair of downsized turbo-diesel engines: a 132kW 2.8-litre four-cylinder with 450Nm in six-speed automatic guise and 420Nm in six-speed manual form, and a 2.4-litre producing 112kW/343Nm in manual form or 125kW/400Nm with the auto.

So far there is no news concerning petrol engines to replace the outgoing model's 2.7-litre four-cylinder and 4.0-litre V6.

Apart from the more rounded body shape, including a pointier nose first revealed in spy shots published by Autoblog Greece, the new one-tonner's smoother exterior introduces a number of key design details.

They include prominent eyebrow-shaped LED daytime running lights, backswept headlights, broader wheel-arches, new alloy wheels and – at least on the high-spec dual-cab pictured here – chrome door handles and mirror caps.

The Japanese one-tonner's new interior appears to be dominated by a large, freestanding tablet-style touch-screen on a redesigned dashboard, and a new four-spoke steering wheel.

The new HiLux has been snapped undergoing development testing numerous times, the most recent occasion suggesting an autonomous emergency braking system will be among its list of new driver aids.

Currently in run-out, the existing HiLux remains one of Australia's most popular vehicles outright, but its successor will face stiff competition from Ford's face-lifted Ranger, Mazda's similarly upgraded BT-50, the new Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan's new Navara, all of which will beat it on sale.

As we revealed in February, it will form the basis of the new Fortuner – an all-new seven-seat off-road SUV that will follow the HiLux on sale in Australia for the first time early next year.