Toyota Hilux to get another facelift, more powerful 2.8L

Having already been facelifted once in 2017, the Toyota Hilux is gearing up for another nip and tuck, which should provide the pick-up with a more rugged look and an updated engine.

According to a report from CarAdvice, the updated truck could enter showrooms in Australia as soon as late July or early August, although slowing sales of the outgoing model due to the coronavirus outbreak could postpone its introduction.

When the revised Hilux does arrive, it should get a tougher-looking front end to match the increasingly brash designs of its competitors, according to the limited information the publication has procured from dealers. It will also apparently get some mild interior tweaks, including the fitment of a new infotainment system that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (UMW Toyota Motor has its own head unit on higher-end models, which already has these features built in).

The facelift should also see revisions to the 1GD-FTV 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, with higher outputs and updates to address particulate filter clogging issues (this is specific to countries that have the filter, which Malaysia doesn’t get). Japanese reports suggest the mill could also make its way to the more rugged next-generation Land Cruiser, and it should also be introduced in the Fortuner and the Land Cruiser Prado.

Australian models, even the most basic ones, already come equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver assistance systems, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition. The facelift could see these features be rolled out across more regions – especially in Southeast Asia – to compete with more modern pick-ups.

GALLERY: 2018 Toyota Hilux 2.8 L-Edition AT in Malaysia

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