Toyota recently confirmed the Hilux will be equipped with a 48-volt mild hybrid system in 2024, and at the seventh round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Kenya this year, the Japanese demonstrated just such a vehicle with the Hilux MHEV (Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle) concept.
Based on a Hilux GR-S (GR Sport), the prototype doesn’t look significantly different from the outside, save for the attention-grabbing livery with ‘Hybrid’ printed in large letters. The interior also appears largely unchanged, although there appears to be new controls where the ‘ECO’ and ‘PWR’ buttons would usually be in a regular Hilux GR-S.
The Hilux MHEV concept was driven by four-time WRC champion and former Toyota world title winner Juha Kankkunen from Finland, with Jimmi Gathu, a renowned local Kenyan media personality and actor, being his co-driver.
Suffice to say, the demonstration run was a success, with Kankkunen proclaiming, “I’m 100% sure that this type of car will fit in Africa very well because there are still long-distance drives and it’s very difficult to charge electric cars. You can save fuel, which means less CO2. Africa is a good market for this kind of car, and you can make CO2 less with hybrid cars. That is the future.”
This ties in well with Toyota’s multi-pathway strategy to achieving carbon neutrality, whereby it will develop different powertrain types (be it pure internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell or battery electric) to suit prevailing market conditions.
According to Toyota, the mild hybrid system for the Hilux consists of a 48-volt battery, small electric motor-generator and other supporting components. These will be applied to the existing 2.8 turbodiesel four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission to improve fuel economy by approximately 10%, while preserving existing capabilities – the Fortuner is also slated to get this electrified powertrain.
For Australia, the Hilux will come with a mild hybrid system as standard on 4×4 SR5 and Rogue Double Cab trims from the first half of 2024, with the tech being offered as an option for the 4×4 SR Double Cab.
No word on if the 48-volt mild hybrid system will come to the Hilux sold in Malaysia, but we reckon it could be quite a wait if it were to happen. The Hilux MHEV is the proof of concept, but would you want a Hilux with an electrified powertrain?
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New hilux and fortuner coming.
Kalo redah banjir atau sungai kena short tak?
Direct Drive CVT Reno tried for their F1 back in the 90s itself. Ofcourse, it did not have an electric motor to handlye the stalling speeds. Unfortunately was banned by FIA in-spite of producing phenomenal results. Hope with the Toyota Helux this technology makes it to the production sooner than later.
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