2024 Toyota Hilux Hybrid 48V – 2.8L turbodiesel pick-up truck adds 16 PS/65 Nm mild-hybrid system

The venerable Toyota Hilux has been unveiled for the 2024 model year with a mild-hybrid powertrain, pairing its 2.8 litre turbodiesel engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that contributes 16 PS and 65 Nm with a belt-integrated starter-generator fed by a 48-volt lithium battery located beneath the rear passenger seat. The 2.8L turbodiesel makes 204 PS at 3,400 rpm and 500 Nm from 1,600 rpm to 2,800 rpm.

The 48-volt battery weighs just 7.6 kg, according to Toyota, and is recharged by energy regeneration under braking, where it also contributes to deceleration. The mild-hybrid drive motor has been designed to withstand the harsher environments experienced by commercial vehicles, and a new two-arm belt tensioner along with a stronger belt material is used for improved drivability and lower noise, Toyota says.

Adding the 48-volt mild-hybrid system to the Hilux brings better throttle response, along with improved fuel efficiency by up to 5% compared to a conventional, non-electrified diesel powertrain, Toyota claims.

The incorporation of the belt-starter-generator motor also aids in off-roading by providing smoother acceleration while regenerative braking helps with safer downhill manoeuvres, says the manufacturer, as well as by reducing the combustion engine’s idle speed from 720 rpm to 600 rpm. Waterproofing measures for the 48V battery and DC-DC converter in the Hilux Hybrid 48V enables a wading depth of 700 mm.

Further to its off-roading capabilities, the Hilux Hybrid 48V has approach and departure angles of 29 degrees and 26 degrees, respectively, while ground clearance for the electrified double-cab is 310 mm. As with its combustion-only rangemates, the Hilux Hybrid 48V is of body-on-frame construction, and payloads continue to be 3,500 kg for towing and 1,000 kg in its cargo tray.

Safety kit for the Hilux Hybrid 48V consists of the Toyota Safety Sense suite that packs an enhanced Pre-Collision System with improved pedestrian detection at night, cyclist detection in the daytime, and detection of oncoming vehicles or pedestrians at intersections when turning, providing warnings and braking if required.

Here, Lane Departure Alert now detects the roadside in addition to painted lines, while adaptive cruise control with road sign assist help the driver adjust speed to the posted limit as well as helping to slow the vehicle on highways when approaching bends. Also on is automatic high beam that detects other oncoming vehicles.

For cabin equipment, the Hilux Hybrid 48V gets the carmaker’s latest Toyota Smart Connect system that offers cloud-based navigation with voice control for phone calls multimedia, air-conditioning as well as vehicle locking and unlocking via its smartphone app, with an eight-inch infotainment screen with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In Europe, the Toyota Hilux Hybrid 48V is set to enter showrooms on the continent in the middle of next year, says the manufacturer. Beyond Europe, the mild-hybrid Hilux is expected to feature as 4×4 SR5 and Rogue Double Cab variants in Australia from the first half of 2024.

Meanwhile for Malaysia, its arrival, if it happens, could be some time after the Australian market. For now, the local Hilux range is topped by the GR Sport, bringing the 224 PS/550 Nm tune in September this year – albeit without the wider tracks and uprated suspension that Australia gets – arriving with a price tag of RM169,080 on-the-road without insurance. Would you have a 48-volt mild-hybrid Toyota Hilux in Malaysia?

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