SPY PICS: HiLux hits a low point
It's HiLux 1, dummy nil, as Toyota's all-important new pick-up fails autonomous braking testIf seeing this picture of Toyota's next-generation HiLux mowing down an inflatable pedestrian doesn't cheer you up, see a doctor for a course of anti-depressants.
How unfortunate for the Big T and its vital new HiLux that Automedia's spy photographers were present to witness – and record – a test vehicle's resounding impact with a dummy used to calibrate the pick-up's autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system. The only thing deflating faster than the dummy, we figure, are the collective egos of the engineering team tasked with development of the new active safety system.
Best laid plans of mice and Toyota engineers go oft astray, it seems. It's not the first time an inflatable dummy has been sacrificed in the name of advancing the cause of AEB. That's the hazard of working with complex new systems such as this, which could pose a conundrum in the marketplace for the HiLux's rivals. These include Ford's Ranger, the Volkswagen Amarok, Mazda BT-50 and Mitsubishi Triton. Ranger and BT-50 are due for an update shortly, and the Triton in the form of an all-new model is due this week. Toyota could steal a march on its competitors with this new feature and other changes to bring the HiLux into the 21st Century, such as a coil-sprung live axle in lieu of the current leaf springs.
Rumours have emerged on-line that the HiLux will arrive with a range of new drivetrains. Automedia's spies have heard speculation that a smaller-displacement 2.5-litre turbo-diesel will be offered in the new HiLux, but Aussie website CarAdvice is reporting it will actually be a 2.4-litre engine, complemented by a 2.8-litre powerplant expected to replace the current model's 3.0-litre diesel. The current 2.7-litre petrol four is anticipated to be carried over in the new model. There is no further word on the 4.0-litre petrol V6 powering the current model.
According to Automedia, the HiLux will be launched on the world's stage near the end of this year. Thai-built vehicles for Australia are likely to arrive shortly after that.
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