Toyota to axe HiLux V6
Top-selling Toyota ute to bring upgrades – but no six-cylinder power – from SeptemberToyota’s all-conquering HiLux will no longer be available with V6 power when an upgraded version of Australia’s most popular new vehicle is released around September.
According to our sources, the 4.0-litre petrol V6 currently offered in premium SR and popular SR5 models (the latter accounts for more than half of all HiLux 4x4s sold) will be discontinued due to lack of demand.
Toyota Australia’s Product Public Relations Manager, Steve Coughlan, would not “comment on future model plans or speculation”, but confirmed the six-cylinder engine accounts for only around one per cent of total HiLux sales.
The move will see the eighth-generation HiLux, released in 2015, remain available in Australia only with four-cylinder 2.7-litre petrol and 2.4-litre diesel engines for base WorkMate models, and a 2.8-litre diesel for all other models.
Like both newer GD-series diesel engines, the 175kW/375Nm V6 meets the latest Euro 5 emissions standard that came into force Down Under in November 2016.
However, Toyota’s recently released HiLux TRD – a cosmetic accessory package priced $5000 higher than the SR5 4x4 dual-cab on which it’s based – remains a diesel-only affair.
Priced from $58,990 drive-away, it’s effectively Toyota’s answer to the popular Ford Ranger Wildtrak and Volkswagen Amarok Canyon flagships, but without many of those models’ active safety aids.
Unlike the Ranger, for example, no HiLux can be had with forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance or adaptive cruise control.
We understand some of these features – or at least autonomous emergency braking – could be part of the technical upgrade in store for the updated HiLux in three months.
However, once the HiLux V6 is gone, Toyota will have no competitor for VW’s Amarok V6 diesel or Ford’s upcoming Ranger Raptor V6.
If it delivers on expectations, the Blue Oval’s wildest ever Ranger could come with a 3.5-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol six delivering up to 335kW and 650Nm and matched to a 10-speed auto.
The arrival of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class and Renault Alaskan utes in Australia will also increase competition, innovation and safety in the ute sector, which will be a win for consumers.
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