As the ninth generation of the Toyota Hilux debuts, an electric version will be added. In the newest model, there will also be diesel, gasoline, and hybrid options. Range is likely to be a problem since Toyota says the car can go 149 miles on Europe’s WLTP test run. The Hilux pickup, which is Toyota’s mid-size truck for foreign markets, is now in its ninth generation. It has a new drivetrain and a dramatic new look. There is now only an electric Hilux, even though Toyota just released a 48-volt system earlier this year. The big problem that needs to be dealt with first must be brought up. The new style is cleaner and more angular than the old one, even though the end design looks too busy. The front has a small set of headlights on either side, with a line-and-shape design. All trims get a new step around the back of the truck to make getting into the bed easier. Some models also get a new side step. The EV’s battery size and range predictions still make it look like Toyota was checking a box instead of making a truly competitive electric pickup, even though the Hilux doesn’t have to deal with America’s interstate system or our sometimes too-long commutes. Toyota doesn’t specify the “best-in-class” charging speeds, but it says the battery is designed to work best with them. Europe’s WLTP test standard says the battery’s range is only 149 miles, which is about 126 miles using EPA numbers. The battery itself contains 59.2 kWh of lithium-ion cells. That number will drop significantly if you put something in the bed or hook something to the trailer hitch. If you’re not interested in the Hilux EV, Toyota has a number of other engine choices. Diesel and gasoline engines, as well as the 48-volt hybrid, are all still used in the ninth model. Toyota has promised to make a hydrogen-fuel-cell Hilux, but that won’t happen until 2028. Toyota has not yet said how much the ninth-generation Hilux will cost, but the electric version is set to go on sale in other countries in December. It won’t be sold in the US because Toyota already has a mid-size truck called the Tacoma there. Neither will the rest of the Hilux range.
