It looks like plans to the launch of the 2021 Toyota Hilux facelift will have to be shelved for the time being, after the coronavirus dramatically reduced vehicle sales for the past few months. According to CarAdvice, car dealers in Australia are asking Toyota to delay the launch, because they weren’t sure how long it would take for the auto market to recover.
The report added that if Toyota unveils a new model too soon, it could hamper sales of runout models, as is the case with this Hilux. The updated pick-up truck was scheduled to go into production in Thailand within the next few weeks, and the Australian launch was supposed be sometime in July. It’s now expected to hit showroom floors in September or October this year.
For those who are seeing the new Hilux for the first time, it’s basically a second refresh exercise for the eighth-generation pick-up truck. Changes are mostly aesthetics, featuring a brand new, bolder face with revised headlight clusters and a stronger chin. The tail lights, as you can see below, are new too.
Range-topping models are expected to get bi-LED projectors to replace the outgoing units (LED low beam and halogen high beam), and will sit on redesigned 18-inch alloys. New colours, such as Emotional Red II from the latest Prius and Camry will join the existing palette, although certain markets will get a new Oxide Bronze Metallic and Dark Blue Mica.
On the inside, the same news outlet suggested that the pick-up will get a newer infotainment system complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionalities. Expect the Toyota Safety Sense system to be available in more markets – it’s currently standard across the range in Australia, with features such as AEB with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and more.
The facelift should also see revisions to the 1GD-FTV 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, with higher outputs and updates to address particulate filter clogging issues (this is specific to countries that have the filter, which Malaysia doesn’t get).
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