While the Toyota Fortuner has been around for a while now, its donor vehicle, the Toyota Hilux, is finally close to making its market launch in India
By now it’s pretty well-known that Toyota Kirloskar Motor would soon launch the Hilux, a popular pickup in South East Asian markets, in our market in the coming months. And just hours ago, images of a red Toyota Hilux undergoing TV commercial shoot in Cybercity, Gurgaon, surfaced online. This clearly reveals that the launch of this niche vehicle is not too far from us.
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The Toyota Hilux is based on the same IMV-2 platform that even underpins Innova Crysta as well as the Fortuner. However, in spite of sharing the architecture, the pickup sibling is a lot longer than the other two models with an overall length of almost 5.3-metre and a wheelbase of little more than 3-metre. Also, its front-end looks a tad bolder than its sibling due to a larger front grille, bolder headlamps and a very chunky front bumper that sports black plastic cladding along with a huge bash plate.
The side profile is characterized by its huge length along with muscular wheel arches housing stylish 18-inch black-coloured alloy wheels. At the rear, the Hilux sports stylish LED taillamps. The model that has been spied has a dual cab layout, though a single-cab version could also go on sale in our market.
Inside, the Toyota Hilux will be a lot a like the Fortuner as it will carry the same dashboard and even much of the same equipment. The features list is likely to include an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit that will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, multifunction steering wheel and electric adjustments for the driver’s seat.
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Internationally, the Toyota Hilux is available with two turbocharged diesel engine options – 2.4-litre and 2.8-litre. The former outputs a maximum power of 148 bhp along with a peak torque of 400 Nm, while the latter offers 201 bhp and 500 Nm. The India-spec model, however, could be available only with the more powerful unit. Transmission options for this pickup truck include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic unit, while 4×4 is also on offer. In India, the Hilux will go on to lock horns with top-spec Isuzu D-Max V-Cross but will cost more at roughly Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom).
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