Toyota has officially unveiled the new ninth-generation HiLux, the ute it will use to try and break the Ford Ranger’s reign at the top of Australia’s new car sales charts when it arrives in December 2025.
Revealed in Thailand, the 2026 Toyota HiLux rides on the same ‘IMV’ platform as its predecessor, and which dates back more than two decades, but it’s been treated to significant cosmetic and mechanical upgrades to stay as one of the top-sellers in the market.
Designed for the globe by Toyota Australia’s design team and engineered by the brand’s Thai division, the new HiLux will be available in single-, extended- and dual-cab guise.
The WorkMate, SR, SR5, and Rogue grades will carry over, while the Rugged X now serves as the flagship in place of the GR Sport. In total, Toyota will offer 21 variants of the turbo-diesel HiLux in Australia from launch.
The new HiLux may share the same core structure as the model it replaces – and which was Australia’s best-selling vehicle from 2017 to 2022 – but it now adopts a design which incorporates elements of other recent Toyotas, such as the RAV4 and Camry.
This includes slim LED headlights, a honeycomb grille, a chamfered lower bumper on some grades for greater off-road approach angles, new design wheels, vertical tail lights which extend to the rear quarter panel, and a ‘TOYOTA’ stamped tailgate.
At the rear, the HiLux SR5 has adopted a step behind the rear wheel which is reminiscent of that first seen on the Ford Ranger, allowing greater access into the side of the tub.
You won’t find any of Toyota’s tri-oval badges on the new HiLux, with only the brand’s lettering appearing, inside and out of the ute.
Depending on spec, there’s moulded matte or gloss black wheel arches, sports bars, hard tonneau covers, new wheels with all-terrain tyres, and even underbody bash plates to better protect the underside of the ute.
Inside there have been significant improvements made over the soon to be outgoing HiLux, which includes a new dashboard incorporating a digital instrument cluster (7.0-inch on the WorkMate and SR, 12.3-inch above) and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Influenced by the LandCruiser Prado, the cabin also gets a new shifter and steering wheel design, both of which modernise the HiLux and bring it closer to the look of its major rivals.
Additional equipment available in certain grades includes a wireless smartphone charger for front occupants, and USB-C ports for those in the rear.
Toyota also claims to have enhanced interior comfort thanks to new front and rear seats, with certain grades getting eight-way power adjustment for the driver, and leather accents on the upholstery.
Toyota has also given the HiLux electric power steering for the first time, which allows the ute to deliver better lane-keep assistance.
At the heart of the new HiLux is the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine previously fitted to most versions of the ute sold in Australia. The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel and 2.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines from the WorkMate have been axed.
HiLuxes with a six-speed automatic transmission retain outputs of 150kW and 500Nm, and the six-speed manual is also unchanged at 150kW and 500Nm. Both 4×2 and part-time 4×4 drivetrains remain available.
Toyota’s ‘V-Active’ 48-volt mild-hybrid system remains available, now fitted as standard on HiLux SR dual-cab automatics and all grades above. As with the outgoing model, it acts as a fuel-saving measure at a stop and take-off speeds.
The HiLux WorkMate and SR are fitted with springs and dampers suited towards load carrying and towing, while the SR5, Rogue and Rugged X get a more comfort-oriented setup.
To aid the HiLux off-road, the SR 4×4 automatic and above get a rear locking differential and the Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) traction control system as standard, the latter of which has been recalibrated by Toyota Australia.
On top of this, the SR5 and above get a ‘Multi-Terrain Monitor’, with exterior cameras providing better views of the outside for the driver to navigate off-road.
While not officially announced, it’s understood the new HiLux will retain its predecessor’s 3500kg braked towing capacity, though payload figures are yet to be confirmed.
As its tub is the same size as the model it replaces, the Toyota HiLux can’t carry an Australian standard pallet between its wheel-arches.
More information about the 2026 Toyota HiLux including Australian pricing is expected to be announced closer to its arrival in local showrooms from December.
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