When the new Toyota HiLux is due, is the widebody Rogue a clue? | Biden News

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The flagship Toyota HiLux Rogue received a wider body, a larger area, disc brakes on four wheels and an updated suspension. Will these changes become the basis of the next generation, or was it designed to keep the sales leader fresh in the face of new competition?


Flagship Toyota HiLux Rogue The biggest technical update and hardware change for the car since this generation went on sale in 2015 will be in showrooms for a few weeks.

Such sweeping changes, which include wider fender flares, wider axles, a larger footprint, four-wheel disc brakes and revised suspension and anti-roll bars, represent an expensive engineering investment, unusual for a car nearing the end of the model. – cycle

Most users have a 10-year model change cycle, and the HiLux is now in its seventh year of a 10-year cycle.



The Toyota HiLux now faces new rivals such as the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 (2020), Ford Ranger (2022) and Volkswagen Amarok (2023).

Given the significant changes to the Toyota HiLux Rogue – which is also expected to be adopted by the Australian version of the upcoming Toyota HiLux GR Sport before possibly making its way to other HiLux models – drive asked Toyota executives if we had witnessed the basics of the next-generation model.

The release time of the next Toyota HiLux has not yet been announced, but if you go by the history of 10-year model cycles, it should appear in showrooms in 2025 or 2026.



Toyota resubmitted the HiLux to ANCAP safety tests in 2019, meaning its current five-star rating won’t expire until the end of 2026.

Had Toyota not retested the HiLux since the 2015 model year, its original five-star safety rating would have expired at the end of this year.

When drive asked Sean Henley, Toyota’s head of sales and marketing in Australia, whether the changes to the Toyota HiLux Rogue would underpin the next-generation model, the executive said that wasn’t necessarily the case.



That means the next-generation Toyota HiLux appears to still be on track for an all-new frame and technical architecture – sharing DNA with the LandCruiser 300 series and Tundra – to pave the way for hybrid and electric power options. .

“The HiLux is a really important car for Toyota, particularly in Australia,” Mr Henley said drive. “And of course it’s a very competitive segment.

“We have always said that we have great respect for competition in the market. And this is a difficult segment for us. So we always have to reinvent HiLux and constantly improve.



“HiLux has a big future in Australia and it has a very big brand in Australia. So all we do is … constantly try to develop and expand the offer to match the market.

“HiLux plays an important role in Australia. We invest accordingly.”

When asked if Toyota could clarify whether changes to the Rogue will be carried over to the next HiLux – given the significant investment at such a late stage in the current model cycle – Mr Henley said: “No, it’s for today’s model to meet the demands of customers in today’s market. I think (people) read a lot more about it than we intended.



“It’s an update to a model that’s in an extremely challenging market, and we need to continue to grow and evolve. So I don’t think you should read anything into what we’re doing today for the future.

“That being said, the HiLux remains an important part of our range and will continue to be so. That’s why we’re constantly working on different developments and ways to keep them relevant to the customers it serves.”

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for over 20 years, spending much of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the original members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018 and has been a World Car of the Year judge for over 10 years.

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