Incoming 2016 Hilux adopts refreshed design cues

Although Toyota is yet to officially reveal the new Hilux  which is expected to go on sale in South Africa and other African countries in 2016 but the latest round of spy pictures gives industry followers a clear view of the bolder exterior and more upmarket cabin.

With its shapely headlights, large grille and muscular flared wheel arches, the 2016 Hilux ditches the conservative design language of its predecessor and inside the cabin there is a curvier dashboard that appears to have been influenced by that in the latest Corolla.

The spy picture also shows a large touch-screen which isn’t neatly integrated into the dashboard, although this is a prototype so it’s likely that Toyota is still working on the finishing touches. As for the engine line-up, a leaked (alleged) spec sheet for the double cab model lists three new diesel engines. It shows a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel with outputs of 110kW and 343kW in manual transmission form and there’s an automatic version credited with 123kW and 400Nm.

The new top dog is a 2.8-litre that delivers 130kW and 420Nm in the case of the manual and 450Nm in auto form. The only petrol engine listed is a 122kW version of the current normally aspirated 2.7-litre. Given that the Ford Ranger has been chasing the aging current Hilux so close on the sales charts of late, even beating it in December last year, this new Pick-up truck can’t come too soon.