Toyota is reportedly working on a new hybrid ute, but it’ll be quite a different beast to the top-selling HiLux.
Motor1 Argentina reports Toyota’s Brazilian dealers were told about the new ute, which is due there in 2027.
Unlike the HiLux, or other global Toyota utes like the HiLux Champ and Tacoma, the as-yet unnamed hybrid ute will feature unibody construction, not body-on-frame.
That will make it more like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, as well as a raft of Latin American utes like the Ram Rampage and Fiat Toro.
Unlike most of those models, however, it’ll offer hybrid power.
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Toyota EPU concept
Motor1 Argentina reports the production ute will use the 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine of the current RAV4 plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
The ute will reportedly use a version of the TNGA platform underpinning the Corolla, but offer more power.
The publication notes Toyota will use this new project to develop and update the existing Corolla and Corolla Cross, with upgrades made for the ute filtering down to the Corolla-badged models.
Don’t expect it to look like a Corolla, though, with Motor1 Argentina reporting it will be based on last year’s EPU concept, which was an electric ute measuring 5070mm long, 1910mm wide and 1710mm tall – almost identical to the Maverick and Santa Cruz.
It’s reportedly part of a BRL 11 billion (A$2.8bn) investment by Toyota in its Brazilian operations.
Various carmakers have been investing in new utes aimed at Latin America.
Ram invested BRL 1.3 billion (A$400 million) in its Rampage, which thus far is exclusive to that market. This was part of the BRL 16 billion (A$4.9bn) Stellantis is investing in Brazil between 2018 and 2025.
Renault announced in September it would invest US$350 million (A$563 million) in manufacturing a half-ton ute in Argentina, based on the Niagara concept revealed last year. This will be sold not only in Argentina, but will also have a “strong export profile”.
Toyota’s US operations last year poured cold water on reports a Corolla-based ute would be introduced there in 2027, which could mean the upcoming model will be exclusive to markets such as Latin America.
