√When is the new Toyota HiLux due, is the wide-body Rogue a clue?

The flagship Toyota HiLux Rogue gains wider bodywork, a bigger footprint, four-wheel disc brakes, and revamped suspension. Will these changes form the basis of the next generation, or has it been designed to keep the top-seller fresh amid newer competition?

The flagship Toyota HiLux Rogue due in showrooms within weeks will be the biggest technical upgrade and hardware change to the vehicle since this generation went on sale in 2015.

Such sweeping changes – which include wider fender flares, wider axles, a bigger footprint, four-wheel-disc brakes, and revamped suspension and stabiliser bars – amount to a costly engineering investment, which is unusual as a vehicle approaches the end of a model-cycle.

Most utes have 10-year model changeovers, and the HiLux is now in year seven of a 10-year cycle.

The Toyota HiLux is now facing newer 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 are expected to also be adopted by the Australian version of the upcoming Toyota HiLux GR Sport, before possibly trickling down to other HiLux models – Drive asked Toyota executives if we were witnessing the foundations of the next-generation model.

Timing of the next Toyota HiLux is yet to be announced, but if the history of 10-year model cycles is a guide, it is due in showrooms in 2025 or 2026.

Toyota resubmitted the HiLux for ANCAP safety tests in 2019, which means its current five-star score does not expire until the end of 2026.

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

When Drive asked Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss, Sean Hanley, if the changes to the Toyota HiLux Rogue form the basis of the next-generation model, the executive indicated that was not necessarily the case.

That means the next-generation Toyota HiLux seems to be still on track to be based on an all-new frame and technical architecture – with DNA shared with the LandCruiser 300 Series and Tundra – to pave the way for the option of hybrid and electric power.

“HiLux is a really important car for Toyota in Australia in particular,” Mr Hanley told Drive. “And of course, it’s a very competitive segment.

“We’ve always said that we very much respect the competition in the (ute) market. And it’s a challenging segment for us. So therefore, we’ve always got to be reinventing HiLux and always doing continual improvement.

“HiLux has a big future in Australia and it has a very big brand cachet in Australia. So therefore, all we’re doing is … continually trying to develop and expand the offering to meet the market.

“HiLux has an important role to play in Australia. We’re investing accordingly.”

When asked if Toyota could clarify whether the changes to the Rogue will be carried over to the next HiLux – given the significant investment this late in the current model cycle – Mr Hanley said: “No, it’s for today’s model, to suit the demands of the customers in today’s market. I think (people) are reading far more into it than what we intended.

“It’s a freshen-up of a model that’s in an extremely challenging market, and we need to keep developing and we need to keep evolving. So I don’t think you should read anything into what we’re doing today for the future.

“Having said that, HiLux remains an important part of our model line-up, and it will be in the future. So therefore, we are continually working on different developments and ways to keep that relevant to the customers it serves.”

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