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2015 Toyota HiLux ute | spy shots


The next-generation HiLux has been spotted again - this time testing in southern Europe.

This could be the most important arrival of 2015. The all-new Toyota HiLux is expected to hit Australia in the first half of next year as the Japanese brands overhaul their pick-up propositions.

It will land about the same time as the next Mitsubishi Triton and follows the recent overhaul of the Nissan Navara. All of the action is aimed at unseating the Ford Ranger - developed in Australia but built in Thailand - and its Mazda BT50 clone at the top of the work-and-play ute field.

The current HiLux has been in the top three on the official Vfacts sales charts for more than a year

The current HiLux has been in the top three on the official Vfacts sales charts for more than a year, sometimes even topping the Corolla and Mazda3 on the bestseller list. It's become much more important to Toyota than the locally made Camry, which is set for its final overhaul next year before the company ends its manufacturing here.

The new HiLux is already in the sights of ute buyers, both private owners and companies with working fleets, even without a firm launch date here. Many are delaying a ute update until they see what the new HiLux brings. The obvious answer is a pick-up that's much bigger and more square-edged than Toyota's current model, reflecting a styling trend that's taking utes much closer to the full-sized workhorses sold in the US.

Carparazzi has caught what seems to be a lightly disguised HiLux dual-cab four-wheel drive in trials in southern Europe. It's one of the most popular combinations in Australia but Toyota has always given buyers ample choices with more than 100 variants, from bare-bones workhorse to fully loaded escape machine.

Carparazzi says the test car has an all-new look in the front end, including LED daylight running lamps for the first time. The bonnet is bigger and set higher, there is a roomier cabin and the wheel arches are less pronounced, perhaps pointing to a wider tray back.There is no news on engines or running gear but the long-term approach to the HiLux has always meant petrol and diesel power, rear and all-wheel drive. But there is certain to be some sort of hybrid in the future of the HiLux as Toyota continues the push on greening its fleet.