Woah! The Toyota Hilux is going hybrid (kinda)

This could ruffle a few feathers – the trusty, indestructible Toyota Hilux is going hybrid. Kinda.

This is the new Hilux Hybrid 48V, a mild-hybrid pickup that will be introduced in Europe in mid-2024 and will be sold alongside the combustion-only iteration. Diesel isn’t dead yet, folks.

The recipe is pleasingly simple too. Toyota has taken the Hilux’s standard 2.8-litre turbocharged diesel and paired it with a compact motor generator unit and a 48-volt lithium-ion battery. Said battery is mounted under the rear seats (the Hilux Hybrid is only available as a double cab) and weighs just 7.6kg.

The result is the potential to send up to 16bhp and 48lb ft of torque through the motor generator back to the engine to aid acceleration, while also allowing for a more active stop-start system, which Toyota claims can improve fuel efficiency by up to five per cent. Not bad.

It also reckons the mild-hybrid system actually improves the Hilux’s off-road performance. The motor generator power allows for smoother acceleration at slow speeds on rough terrain, while the regen braking can help with downhill descents. The engine’s idle speed also drops from 720rpm to 600rpm, which should allow for slightly better super slow speed control.

There’s no compromise to the towing capability (3,500kg) or payload capacity (1,000kg) either. Oh, and the battery and converter have been fully waterproofed, so the Hilux Hybrid gets a decent wading depth of 700mm.

Inside you get plenty of kit including an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, and there are new safety features like a pre-collision system, lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control.

Probably worth noting that Toyota still refers to this as one of its “most recognisable workhorse vehicles” too, so don’t think that this little bit of electrification means the Hilux is going soft.