The 2015 Toyota Hilux may not have been publicly previewed yet, as Toyota have been keeping the truck under wraps – literally – but somebody has apparently managed to get a few spy shots of the upcoming new model. They don’t show the complete body of the truck, but they do give a glimpse at its face and rear, confirming what we’ve been told by various previews so far.
The leaked pics seem more or less similar to the camouflaged prototype that was spotted in testing around Europe, and Toyota have obviously been aiming at a bolder look for this model – and yet, at the same time, it’s somehow less aggressive than the Tacoma, which the company unveiled in Detroit about a month ago.
Specifications of the truck are not yet known, and there are various rumors about them, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Current models of the Hilux come with 3.0 liter and 2.5 liter diesel engines, but there have been rumors that Toyota are planning to offer more variety with the 2015 Hilux, introducing several additional variants for buyers to choose from. More choice can certainly never hurt the company’s position in this market, as truck buyers tend to be somewhat picky when it comes to the performance of their vehicles.
Some of the previews about the truck have been calling it a true competition for the Chevrolet Colorado, and while Toyota haven’t said that they’re trying to attack this model in particular, their design direction seems to be quite obviously aimed that way. The Colorado is traditionally known for its “strong” look, something which the 2015 Hilux seems to have over previous models in the line as well; in addition, Chevrolet are one of the best companies in the market when it comes to giving their buyers different options, which could coincide with the rumors that Toyota are also planning to give more choice to their customers.
There are also some rumors that Toyota are going to improve the model’s fuel efficiency significantly, which has been requested by fans of the line for a long time now. The Hilux isn’t exactly the most economic brand on the truck market, but if Toyota put a little more engineering effort into it, that could very well change. And with all of that in mind, it may very well turn out that Chevrolet will be facing harsh competition for their Colorado, unless they also have a few tricks up their sleeve prepared for the truck market. At the moment, there seems to be a lot happening in the market for pickup trucks, so nothing would be too surprising, but it’s certainly shaping up to be an interesting year for buyers.