Toyota’s flagship pickup comes as a refresh 2018 Toyota Hilux Diesel with a host of updates featuring an overhauled upscale look, especially in the cabin, and a new transmission, plus a fresh lineup of drivetrains, including diesel options, while retaining its durability and off-road performance.

Though currently not sold in the US, the Toyota Tacoma, which is the American substitute for the Hilux, comes with loads of the Hilux-style features that are bound to satisfy the home market’s yearning for an upscale pickup.

Exterior and Interior

The 2018 Toyota Hilux Diesel offers updates to the truck’s exterior in the form of a sharper-looking fascia featuring a tall and rugged bumper and chrome-slatted grille, flanked by restyled LED headlights and fog lights. The departure angles are now much better than in the outgoing model, and totally performance-oriented, which is mostly due to a longer wheelbase and trimmed overhangs.

The new Hilux comes in several trims and body styles, varying cabin-styles and bed lengths, one is which is the popular crew cab, which offers a short box configuration that will appeal mostly to use their pickup for a daily commute.

The rear end reveals optional new block lettering across the tailgate, and a roll bar inserted in the truck bed, which is sadly only for show. We can also rely on Toyota to tweak the taillights, and add a few chrome accents to the rear bumper or exhaust quads.

This no-bells-and-whistles approach to design is especially evident in the cabin of the pickup, especially the dashboard that is streamlined with only a few essential controls. The shiny aluminum accents lighten up the otherwise dark cabin, and add to the already strong styling. The steering wheel carries control buttons and the gauge cluster is positioned right behind the wheel and can be read at a glance.

Powertrain

Under the hood of the 2018 Toyota Hilux Diesel you will find turbodiesel or naturally aspirated gasoline engines. The turbodiesels are 2.8-liter or 2.4-liter with 174 horsepower and 160 horsepower, or 331 pound-feet of torque and 295 pound-feet of torque, respectively.

The gasoline engines are a 2.7-liter four-cylinder generating a 164 horsepower, and a 4.0-liter V-6 delivering 278 horsepower. The transmission is six-speed manual with some groundbreaking Toyota’s own technology, while the other is a six speed automatic.

2018 Toyota Hilux Diesel Release Date and Price

Not much is known as to the release date or the pricing, but some sources say that we can expect the 2018 Toyota Hilux Diesel by the end of 2015. The price will likely be around $20,000 for the base level trim.