Toyota Motor PH might be bringing in the Hilux BEV

It looks like oil prices are not coming down any time soon, and with diesel taking the biggest hit in terms of price increases, it seems like introducing diesel variants of new vehicles doesn’t really seem the wisest of moves unless fuel prices normalize.

Toyota Motor Philippines announced that the all-new Hilux will arrive within the year, though they didn’t specify which powertrains we’ll be getting. However, thanks to the homologation documents on the Department of Energy’s List of Recognized Electric Vehicles, we guess that the Hilux BEV (or Travo-e, in Thailand) will be at least one of the variants to be offered.

Coming in one variant as the Hilux 4×4 BEV, this confirms that it will be arriving in a dual-motor, four-wheel drive variant with 176 horsepower and a 59.20kWh battery. Interestingly, based on what we know from announced specifications, the total combined power output should be 196 horsepower (176 horsepower rear, 112 horsepower front), and a total range of up to 315km on a single charge.

READ: FINALLY: The ninth-gen Toyota Hilux has been unveiled in Thailand

Apart from a total redesign outside that embraces the “Cyber Sumo” design philosophy with new C-shaped lighting for both the headlight and taillights, the interior takes a lot of cues from the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (250) and the Land Cruiser 300, offering a lot of boxy edges, storage cubbies, and panels.

While these homologation documents only indicate the EV variant, we’re 100% sure it won’t be the only variant on offer, as the diesel-fed variants will surely make their way onto our shores. The bigger question will be if those turbodiesel engines will offer mild electrification, or none at all.

^{Photos by Julian Panlilio, variant shown is Thai-spec Travo-e}