The New Toyota Hilux Is Here, And You Can Get An EV

If you want to get a job done, you get a Toyota Hilux. That’s a truth known around the world by anyone who needs to go about their business in the kind of terrain that would leave lesser cars a broken, steaming heap of metal.

That sort of rough and tumble place isn’t exactly the first place you’d expect to find an EV, but for the first time, the brand new ninth-generation Hilux comes as one. It’s got a 59.2kWh battery pack feeding an electric motor on each axle to provide full-time all-wheel drive. Things like power and cumulative torque haven’t been confirmed, but the Hilux EV can produce a peak of 151lb ft on the front axle and 198lb ft on the rear. It’ll do a projected range of 150 miles.

In terms of the all-important truck stuff, Toyota estimates that the Hilux EV will carry up to 715kg of stuff in its bed and tow up to 1600kg. Off-road goodies include a terrain response system that uses brake and torque vectoring to its advantage, something Toyota says is equivalent to driving in low-range in a trad diesel Hilux, and notably, it’ll wade through the same depth of water as the outgoing ICE truck.

In line with Toyota’s attitude of welcoming all powertrains to the table, it’s also announced a hydrogen fuel cell version of the new Hilux is in the works, and is arriving in Europe in 2028. If all this eco-consciousness has got you thinking the legendarily robust truck has lost its way a bit, though, you’ll be glad to know you can still get a big ol’ diesel.

It’s the same 2.8-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder fitted to the outgoing Hilux, complete with the recently introduced 48V (very) mild hybrid system. Figures haven't been confirmed, but don't expect much change from the current truck's 201bhp and 396lb ft output.

Elsewhere, the Hilux lineup has been slimmed down to a sole double-cab option, and Euro-spec trucks adopt electric power steering for the first time, which Toyota says aids manoeuvrability and reduces the chances of the steering wheel kicking back when off-roading. Inside, it gets a new landscape infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster, both up to 12.3 inches in size depending on trim.

The full UK range and specs will be announced between now and the truck going on sale here in June 2026. In the meantime, reckon an electric Hilux can live up to the truck's near-mythical reputation for unkillable-ness?