Spied: 2016 Toyota Hilux or Next Tacoma?

The race is on between spy photographers sitting in wait and a team of Toyota Hilux and Tacoma engineers doing high-altitude and hot-weather testing right out in the open. Many are speculating that popular midsize pickup platforms for the Hilux and Tacoma will not be separate for long; in fact, it's likely that all the recent spied vehicles caught on camera are hybrid test units in one form or another.

We're hearing that the 2016 models are likely to be an evolutionary improvement, rather than something dramatically different than the current trucks. No doubt Toyota will have a more aggressive Plan B ready for implementation just in case the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon become the runaway hit parent company GM is hoping for. Here's the note our shooters just sent us.

"We have a new look at a prototype for the the 2016 Toyota Hilux pickup, caught testing in a revealing state of graphic camouflage. Given that a new Toyota Tacoma is due for the U.S. market on a similar timeline, we are left to wonder if these Hilux spy shots give us any sort of preview of the design direction we'll see on Toyota's redesigned midsize pickup.

"The current-generation Hilux saw a distinct design departure from the U.S. market Tacoma, with Hilux getting a more aerodynamic front fascia and cab design than the existing U.S. model. These new shots of an eighth-generation Hilux prototype reveal a truck that looks even less aerodynamic than the current model, looking more like a traditional American truck. The new lines look more consistent with something we could see in U.S. showrooms, which has us wondering just how much of the next Tacoma we could be seeing in this unauthorized look at the foreign-market Hilux prototype.

"We know that a new Tacoma is in the works for the U.S., with our earlier shots of a Tacoma mule caught testing in the southwestern U.S. That mule didn't give up any design details, but we could see that an all-new interior is in the works, along with what appeared to be a massaged version of the current platform with similar size and packaging.

"We are still on the lookout for full-on, U.S.-spec Tacoma prototypes to hit the testing scene on U.S. soil. For now, we're left to wonder if this Hilux prototype provides any foreshadowing for the new Tacoma that's coming to battle in a rejuvenated midsize pickup market in America."

KGP Photography images

 

A New Home for Toyota's Tacoma?

By Tim Esterdahl

Rumors are circulating that Toyota is looking to build a new production facility in Mexico. If Toyota decides to build a plant there, the odds are high that the Tacoma will leave San Antonio for Mexico, and Toyota will invest more into Tundra production in Texas.

Automotive News is reporting that Toyota is scouting locations in Mexico with hopes of finding a suitable place to build a plant. Mexico offers many advantages to foreign manufacturers including lower labor costs, land costs and, through the North American Free Trade Act, a free pass on the so-called "chicken tax." The chicken tax is a 25 percent surcharge on trucks imported into the U.S. NAFTA excludes Mexico from the tax.

While we don't know for sure that Toyota would build a Tacoma in Mexico, it makes the most sense. Currently Toyota's truck division is facing problems keeping up with demand according to several company representatives. In fact, the recent drop in Tacoma sales has largely been attributed to Toyota focusing on building more of its full-size Tundras.

Toyota has also said it is leery about making a large investment in the San Antonio facility due to the various problems it had building the plant and the recession destroying its sales projections.

This makes a Mexico plant much more viable for several reasons. First, building a plant in Mexico is a much lower investment. Second, Toyota could decide to build the plant as a general truck facility with plans to also build the midsize Hilux sold outside the U.S. This also makes sense since manufacturers are keen on streamlining parts and design processes. Building a new Hilux and Tacoma on a shared platform would result in real-world financial savings. Third, Toyota wants to build more Tundra pickups and could even be considering offering a diesel and/or heavy-duty model. With the Tacoma built somewhere else, the door is open for these possibilities to happen.

Toyota is historically tight lipped about future plans and this is just one possibility. If Toyota goes forward with another truck plant, it will be a worrisome development for all of the other truckmakers.

Manufacturer image (above); Cars.com image by Mark Williams (below)