Like a lot of other vehicles, the Hilux has gone soft. What a shame. I liked the older, smaller, more rugged versions. The 2005 with the 4L V6 was decent too. Now, just like the LC200, it's BORING!

I have to say I like the looks of it in the photo even despite the fact it's a crew cab; it's simply less pretentious and more honest to what it is instead of what it wants to be. The extended cab looks good and would be my personal choice, if I had to choose from the three versions presented.

You want to improve fuel economy with your trucks, the first thing you need to do is get rid of that big brick wall of a grill. Then lose about a thousand pounds from the curb weight. You'd probably realize a 20% improvement by just doing those two things.

It's gotten soft and looks hideously ugly. Keep it overseas.

Meanwhile we are stuck with the girly 2016 Tacoma with one new crappy engine and the same old outdated 4cyl and no diesel. It will have a GoPro mount though! I hear that's what truck buyers have been asking for(sarcasm).

This is one ugly truck...

This is one ugly truck...

If Pete Oxi wanted to buy the standard in class he would look at something other than Toyotas all the time. But he won't because all he has is hate for anything without a Toyota badge.

bring the hilux to canada

Better looking than the Tacoma.

Recent Hiluxes here have had really poor interiors. They were full of hard grey plastic.

I hope the new one is different. Judging by the photo the interior does look better.

I wonder what the comfort suspension setting is geared to carry. I've also read the towing is 7 800lbs.

As and aside, Mazda have update the butt fugly BT50. I don't know if they have done enough. The front end design is quite different for a pickup. The assend and body also have slightly different metal.

Here's some photos for the new BT50, Hmmm, I wonder if it is any better?

http://www.reviewscars2015.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Mazda-BT-50-Pro-Eclipse-22.jpg

http://newpickuptrucks2016.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2016-Mazda-BT-50-front-view.jpg

That looks a lot better the the US Taco, plus more/better engine options

@Big Al--I noticed the 2nd and 3rd pictures are of a long bed, do they still offer long beds in Australia? It has been at least 16 years since a long bed was offered in the US on a compact or midsize truck. I don't think a long bed was offered on the S-10, Ranger, Tacoma, or Frontier when I bought my S-10 new in 1999. That is a nice option if you need the bed space more than the cab space.

The piece I read a little ways back was talking about towing up the 3.5t mark, as well. The comfort suspension is probably similar to US market mid-size trucks- 12-1400#.
A LWB model like our Tacoma would probably be desirable, too. I would really like to see the Taco and new, Larger Hilux compared for interior space once more.

@Jeff S- the gen 1 and gen2 S10, ranger and gen1 Dakota all offered a long box, though I'm not sure for what years exactly.
ON the Hilux, all the trucks are on the same WB- with largely the same frame. The 1st gen Colorado also offered this- sort of: you could get a reg. cab C/C on an extended cab frame, allowing for a long flat bed or service body. Very useful where space is at a premium, and you want something narrower than a US Full-size.
My first truck was an 86 S10 LB- complete w/ 1800lb springs. Pretty handy.

@Mr. Knowitall--Thanks for the information. I didn't know that a first generation Colorado offered a reg. cab C/C on an extended cab frame. i had a 85 Mitsubishi Mighty Max regular cab pickup with an 8 foot bed which I used a lot.

@Jeff S

The Japanese pickups (Hilux included) all use the same wheelbase, regardless of cab configuration. This means the regular cab pickup models have almost an 8ft bed.

Towing is rated at 3,500kg or 7,700lb. Max payload, 2,700lb
In Australia there are SIX full size vans offered and now EIGHT " I Tonne" Pickup Trucks

http://www.caradvice.com.au/355443/2016-toyota-hilux-details-october-launch-in-australia/

@Jeff S,
All of our pickups come with a single cab option.

These mostly come as a cab chassis, they are also offered with a pickup tub.

I think nowadays most any single cab is a work vehicle and not a personal everyday hack, so it makes sense to have a tray/flatbed or a specialist body.

Pickup tubs reduces versatility and load capability. A pickup tub will bulk out more so than a tray back. Also, a tray back is good for business as it offers the best access on three sides of the bed.

@Big Al: "Pickup tubs reduces versatility and load capability. A pickup tub will bulk out more so than a tray back. Also, a tray back is good for business as it offers the best access on three sides of the bed."

While that's good for weight carrying, it's lousy for carrying unsecured loads. It seems most Americans are lazy and like to just dump stuff loose in their beds, knowing the high sides will keep it from sliding out onto the road.

These pictures are horrific. But hey..... J!hadists don't care about looks and neither do Predator drones.

All kidding aside, there are other pictures available on the net that shine a kinder light upon the looks of the truck.

@Lou_BC
Photos like this http://www.caradvice.com.au/355443/2016-toyota-hilux-details-october-launch-in-australia/photos/

@Roadwhale,

Lazy Americans???

Keep your observations about your countrymen to a respectful minimum please. You are not required to respect yourself but others will demand that you respect them--or a fat lip could be in your future.

Also, your comments about aerodynamics and weight reduction keep pointing to some Valhalla you imagine in your little mind regarding fuel economy, as if that's the only thing truck buyers care about.

Any design for complex products requires that engineers balance competing requirements and constraints. Any pickup that places FE above all other concerns will not succeed in the market.

@Robert Ryan - thanks... yes. It is almost like PUTC wants to make it look bad.

@RoadWhale - is it laziness or poor risk assessment skills?

There have been many interesting discussions on TTAC about risk assessment and passive versus active safety devices.

I've seen loose items in the box poke nasty holes into the cab or cave the front of the box into the cab.

Laws of physics apply equally to those who do not understand them.

The HiLux was outclassed by the Amarok and the global Ranger. It will be interesting to see how does the new one compares.

The posterior styling is questionable, to say the least. The previous HiLux was well styled all-around. I doubt this design will age well.

The old is the gold, the smart new TOYOTA has a chicken body, more soft than the feather.
It is really terrible to came from JAPAN.