Toyota Motor Philippines is bringing its A-game to the pickup truck segment by introducing the refreshed 2021 (the company officially calls it 2020 though) Hilux. With strong competition from all quarters, this major refresh answers the call for those who want a truck that’s equal parts work and play.

Outside, the 2021 Hilux features a heightened sense of toughness with its new, upright fascia. Available state-of-the-art elements such as the bi-beam LED headlights with LED DRLs, and LED light guiding taillights make it a stand out even at night while also improving its nighttime visibility. For the top-of-the-line Conquest variant, there’s an even greater sense of differentiation with its unique grille, bumper treatment, sports bar, overfenders, and alloy wheels.

In terms of performance, both the 2.4- and 2.8-liter engines get upgraded for 2021. While the outputs of the smaller 2GD engine remain the same, improvements have been done to improve its fuel efficiency (up to 5 percent). Meanwhile, the headlining 2.8-liter 1GD engine gets most of the updates though. With a larger turbocharger, increased pressure in its common rail system, and other improvements, the Hilux 4x4 now boasts 204 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque—nearing best-in-class outputs while also boasting of an up to 4 percent better fuel economy. Moreover, a reduction in idling (680 rpm from 850 rpm) improves off-road traction.



For 2021, Toyota engineers also introduced longer leaf springs to suppress road vibrations, wider spacing of the springs for stability while cornering under load, and even revised the attachment points to promote steering stability. The refresh also has re-tuned spring rates, shock absorbers, and suspension bushings as well as revised cabin mounts. All in all, these improvements are designed to deliver a more agile handling response and improving ride comfort, particularly when unladen on country roads and over speed humps.

Inside, the Hilux drops its much-maligned infotainment system, and in its place is a larger 8-inch screen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Together with the new infotainment system, it also gets a new instrument cluster with updated graphics including a wheel position display. Ambient lighting complete the changes.

And with Toyota wanting to be a safety leader, the 2021 Hilux also adopts a wider array of driver assist features. Most of the entire line-up benefits from standard multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control which integrates hill start assist and downhill assist control, and a rear parking camera. Tailgate Assist is also a new feature in this refresh which helps owners open or close the tailgate much more easily.

• 2.4 4x2 Cab & Chassis MT – P 843,000
• 2.4 4x2 Cargo MT – P 936,000
• 2.4 4x2 FX MT (w/o Rear AC) – P 1,029,000
• 2.4 4x2 FX MT (w/ Rear AC) – P 1,057,000
• 2.4 4x2 J MT – P 952,000
• 2.4 4x4 J MT – P 1,148,000
• 2.4 4x2 E MT – P 1,113,000
• 2.4 4x2 G MT – P 1,220,000
• 2.4 4x2 G AT – P 1,295,000
• 2.4 4x2 Conquest MT – P 1,380,000
• 2.4 4x2 Conquest AT – P 1,455,000
• 2.8 4x4 Conquest MT – P 1,755,000
• 2.8 4x4 Conquest AT – P 1,830,000