Toyota HiLux sibling could be sold with twin-turbo V6 petrol power

Toyota has unveiled a Tacoma ute concept powered by a twin-turbo petrol V6 engine from the full-size Tundra pick-up – and LandCruiser 300 Series – at the SEMA modified-car expo in Las Vegas this week, known for crazy vehicle builds.

And if there is enough demand and interest, a report from US website CarBuzz suggests Toyota is considering bringing the option of a twin-turbo V6 in the Tacoma to showrooms.

“If we can get a ground swell, it’s something we want to do,” Sheldon Brown, Chief Engineer of Toyota USA, told CarBuzz.

“We can mobilise development thanks to the flexibility of the platform.”

The next-generation HiLux – due in 2025 – is expected to be based on the same architecture as the recently-launched Tacoma, meaning it could potentially follow in its footsteps and eventually adopt the V6 engine, providing a viable competitor to the Ford Ranger Raptor.

The 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine produces 314kW and 649Nm, with power being sent to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission via an electronic limited-slip differential.

The engine makes 25kW more than it does in the Tundra, though the company says the performance upgrade will be available in the larger pick-up from 2024.

“The TNGA-F platform allows us to efficiently build something this cool in a fraction of the development time it would normally take. A project like this is why you get into the automotive business,” Mr Brown said in a written statement.

Unlike off-road performance utes like the HiLux GR Sport and Ranger Raptor, the concept – known as the Tacoma X-Runner Concept – is a throw-back to ‘sport trucks’ from 20 years ago, designed to be fast on the street.

“There were lots of street trucks in the early 2000s and they all faded, so on the one hand, this was a curiosity check to see if there is any market for street trucks at all, or if the market has entirely shifted to what we see today – tough, rugged, lifted vehicles,” said Adam Rabinowitz, Chief Designer at Toyota’s Calty Design Research department.