2016 Toyota Hilux (next gen Fortuner pickup) spotted testing [Update]

Update 1 - The new generation Hilux was snapped in Bangkok yet again, this time next to the current generation Hilux Vigo.

2016 Toyota Hilux - Spyshot Gallery

[Spyshots from MZ Cars]

Both Hilux and Fortuner are expected to be revealed this year.

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota is developing the next generation versions of the Hilux pick-up, which will also share its platform and design with the next India-bound Toyota Fortuner. A video of a test mule has been posted, giving us an idea of what it would look like on the road.

[Can't see the video? Head over to YouTube]

The test mule in question is the Hilux Vigo variant in the double-cab, four door configuration. The body is influenced by Toyota's current design language, as seen in spyshots of a pre-production model before. The mule sports a new, longer dual slat grille flanked by a set of redesigned headlamps, and a new front bumper design.

Toyota will retain a ladder-frame setup for the next Hilux, which will also underpin the next generation Fortuner.

Reports speculate that Toyota would fit newly developed diesel engines on the forthcoming utility vehicles, although further details are scarce at the moment. The current Hilux/Fortuner is available with either a 3.0- or a 2.5-liter D-4D diesel engine that produces 171 hp/343 Nm and 144 hp/343 Nm, respectively.

Also Read: Toyota Vios (Honda City rival) caught testing in Bengaluru – Spied [Update]

It's likely that Toyota Kirloskar Motor would launch the new Fortuner in the Indian market in early-2016.

Competitors: Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Navarra
Expected Launch: Later this year (Thailand)