Key detail of new Toyota HiLux revealed: Toyota reveals fuel use figures for mild hybrid dual-cab ute rival to the Ford Ranger, BYD Shark and Isuzu D-Max

Toyota has finally detailed just how efficient its new mild hybrid HiLux is.

The Japanese giant has recently fitted 48-volt mild hybrid tech to its rugged HiLux ute but wouldn’t disclose fuel figures … until now.

Toyota is only offering the fuel saving tech on four-wheel drive, dual-cab SR, SR5 and Rogue variants equipped with an automatic transmission.

In the thirstier and heavier HiLux Rogue fuel use drops to 7.8L/100km from 8.4L/100km, which is a saving of about seven per cent.

The SR5 and SR cab chassis variants benefit from the biggest fuel savings, dropping from 8.4L/100km to 7.6L/100km or 9.5 per cent.

Dual cab SR and SR5 versions now drink 7.4L and 7.2L/100km respectively, down from 7.9L/100km in the non electrified examples.

Despite the fuel use improvements the HiLux still isn’t as efficient as the 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel powered Ford Ranger that sips 7.2L/100km.

It does trump the 8.0L/100km fuel figure for the dual-cab, four-wheel drive Isuzu D-Max.

Toyota has made a big showing of not referring to the 48-volt equipped HiLuxes as hybrids, instead dubbing it V-Active technology. The tech is commonly referred to as a mild hybrid by nearly every other carmaker.

The mild hybrid provides electric assistance to the 2.8-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine on SR, SR5 and Rogue 4x4 automatic double-cab grades.

2024 Toyota HiLux.

Unlike Toyota’s hybrid set-up in its passenger cars the electric motor in the HiLux never solely drives the wheels.

Instead it is used to power electrical systems, the starter motor and to assist the engine by up to 8.4kW and 65Nm though peak output remains unchanged at 150kW/500Nm.

Regenerative braking is used to help charge the small battery on the go.

The addition of the mild hybrid tech comes at a cost, with price rises of between $590 and $1605 depending on the variant.

The next-generation Toyota HiLux is expected in the next 18 months and it is likely to come with plug-in hybrid power to compete with the BYD Shark that is due this year and the 2025 Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid.

It is rumoured Toyota could be using BYD’s plug-in hybrid technology for its next-generation HiLux.