Next Toyota HiLux to get an Australian accent

A team of Toyota Australia designers based in Melbourne is expected to play a key role in the styling of the next-generation Toyota HiLux ute due in 2025 or 2026.

Development of the Toyota HiLux – which is about to be crowned Australia's top-selling vehicle for a record seventh year in a row – is expected to continue to be based in Japan and Thailand (where it is built for Asia-Pacific countries including Australia).

However, future styling themes are expected to be drawn from numerous Toyota design studios around the world – including the Japanese car giant's top secret facility in Melbourne, which was instrumental in the latest facelift for the HiLux in showrooms today.

"We work as part of the region, and a regional design resource for Toyota globally," chief designer for Toyota's design studio in Australia, Nic Hogios, told Drive at a media event in Melbourne.

"We've done a lot of updates to HiLux since the major model change with the Rogue model, the Rugged X and the (2020) facelift. The current model you see today had a lot of input from us."

About 40 designers are based in the Toyota Australia styling studio, which opened in the early 2000s in Port Melbourne though has since moved to Altona since the former Camry factory site was repurposed following the end of local manufacturing in 2017.

Toyota Australia says it has also contributed to a range of GR Sport variants of the HiLux ute and Fortuner SUV sold overseas.

"There are lots of [GR] Sport HiLuxes around the world – there are models that have been already released in other countries ... for example, Thailand's GR [Sport] HiLux and Fortuner," Mr Hogios told Drive.

It's unclear if the Toyota Australia design team is involved in the new flagship Toyota HiLux GR Sport due in local showrooms next year – revealed in spy photos yesterday with sportier styling and a wide-body treatment.

"There are lots of projects that we're working on for the future – probably two years ahead at this stage," said Mr Hogios.

Australia is the home base for the Ford Ranger ute and its Everest SUV sibling – the design, engineering and testing of which was led by Ford in Melbourne.

Mr Hogios says while Toyota Australia can contribute to the design of new models – and conduct testing in Australia – most engineering work is completed overseas.

"Working with the technical centre in Thailand, that's where the engineering's done and we're a styling resource for them," said Mr Hogios.

When asked if Toyota Australia has the capacity to lead the development of a key global model – as Ford has done – Mr Hogios (who is a former Ford designer) told Drive: "It's different. (Ford) have a huge (research and development) centre, whereas we're more linked in to the regional network, so it wouldn't be all done from one location.

"Post COVID, it's been really good that we've gotten used to location-free development. So we can style things here and engineering can be done in another part of the world, whether it be Thailand, India, Japan or wherever it might be.

"Toyota is just set up a bit differently in a very efficient way, where you can plug in resources from around the world and we have common standards, and a common design philosophy. So you'd never see (a Ford-like) operation style here."

The Toyota Australia design studio opened in the early 2000s, working on accessories and body kits – as well as the unique styling elements for what would become the Toyota Aurion V6 sedan of 2006.

Toyota Australia's design team has also delivered a number of concept cars – from 2004's Sportivo Coupe to 2017's HiLux Tonka.