2021 Toyota HiLux Facelift Looks More Ganas, But Be Prepared To Wait

It’s been a short 5 years since Toyota rolled out the current 8th-generation HiLux, and naturally it’s already due for a refresh for the 2021 model year to incorporate more tech and an updated design into the popular pick-up.

That refresh timeline does make a lot of sense given the age of the current model, and this series of pictures show purportedly leaked images of what’s to come. The usual cues are present and accounted for, but the HiLux shown here still very much resembles what we have on our roads at the moment - obviously.

As you can probably see, vehicle exporters MileleMotors (based in the UAE) aren’t shy about liberally stamping their watermark, but it’s not known if they are the original leakers of these images which have been circulating on social media, particularly within Thai circles, for some time.

The first item of note is the revised fascia which is dominated by a slightly larger front grille in gloss black accents and chrome surround, flanked by a pair of slimmer headlights that feature an all-new illumination set. Full LED headlights seem to be standard on more expensive variants, and are joined in-cluster by an LED turn indicator, position lamp, and daytime running lights.


Toward the lower portion of the front end, we have a more aggressive looking bumper and what looks to be air intake slats dressed in a black metallic finish. However, we don’t spot the usual fog lamps nor a set of more integrated LED alternatives, which is unusual.

Further along this hypothetical HiLux, we don’t see any major alterations from the pre-facelift version. The bonnet, doors, and overall profile have been carried over unchanged, though we do see a new set of alloys.

These are a set of 6-spoke wheels measuring 18-inches in diameter and made of aluminum. Lower tier variants also lose out on the LED headlights up front, replaced with halogens, and are fitted with 17-inch wheels.

That said, if these images are to be believed, all variants will benefit from an all-LED taillight cluster, though the housing itself is left alone. No mention of the interior or engine range, but we assume both the 2.4-litre and 2.8-litre turbodiesel units will also be brought over for this facelift when it hits our market.

Speaking of which, sources within Toyota dealer networks have told Australian media that the launch of this 2021 HiLux facelift has been put on the back burner given the complications left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s unclear when we’ll see it in the flesh much less when the production line in Thailand might start to spin up. Given that it was previously scheduled for a midyear reveal, expect it to be pushed back to either Q3 or Q4 of 2020.