With the reveal of the facelift Hilux and Fortuner now less than two days away, Toyota has released the first official teaser video of the former starring double Formula 1 world champion and two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Fernando Alonso.
Despite still sporting significant layers of wrapping, and with the much vaunted upgrades to the infotainment system not being disclosed, the video confirms speculation that the 2.8 GD-6 turbodiesel engine will have more power, with Toyota remarking in an accompanying statement that the suspension geometry has also been tweaked.
In a secondary video posted by Toyota Great Britain on Vimeo, Alonso, who earlier this year made his debut on the Dakar Rally and finished 13th, is shown with his co-driver, five-time motorcycle winner Marc Coma, driving the facelift Hilux, along with the South African-built racing model the pair campaigned in Saudi Arabia, on an off-road stage described as “quite difficult”.
With styling set to be derived from the North American Tacoma based on prior leaked images, indications are that power will rise from the current 130 kW to a reported 150 kW with torque projected to be around 500 Nm, although Toyota has stated that the upgraded engine is aimed at the soon-to-be-discontinued 147kW/470Nm 3.2 TDCi engine of the Ford Ranger and not the more powerful 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel.
Unsurprisingly, neither clip makes reference to the rumoured GR Hilux, which is anticipated to receive the new six-cylinder turbodiesel slated for the Land Cruiser 300, reports have alleged will produce as much as 200 kW given that it will replace the current 4.5 D-4D V8 that punches out 195kW/650Nm.
As mentioned in earlier reports, expect more details and possibly even images of the Hilux and Fortuner to appear ahead of the 4 June unveiling.
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