Toyota HiLux and rival Ford Ranger on hybrid trail

Toyota HiLux versus Ford Ranger will soon be the battle of the hybrid workhorses as electrification finally hits Australian utes.

Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. Picture: Mark Bean

Australia’s bestselling vehicle, the Toyota HiLux, is set introduce its first hybrid diesel engine option early next year, taking important steps towards the electrification of the country’s workhorse utes.

It represents a significant shift in ute positioning, and follows rumours that the Ford Ranger will also introduce a plug-in hybrid powertrain from 2024, meaning that Australia’s two most popular vehicles will be significantly greener from next year.

While both are hybrids, they work in very different ways. Toyota’s 48-volt “mild hybrid” system adds an electric generator to its existing diesel engine, in a move that it says will reduce fuel use by “10 per cent”.

Those fuel savings are significantly lower than what would be expected from Toyota’s petrol-hybrid products — like the RAV4 Hybrid — but are indicative of the smaller benefits associated with mild-hybrid powertrains.

The brand also suggests the technology will improve the drive experience, but that admittedly vague statement is yet to be in any way substantiated by Toyota, with the company so far unwilling to elaborate.

Toyota has also come under fire for being a late mover on electric vehicles, with the brand yet to launch an EV in Australia, and instead sticking to its hybrid strategy.

“We are continually striving to reduce the fuel consumption of our vehicles to help reduce ongoing costs for customers, as well as helping reduce our environmental impact, and the addition of 48-volt technology to our biggest-selling vehicle line will contribute to this,” says Toyota Australia’s Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley.

“This new technology will not only improve fuel consumption, but customers will also benefit from enhanced on and off-road performance, making the HiLux even more appealing for a weekend away or longer-term excursion into the outback.”

But while most of its conventional, petrol-based hybrid systems are designed to significantly reduce fuel use, this 48-volt system is likely an attempt to extend the life of the diesel engine in its now ageing HiLux.

Ford, which launched an all-new Ranger in 2022, is expected to launch its own electrified ute in 2024, with a plug-in hybrid variant on course for Australia.

Unlike the HiLux, the Ranger solution would include a sizeable battery and electric motor, and give the ute the ability to travel in pure EV mode, and to draw from its combustion engine when the battery runs flat.