Toyota Australia has released a new version of their iconic HiLux ute with the exterior design spearheaded by Toyota Design Australia. The entire range benefits from an extensive range of upgrades including new electric power steering, enhanced active safety technology, and the latest-generation multimedia system.
The new HiLux is offered in five different model grades, consisting of WorkMate, SR, SR5 and the on- and off-road Rogue and Rugged X flagships. All variants are powered by Toyota’s 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, producing a maximum 150kW of power and either 420Nm of torque when teamed with the six-speed manual gearbox or 500Nm with the six-speed automatic transmission. The engine still sounds like a rattly diesel, so no improvement here from Toyota, and it has an official combined fuel efficiency of 7.4L/100km.
WorkMate and SR grades are offered with the choice of 4X2 or 4X4 drivelines, with the rest of the range being 4X4 only. I spent a week with the 2025 Toyota Hilux WorkMate dual cab 4X4, which has part-time four-wheel drive with dual-range transfer case with rear locking differential offering 2H, 4H, and 4L modes only. This WorkMate has a 3,500kg braked towing capacity.
Apart from the somewhat ugly front grille on this generation of HiLux utes, the WorkMate is identified from the outside by 17-inch steel wheels, manual levelling LED headlamps, body-coloured front bumper and grille, electric exterior mirrors, sharkfin antenna and is available in four exterior paint colours.
While the WorkMate and SR grades retain a heavy-duty suspension tune designed for carrying loads or towing, the SR5 and above grades feature a new comfort-oriented rear leaf suspension tune which is designed to provide a more supple ride quality when unladen, while still retaining the towing and load-carrying ability of the rest of the range. Driving with no load in the tub, the ride of the WorkMate was terrible and my teenage son grunted from the rear of the vehicle that it was so bad that he couldn’t even read his text messages when I was driving down a bumpy road.
Plastics cover every surface of the HiLux Workmate, which may be good for cleaning it out, but I particularly didn’t like the feel of the centre arm rest as it actually hurt my elbow when I rested on it. The urethane steering wheel paired well with the manual key that needed to be put into the ignition, but you do at least get push button keyless entry. My teenage daughter was also disgusted that there were no vanity mirrors in the front.
The seats are black fabric upholstery cloth-covered, so maybe difficult to clean after a muddy day on the farm. Both front seats have manual adjustment for recline and forward/back with the driver’s seat also getting manual height adjustment. There’s one rigid cup holder in the centre console another on either side of the dash at the front and good-sized drink bottle storage in the front door cubbies. Completing the dated feel of the cabin, you get single zone climate control with dial controls.
A new multimedia system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen is now standard across the HiLux range, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, DAB+ digital radio, embedded satellite navigation, and natural voice recognition. The wireless Android Auto worked well for my duration with the HiLux, as did the voice control for making phone calls, changing the radio station and setting a destination on the sat nav. The deep cubby at the front of the centre console will fit your phone and has two USB-C ports above and the cubby under arm rest has one 12V socket in it. All new HiLux variants now also feature a digital instrument cluster with a 7.0-inch display for WorkMate.
All HiLux grades also benefit from expanded Toyota Connected Services functionality, with a range of safety, security, comfort and convenience features. Features which remain complimentary for the life of the 4G network, include SOS Emergency Call, Automatic Collision Notification and Vehicle Insights, the latter of which are remotely accessible through the myToyota Connect app. A one-year complimentary trial to Toyota Connect+ and Toyota Multimedia Connect Packages are also included, which are available as paid services following the trial period. These include an uplifted Multimedia system, offering Connected Navigation and Voice – alongside a suite of remote commands to provide added convenience and control. Supported features vary across the range.
The rear seats have a good amount of leg room and under thigh support, and the headroom was okay for me, but taller individuals may find it tight. The HiLux has two ISOFix/two rear tether anchor points located on the outboard seats and retains the confusing centre clip with the tethers behind the outer seats that you feed through and then clip up. Installation of child restraints in the rear centre seating position of the dual cab is not recommended by ANCAP as there is no top tether anchorage. There are also no rear air vents and just one 12V socket for rear passengers, but you do get a full rubber mat over the vinyl floor in the back and good-sized drink bottle storage in the rear door cubbies.
Front and rear mud guards, four tie-down hooks and a tailgate damper with lift assist is added for double-cab pick-up body styles in the WorkMate grade. The tailgate does not lock and the white painted tub delivered a blinding light at certain angles when the sun reflected off it. The tub depth is 150cm and the width between wheel arches in 110cm and there is a full-size spare tyre located under the tub. It has steps at the rear of the tub, but they were up to high for me to use easily.
This Toyota HiLux generation has a 5-star (2025) ANCAP safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 84% and a Child Occupant Protection score of 89%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags and a driver knee airbag are standard. A centre airbag, which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes, is also standard. For convenience the WorkMate HiLux has auto lights with high beam assist, but no auto wipers and the standard rear-view camera is accompanied by front and rear parking sensors.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction & Crossing) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist, lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping are standard. An advanced speed assistance system with speed sign recognition is also standard as is adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring.
ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in all car-to-car rear and AEB Junction scenarios, as well as several of the AEB Crossing scenarios where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when crossing the path of an oncoming vehicle. The AEB Head-On system functionality showed GOOD performance. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance, including in the more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios, with the overall ANCAP Safety Assist score being 82%.
The new HiLux is covered by Toyota Warranty Advantage that includes a five-year/unlimited kilometre coverage term. Stick to your annual service schedule, and Toyota will extend your engine and driveline warranty from five to seven years as long as you undertake your annual inspection as part of routine maintenance according to the vehicle logbook (conditions apply). The Toyota Service Advantage provides HiLux owners with five years of capped-price servicing, spread over 6-month or 10,000km intervals, contact your Toyota service department for pricing information.
The Toyota HiLux WorkMate double-cab pickup 4×4 ute is priced from $53,990 excluding on-road costs. You can Build and Price your new Toyota HiLux online or visit your preferred Toyota dealer for more information.
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| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to clean hard plastic surfaces | The rattly diesel engine |
| Good amount of leg room in the rear seats | The poor ride quality |
| The voice control worked well | The poor rear tether anchorage design for child seats |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.