The Toyota HiAce van is about to gain the option of hybrid power, according to overseas reports.
Petrol-electric plug-in hybrid power is coming to the Toyota HiAce van, according to news reports out of Japan.
The website Spyder7 claims a revised version of the latest generation of Toyota’s HiAce van launched in Australia in 2019 will be unveiled in Japan in 2022, bringing with it the option of plug-in hybrid petrol power to sell alongside the diesel.
The Japanese media outlet claims the updated van is due in Japanese showrooms in 2023, powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a single electric motor.
However, these reports of a plug-in hybrid HiAce are unconfirmed, and performance and economy details are yet to be revealed.
If such a model were to be introduced in Australia, it’s likely the plug-in hybrid petrol option would be offered alongside 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder HiAce currently on offer. The V6 petrol variant slated for a Japanese launch was recently dropped from the range in Australia.
Above: Spyder7’s artist impression of the Japanese-market 2022 Toyota HiAce.
Spyder7’s artist impression of how the new Japanese-market HiAce will look suggests Toyota’s popular van will undergo a facelift to coincide with its Japanese launch, with the outlet’s computer illustration hinting at slimmer LED headlights and a revised front bumper design.
If Spyder7’s information is correct, expect to hear more about the 2022 Toyota HiAce update and 2023 Toyota HiAce plug-in hybrid next year.
Toyota has confirmed plans to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric power across its entire range by 2030 – a delay from the initial 2025 deadline, owing to the “slightly delayed response to electrification” for utes, vans and commercial vehicles, according to Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley earlier this year.
MORE: HiAce news and reviews
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Journalist
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
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Copyright Drive.com.au 2024
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