A new and mysterious Toyota filing has appeared in Australia, seemingly pointing to the lengths the Japanese giant will go to seperate its new electrified HiLux from the rest of its petrol-hybrid range.
The term “TOYOTA KINETIC ASSIST” is currently in the midst of a trademark application with Australia’s IP office, and we think it points to the 48-volt hybrid HiLux that will appear in Australia in the first half of next year.
Why not just call it a HiLux Hybrid, like the brand does with models like the RAV4 Hybrid? Because this one works a little differently, and isn’t the traditional system pioneered by Toyota in the Prius eons ago.
A hybrid, of course, blends an electric motor with an ICE powertrain. But Toyota’s HiLux solution is what’s known in the industry as a “mild hybrid”, when a 24- or 48-volt electrical system is largely used to run the vehicle’s ancillary systems, or to plug holes in the ICE power delivery.
The benefit of these mild hybrid systems is that they’re generally easier to apply to existing powertrains, with the drawback being they don’t deliver as significant fuel savings as typical hybrids.
Toyota has built its modern brand on the back of hybrid technology, which it pioneered, and which has proven massively popular with the RAV4 Hybrid and most other models in the Toyota range.
But reading through Toyota’s press material for the HiLux, and you won’t find the word “hybrid” used anywhere. Instead, the brand steadfastly sticks to the term “48-volt Technology”.
And, if this new trademark application covers what we think it will cover, you won’t find the word hybrid written anywhere on the HiLux, either. It seems the brand will instead use the new term “Kinetic Assist”.
Still, hybrid or otherwise, the technology should be celebrated, with the brand saying the move won’t just help reduce fuel use – with the claim of a 10 per cent saving – but will also deliver “enhanced on and off-road performance”, suggesting the system will also deliver at least some power to the driven wheels.
The technology will be initially applied to the 4×4 SR5 and Rogue Double Cab models, which will still use a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, and should produce a claimed fuel-use figure of around 7.5L/100km, down from 8.4L/100km.
The brand says the addition of the hybrid tech won’t impact the vehicle’s towing or payload figures, and should generally improve the HiLux drive experience, though details on exactly how are yet to be confirmed.
“We are continually striving to reduce the fuel consumption of our vehicles to help reduce on-going 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’s Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley.
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