Refreshed Toyota Hilux, Fortuner delayed by at least a month – report

A new report out of the Philippines suggests the facelifted Toyota Hilux and Fortuner have been delayed by at least a month.

According to a document obtained by AutoIndustriya.com, the Japanese firm’s Thai arm had originally planned to start production of the upgraded Hilux and Fortuner in May 2020. However, with its factories shuttered thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, production of these facelifted models will be pushed back by at least a month, says the report.

Of course, both the Hilux and Fortuner are also built in South Africa, although it’s unclear when the Prospecton plant in Durban had planned to switch to the refreshed models.

The document obtained by AutoIndustriya.com furthermore suggests the company will soon start production of new models codenamed “535B” (reportedly an upgraded version of the Asian-spec Yaris offered here in South Africa) and “740B” (likely Toyota’s upcoming Corolla Cross).

Earlier in April 2020, the facelifted Toyota Hilux’s new look was seemingly revealed after fresh “leaked” images of the updated bakkie were published online. Earlier rumours suggested the Hilux’s mid-cycle update would include a power hike for the 2,8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, which is likely to gain enough extra oomph to match the Ford Ranger’s 3,2-litre five-cylinder for torque.

The upgraded Fortuner was also recently uncovered in (frustratingly low-resolution) spy images, prompting a fresh set of renders.