Autoblog

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the production TRD HiLux

Toyota Australia is finally ready to unleash TRD HiLux. The concept version bowed a year ago, and while the production truck was shown at the Brisbane show earlier this month (supposedly its "official" debut), the officially official debut is taking place tomorrow in Melbourne, where this all began way back when. To back that up, additional photos of the supercharged TRD HiLix have been released along with a new press release, but Toyota is still being coy with the hard numbers. All the Aussie division says is that the blown 4.0L will make around 25% more power and 20% more torque than the standard-issue HiLux SR5 Double Cab's mill, while consuming a bit less fuel, to boot. Toyota will presumably confirm the final power and torque figures tomorrow, which we expect to be around 300 hp / 330 lb-ft. That's enough to let the TRD HiLux make the 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in under 7.5 seconds. Our friends Down Under get to pound on the new sport truck in April, when it joins the TRD Aurion in showrooms. Follow the jump for Toyota's latest (but probably not the last) press release.


[Source: Toyota]

Click image for a gallery of the TRD HiLux

Last year in Melbourne, Toyota showed off a TRD Hilux concept truck. At the time, we commented that the supercharged show truck looked pretty production ready, and thet Aussies would likely see the "concept" part of the name dropped in the future. Well, the future is now -- or February, at least. That's when Toyota Australia pulls the wraps off the production TRD Hilux, which gets the bodywork, wheels, and graphics you see here. Power numbers haven't been released yet for its blown 4.0L V6, but you can expect something in the general neighborhood of 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft underhood, along with upgraded brakes and suspension. The Outback beckons...

[Source: Toyota]

Click image for TRD Aurion gallery. TRD HiLux gallery below.

TRD didn't just show off its new Corolla-based rally car at the Melbourne Motor Show. The Aussie wing of Toyota's factory motorsports arm also pulled the sheets off a new production car, the TRD Aurion, and a near-production-looking concept in the TRD HiLux pickup. The emergence of the special Aurion represents the world debut of TRD as a vehicle brand, opening the door for TRD versions of just about anything the automaker sets its mind to.

The TRD Aurion doesn't play around, either. This better-looking (much better looking in fact) Aussie version of the Camry gets a blown 3.5L V6 good for at least 320 horsepower. Some of you will notice that the TRD production car is essentially a dead ringer for the Aurion Sports Concept (gallery) that made its debut at the Sydney Motor Show back in October. We think the production car looks better, with less grey in the nose and much nicer-looking wheels. Sadly, Toyota thinks that the Camry has to look boring in our market. Come on guys, this look and the supercharged engine would go a long way towards making people think of the car as something other than an inoffensive, boring appliance.

Joining the TRD Aurion at the Toyota Stand is a TRD HiLux concept pickup. The four-door short-bed truck sports TRD graphics, a black roll bar, and a supercharged 4.0L V6. No power numbers were given. TRD only says that HiLux concept's engine is good for "substantially more" than the 234 horses the standard HiLux produces. If we had to guess, we'd say that our friends in Oz can look for the "concept" part of the HiLux's name to be dropped in the future.

[Source: Toyota]