All posts by Francis Mitterrand

NEW CARS

2027 Toyota Hilux: Japan’s Legendary Pickup Sharpens Its Edge

The world’s toughest Toyota gets a high-tech makeover, proving that durability and modern refinement don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

For more than half a century, the Toyota Hilux has earned a reputation that borders on myth. It’s the truck that has crossed deserts, climbed mountains, survived abuse that would cripple lesser machines, and built a loyal following in more than 190 countries. While much of the automotive world chases electrification and digital gimmickry, the Hilux has remained stubbornly focused on the fundamentals: durability, capability, and reliability.

Now Toyota is giving its iconic pickup a significant update for the Japanese market, and while the formula remains familiar, the execution feels distinctly modern.

The new Hilux arrives with sharper styling, upgraded technology, enhanced safety systems, and a refined driving experience, all while preserving the rugged ladder-frame DNA that made it a global success story in the first place.

Cyber SUMO: A Bold New Face

Toyota designers describe the new Hilux’s styling philosophy as “Cyber SUMO,” a phrase that sounds like it was generated by an AI after binge-watching Japanese sci-fi movies. Yet somehow, it fits.

The front end draws inspiration from the explosive opening charge of a sumo match, with broad fenders, a massive grille, and sculpted bumpers creating a stance that appears planted and powerful. The design is considerably more aggressive than before without sacrificing the purposeful look buyers expect from a working pickup.

The standard Z model keeps things relatively clean, while the new Z Adventure turns the attitude up several notches. Additional lower-bumper trim, a prominent sports bar, and tougher visual details give the truck a more off-road-focused personality.

It’s the kind of styling update that doesn’t reinvent the Hilux but successfully modernizes it for buyers who want their pickup to look as adventurous as the lifestyle they’re trying to project.

A Cabin That Finally Feels Contemporary

Historically, the Hilux’s interior has been a lesson in functionality over flair. The new model doesn’t abandon that philosophy, but it does add a healthy dose of sophistication.

A new horizontal dashboard layout improves visibility during off-road driving, while a 12.3-inch center display sits prominently atop the dash. Toyota has wisely separated critical driving controls from infotainment functions, ensuring that drivers aren’t forced to hunt through touchscreen menus while navigating rough terrain.

The broad center console reinforces the truck’s robust character, and overall material quality appears improved compared with previous generations.

Most importantly, the cabin finally feels like it belongs in the same decade as Toyota’s latest SUVs.

Built for Work, Ready for Adventure

Despite growing lifestyle aspirations, Toyota hasn’t forgotten that the Hilux is fundamentally a truck.

Measuring 209.6 inches long, 74.2 inches wide, and 73.4 inches tall, the midsize pickup continues to offer a practical cargo bed separate from the passenger compartment. Payload capacity remains an impressive 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms), while a flat load floor improves versatility.

Toyota has also focused on usability. Integrated deck steps positioned behind the rear wheel arches make accessing cargo easier, and the tailgate height has been optimized to simplify loading and unloading.

The result is a pickup that can haul camping gear on weekends and tackle demanding work duties during the week without compromise.

Tougher Underneath, Smoother on the Road

The Hilux’s reputation was built on its rugged body-on-frame architecture, and Toyota has no intention of abandoning it.

The latest version continues to ride on the proven IMV-series ladder frame, but engineers have introduced numerous refinements. Thicker frame side rails improve overall rigidity, while an additional 36 spot welds increase floor stiffness and reduce vibration.

Those changes may sound minor, but they contribute to something Hilux buyers increasingly care about: refinement.

Toyota has also retuned the suspension with revised spring rates and shock absorber calibration. Combined with newly adopted electric power steering, the truck promises improved ride comfort, greater stability, and reduced steering kickback during off-road driving.

In other words, the Hilux remains tough enough to tackle difficult terrain but should feel considerably more civilized on the daily commute.

The Diesel Heart Remains

Power continues to come from Toyota’s trusted 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV turbo-diesel four-cylinder.

Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine emphasizes low-end torque, strong towing performance, and durability rather than headline-grabbing horsepower figures. Toyota says the powertrain delivers strong acceleration from a standstill while maintaining impressive fuel efficiency and low noise levels.

A part-time four-wheel-drive system remains standard, allowing drivers to switch drive modes via a transfer-case selector.

The Hilux may not be chasing performance-truck territory, but that’s never been the point. Its mission remains providing dependable capability in virtually any environment.

Serious Off-Road Credentials

Unlike many modern pickups that wear rugged styling as a fashion accessory, the Hilux backs up its image with genuine off-road hardware.

Multi-Terrain Select now comes standard, automatically managing engine output and brake intervention depending on surface conditions. Toyota also includes Multi-Terrain Monitor technology, helping drivers navigate difficult obstacles with greater confidence.

Combined with the proven four-wheel-drive system and durable chassis, the Hilux remains one of the most capable factory-built pickups available anywhere in the world.

Smarter and Safer Than Ever

The biggest changes may be found in the truck’s electronic systems.

Toyota Safety Sense gains additional functionality, including Proactive Driving Assist, which can support steering and braking inputs in certain situations. The updated Pre-Collision System can now detect oncoming vehicles while turning at intersections and identify pedestrians crossing during turning maneuvers.

The technology package extends beyond safety. A new 12.3-inch Display Audio Plus system features connected navigation that continuously receives updated mapping and traffic information through Toyota’s data communication module.

Emergency-response services have also been upgraded, with Help Net automatically contacting support personnel following airbag deployment.

Perhaps most importantly, Toyota plans to expand vehicle functionality over time through software updates, ensuring the Hilux can continue evolving after it leaves the showroom floor.

At ¥4,980,800 (about $34,000) for the Hilux Z and ¥5,500,000 (roughly $37,500) for the more rugged-looking Adventure model, Toyota’s pickup remains positioned as a premium offering in Japan’s relatively niche truck market.

The update doesn’t transform the Hilux into something radically different. Instead, Toyota has done what it does best: carefully improve a proven formula.

The truck remains every bit as durable and capable as its predecessors, but now it offers the refinement, technology, and safety features modern buyers expect.

In a world increasingly obsessed with reinvention, the new Hilux serves as a reminder that evolution can be just as effective. Toyota’s legendary pickup hasn’t forgotten what made it famous—it has simply learned a few new tricks.

Source: Toyota

News

Mitsubishi Pajero Returns From the Dead

After years of rumors, false starts, and wishful thinking from off-road enthusiasts, Mitsubishi has finally made it official: the Pajero is coming back.

The Japanese automaker has released the first teaser of an all-new Pajero, confirming the return of one of the most accomplished names in four-wheel-drive history. Better yet, Mitsubishi says the SUV will once again carry the Montero badge in certain markets—a detail that immediately raises the possibility of a North American comeback.

For a company that has spent the better part of the last decade leaning on the Outlander for relevance, reviving the Pajero nameplate is a statement of intent.

The new SUV won’t be a direct successor to the independent-bodied Pajero that bowed out in 2021. Instead, it rides on the same ladder-frame architecture as the Triton pickup, placing it mechanically closer to today’s Pajero Sport. Mitsubishi insists, however, that this isn’t merely a pickup-based SUV with a familiar badge attached.

According to the company, the new flagship benefits from model-specific cabin development as well as unique front and rear suspension tuning. Mitsubishi promises a blend of “outstanding off-road capability” and a “refined and comfortable ride”—the kind of language that suggests the engineers are targeting the sweet spot occupied by vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Everest.

The teaser image itself doesn’t reveal much beyond a dramatic lighting signature. T-shaped LED elements stretch outward from a prominent Mitsubishi emblem, creating a futuristic interpretation of the brand’s current design language. Interestingly, the lighting arrangement differs from a prototype Mitsubishi previewed back in January, though that discrepancy could simply reflect camouflage, trim-level variations, or ongoing development changes.

Spy photographers have already captured heavily disguised test vehicles, and those images paint a clearer picture. The proportions are unmistakably traditional SUV: upright greenhouse, squared-off bodywork, and muscular fenders wrapped around a wide stance. If Mitsubishi wanted people to compare it with the Land Cruiser, it probably couldn’t have designed a more effective silhouette.

The company describes the newcomer as a “cross-country SUV” and openly positions it as its global flagship. That places it comfortably above the unibody Outlander and signals Mitsubishi’s desire to re-establish itself in a segment where authenticity still matters.

Timing also feels deliberate. Demand for rugged body-on-frame SUVs continues to surge worldwide, with buyers increasingly gravitating toward vehicles that project genuine adventure credentials rather than crossover styling cues. Toyota has found enormous success with the reborn Land Cruiser, while competitors from Ford, Nissan, and Isuzu continue to expand their off-road portfolios.

Mitsubishi now wants back into that conversation.

And few nameplates carry the credentials to make a convincing case. First introduced in 1982, the Pajero was engineered to combine serious four-wheel-drive capability with passenger-car comfort—an ambitious formula at the time. Across four generations, the model sold more than 3.25 million units in over 170 countries and established itself as one of the most successful off-road vehicles ever built.

Its motorsport résumé is even more impressive. The Pajero dominated the Dakar Rally for decades, collecting a record 12 overall victories and cementing its reputation as one of the toughest production-based SUVs on the planet.

Whether the new generation can live up to that legacy remains to be seen. What is clear is that Mitsubishi is betting heavily on the return of one of its greatest hits.

We’ll get the full picture when the covers come off in autumn 2026. Until then, the message from Mitsubishi is unmistakable: the Pajero is back, and it intends to matter.

Source: Mitsubishi

CONCEPT CARS

GM’s New Hummer Concepts Hint at a Bronco-Fighting Future

The modern GMC Hummer EV is many things: outrageously powerful, technologically fascinating, and almost comically large. It’s also eye-wateringly expensive and weighs enough to make some commercial vehicles nervous. For most buyers, it’s less a realistic purchase and more a rolling demonstration of what General Motors’ Ultium platform can do.

But two new concept vehicles unveiled at GM’s newly opened Advanced Design studio in Pasadena, California, suggest the company may finally be exploring a version of Hummer that exists somewhere closer to reality.

Meet the Hummer X SUV and Hummer X Truck.

Officially, GM insists neither is destined for production. Unofficially? They look suspiciously like a preview of the direction the brand needs to take.

Developed at GM’s sprawling new 148,000-square-foot design facility, the concepts serve as rolling testbeds for future design themes, manufacturing techniques, and technology. More importantly, they answer a question many enthusiasts have been asking ever since the Hummer EV debuted: what if Hummer didn’t have to be enormous?

The answer starts with the Hummer X SUV.

At 188.3 inches long, the concept is roughly the size of a Ford Bronco rather than a suburban shopping mall. Its 116-inch wheelbase is more than ten inches shorter than the current Hummer EV SUV, yet it retains the visual toughness that defines the badge. The upright proportions, chunky fenders, and planted stance all scream Hummer, just without requiring three parking spaces and a second mortgage.

More importantly, the off-road hardware appears to be more than cosmetic.

GM equipped the concept with 37-inch tires, beadlock wheels, Multimatic dampers, removable fender flares, and serious underbody protection. Approach and departure angles of 44 and 46 degrees suggest the designers weren’t merely building something that looks adventurous on Instagram. On paper, at least, this thing appears capable of tackling terrain that would make many production SUVs think twice.

The interior is equally ambitious. A configurable cockpit uses stackable infotainment screens that can be added or removed depending on the driver’s preferences, while an onboard drone can scout trails ahead and relay information back to the vehicle. Some of it feels futuristic for the sake of being futuristic, but concept cars have always been allowed a little imagination.

The Hummer X Truck takes the same philosophy and stretches it into pickup form.

At 207.3 inches long, it’s significantly larger than the SUV but still lands squarely in midsize truck territory rather than competing with today’s gargantuan Hummer EV Pickup. Riding on a 130.7-inch wheelbase, the truck emphasizes modularity and customization, incorporating removable body components and the same off-road-focused attitude as its SUV sibling.

GM also used the pair to showcase a manufacturing process called Flex Fab, which enables low-volume metal part production without traditional stamping tools. It might sound like an obscure engineering footnote, but technologies like this could make niche vehicles easier and cheaper to develop in the future.

And that’s where these concepts become genuinely interesting.

GM may be correct when it says neither vehicle is headed directly to production. Concept cars often exist solely to provoke discussion and test ideas. Yet the thinking behind these Hummers feels too logical to ignore.

The Hummer name remains one of the most recognizable off-road brands in America, but today it’s effectively confined to six-figure electric flagships that occupy a tiny corner of the market. Meanwhile, buyers continue to flock toward vehicles like the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Gladiator—machines that offer genuine off-road capability in packages that are comparatively attainable.

A smaller, lighter, and more affordable Hummer lineup would arguably make far more business sense than relying exclusively on gigantic halo vehicles. It would also allow the brand to reconnect with the rugged, adventurous image that made the original Hummer such a cultural phenomenon in the first place.

Whether these exact concepts ever leave the design studio is almost beside the point.

The important takeaway is that somewhere inside GM, designers and planners are actively imagining a future where Hummer doesn’t have to be the biggest vehicle in the room. And if these concepts are any indication, that future might be considerably more appealing than the one currently sitting in GMC showrooms.

Don’t expect the Hummer X SUV or Truck to arrive unchanged. But don’t be surprised if the next generation of Hummer borrows heavily from what you’re looking at here. In fact, given the direction of the market, it would be surprising if it didn’t.

Source: GM