Toyota Hilux Champ launched for the ASEAN market

Toyota Motor Corporation has officially debuted the production version of the IMV 0 concept for the ASEAN market. It will be initially sold in Thailand as the Toyota Hilux Champ, and it previews the revived Toyota Tamaraw nameplate for the Philippine market. 

The Toyota Hilux Champ previews the Tamaraw for the Philippine market

Once it enters the Philippine market, it will be assembled locally, specifically in Santa Rosa, Laguna alongside the Toyota Innova and Toyota Vios. That said, the eventual entry of this new model into the market represents a big step toward growth for Toyota Motor Philippines which has since invested Php 4.4 billion to revive the Tamaraw name via the IMV 0 production model. 

But what does the Hilux Champ offer its prospecting buyers? Let’s go over its specs to find out. 

Exterior

Regarding styling, the Hilux Champ largely retains the blocky and tough-looking design of the IMV 0 concept vehicle. The vehicle’s front fascia is filled with black plastic fittings, from its grille, down to its angular front bumper. Depending on the version, the Hilux Champ also gets LED headlamps, though other variants sport a pair of halogen headlamps. 

The Hilux Champ gets a front end that looks similar to the Land Cruiser 70

Over to its side, the utilitarian theme continues with its nearly flat doors, a set of black-colored steel wheels, and a pair of manual-folding electronic adjust side mirrors. The rear then gets a pair of halogen taillights and a dropside cargo bed that’s surrounded by plenty of tie-down points in the form of hooks. 

Interestingly, the exterior of the all-new Toyota Hilux Champ, especially its dropside bed, has an abundance of bolt holes. Due to this, it can accommodate a variety of accessories. In Thailand, Toyota can direct buyers to a list of 100 accessory manufacturers if they want to personalize their Hilux Champs. 

This all-new Toyota is designed to be customizable

Size-wise, the Hilux Champ long wheelbase (LWB) version is 5,300mm long, 1,785mm wide, and 1,735mm in height. Its wheelbase then spans 3,085mm.

The short wheelbase (SWB) version meanwhile, is 4,970mm long, 1,785mm wide, and 1,735mm in height. Its wheelbase is 2,750mm long. 

As a result, the LWB has a longer bed measuring 2,647mm. The SWB meanwhile, gets a shorter bed spanning 2,312mm long. 

Interior

Just like its exterior, the Hilux Champ gets a spartan single-cab interior that mostly uses hard plastics. Some eye candy is provided thanks to the presence of orange accents on the aircon vents and on the sides of the dash, but it is clearly designed to be durable and simple. 

A peek inside the Hilux Champ

For instance, the dash itself lacks a central touchscreen while the driver is given an analog gauge cluster and a polyurethane-wrapped steering wheel. Occupants of the vehicle are then kept cool by a manual air-conditioning system, while onboard device charging is provided by a 12-volt accessory outlet. Both of its manually adjustable seats are then wrapped in PVC.

Tech & Safety

The foremost form of technology available on the Hilux Champ is the T-Connect Telematics system. For the Thai market Hilux Champ, the latter allows a vehicle to be linked to a network of operators or an artificial intelligence voice query service that provides navigation assistance, emergency services, and car maintenance information, among others. 

It doesn't get much tech, but the interior looks cozy.

For safety, this is then handled by dual front airbags, seatbelts, and anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, among others. 

Engine

There are three engine options for the Toyota Hilux Champ: a 2.4-liter turbodiesel, a 2.0-liter gasoline engine, and a 2.7-liter gasoline engine. These are then paired with a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission sending power to the vehicle's rear wheels. For now, this model does not have a 4x4 version. 

For the gasoline options, the 2.7-liter gasoline mill can make up to 163 horsepower and 245 Nm of torque, while the 2.0-liter can output 137 horsepower and 183 Nm of torque. 

The cab and chassis variant

The turbodiesel option meanwhile provides the most torque with its output of 147 horsepower and 343 Nm. Torque figures for the turbodiesel Hilux Champ are upped to 400 Nm if paired with the automatic gearbox. 

As a side note, the Hilux Champ shares the IMV platform with the Hilux pickup truck, the Toyota Fortuner, and the Toyota Innova. With that said, it uses a ladder frame chassis. It also uses a double-wishbone front suspension and a leaf-spring type rear suspension. 

Price

In Thailand, the Hilux Champ starts at 459,000 baht or around Php 725,000 at current exchange rates. That’s for the SWB 2.0 5MT variant. The most affordable turbodiesel version meanwhile is a cab and chassis version, which starts at 499,000 baht or Php 788,000 at current exchange rates. 

Hopefully, the Philippine market will get a 4x4 version. Fingers crossed. 

For now, Toyota Motor Philippines is yet to provide an exact local launch date for the local version of the Hilux Champ (Tamaraw). It was stated in a previous report, however, that this is likely to see a local debut sometime in the second half of 2024. 

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