Toyota will be out in force at the 2016 Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show in Birmingham, with two all-new models lined up. The Japanese manufacturer – a very small player in the UK CV market – is set to be at the centre of attention at April’s show, with both the 2016 Toyota Hilux pickup truck and 2016 Toyota Proace on display.
Increasing LCV sales
Currently, the Proace and Hilux are the only two commercial vehicles that Toyota offers in Europe, with the Toyota Dyna light truck being withdrawn in 2013. The good news for Toyota, though, is pickup and medium van sales (the areas in which it currently operates) are some of the strongest in the industry.
This probably serves as a reason Toyota has been reluctant to venture into new sectors, although we wouldn’t be surprised if the partnership with PSA (Peugeot and Citroen) extends into small and large panel vans.
2016 Toyota Hilux
Since the first Hilux went on sale in 1967, the Toyota pickup truck has been renowned for its build quality and reliability. Now, eight generations later, the Toyota Hilux is one of the most eagerly anticipated new vehicles for 2016.
Under the bonnet is the choice of either a 2.4-litre or 2.8-litre diesel engines producing 160bhp/400Nm and 178bhp/450Nm respectively. The wheelbase remains the same at 3,085mm although the Hilux is now longer, wider and lower (but has better ground clearance), and features a much stiffer chassis, redesigned double-wishbone suspension at the front, and longer and wider leaf springs at the back to improve handling and load capabilities.
There are also going to be improvements in safety and comfort, and while UK specifications haven’t quite been confirmed yet, the Australian versions get a touchscreen display and rake-adjustable steering as standard for the first time.
Read more on the 2016 Toyota Hilux.
2016 Toyota Proace
The Toyota Proace was first introduced in 2013 as a replacement for the aging Toyota Hiace. This was a big surprise for many in the industry, as never before had Toyota collaborated with a European manufacturer (PSA) to develop a commercial vehicle.
Toyota announced that it was to continue the partnership for the second generation Proace with PSA early in 2015, with the three vehicles (the Toyota along with the Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert) sharing the same chassis, engines and drivelines, but all with their own distinctive front-end designs.
Apart from these few details, very little is known about the new vehicle. We predict that the current 1.6-litre and 2-litre engines of the current generation Toyota Proace will continue to provide the power because both have already achieved the Euro-6 emission standard, which comes into effect in September 2016.
Read more on the 2016 Toyota Proace.
Commercial Vehicle Show 2016
The CV Show is the UK’s largest road transport show, and covers everything from car-derived-vans to 44t articulated trucks. The 2016 show will be held between April 26 and 28 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham, and is expected to attract over 20,000 visitors.
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