Toyota 2.8L Diesel Hybrid Debuts With Hilux – Fortuner Next?

Both Fortuner and Hilux share the same and hence Toyota 2.8L diesel hybrid will logically be on board Fortuner too

Toyota India currently offers strong hybrid tech with Innova Hycross, Camry, Vellfire and Urban Cruiser Hyryder and its Maruti Suzuki counterpart Grand Vitara. Soon Maruti Suzuki Invicto will be one of those as well. But all these are hybrid powertrains with a petrol engine. What about diesel hybrids? Both Innova Crysta and Fortuner currently miss out on any electrification.

That will change soon, as Toyota has recently demonstrated a 2.8L diesel engine with mild hybrid tech on Hilux at the 7th round of World Rally Championship in Kenya. Toyota calls it the Hilux MHEV concept (Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle). As both Hilux and Fortuner share their diesel powertrains, it is logical for Fortuner to get it too.

Debuted at 7th round of WRC in Kenya

Hilux MHEV vastly looks similar to regular model inside and out. This concept demo vehicle had loud Hybrid decals on the outside to stand out. Demonstrating this new powertrain variation was 4-times WRC champ and former Toyota world title winner Finnish driver Juha Kankkunen. While Jimmi Gathu, a local actor and media personality was his co-driver.

Driver Juha Kankkunen said “I’m 100% sure that this type of car will fit in Africa very well because there are still long-distance drives and it’s very difficult to charge electric cars. You can save fuel, which means less CO2. Africa is a good market for this kind of car, and you can make CO2 less with hybrid cars. That is the future.”

Getting technical, this is just a self-charging 48V hybrid system and not a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Hilux MHEV consists of a 48V battery and a small ISG (Integrated Motor Generator) enabling energy recuperation to charge said battery. 2.8L diesel engine and transmission will remain as is, in terms of tuning.

Toyota claims a fuel efficiency gain of up to 10%. That number will be true for shortest journeys and not real world scenarios. This 10% efficiency gain claim will get smaller and smaller as the trip gets longer and longer.

Toyota 2.8L Diesel Hybrid – A game changer for Fortuner?

As of now, Toyota Fortuner and Hilux are the only ones in India with this 2.8L diesel engine. Both of them command 50% duties (included in ex-sh price) consisting of GST and CESS. If they become hybrid vehicles, attracting 15% CESS on top of standard 28% GST, which totals to 43% total duties.

This could mean Fortuner and Hilux prices can go low when Toyota launches mild hybrid variants of them in India. The launch is likely to be in 2024 and there is a possibility that the 2.4L diesel engine on Innova Crysta and Fortuner (in select markets) might get this tech too.