Toyota Australia ‘not ruling out’ Tacoma ute or petrol-hybrid Prado, says timing not right ‘just yet’

Toyota Australia “is keen” to get its hands on the US’ Tacoma mid-sized ute, but says it’s “not quite right yet” questioning whether its off-road credentials are tough enough to suit the Australian market.

Speaking at the announcement that the larger Tundra pick-up, built in the US and converted to right-hand drive locally, will be launched in Australia for public sale beyond a recent limited-run trial period, a senior executive said Tacoma couldn’t be ruled out.

“It's not quite right for us yet. It's not on the drawing board for Australia yet, but you never, ever rule it out,” Vice President of sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, told Drive.

“One of the benefits of being a global company is that we have access to these other vehicles, whether they're in the US or Europe. And as we evolve, and as we work out what the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) means to Toyota and how that works in the future, these are all products that we can draw down upon. 

“Tacoma is something that we've been keen to look at for a long, long time. But you've got to look at what we use our cars for and HiLux is a real off-road capable car. So therefore you've got to say, is that Tacoma? Can it go through rivers? Can it tow the big vans off road? 

“Some of these vehicles, they're great in the US for the US market, for what they’re used for, but then you've got to say, can that car fit nicely into the Australian portfolio? And that's the critical element. They're great cars. I've driven it and I love it. I love to have it here, but you've got to understand what it's going to be used for, whether it will suit the customer.”

Reasons not to take the Tacoma – the ute sized between the HiLux and Tundra – could also be to protect sales of the HiLux, with news of the model’s future in Australia yet to be revealed with emissions standards looming.

Earlier this year, Mr Hanley revealed that the Tundra trial program had been so successful with high customer demand that it could open the door for other models previously off-limits.

Toyota admitted at the time the Tundra has set a precedent, with the company now confident it could repeat right-hand-drive conversions on other models not currently on sale here. 

"[The Tundra] might even set the benchmark for how we bring cars that are converted locally to market. It's been a really good exercise for us,” Mr Hanley said.

One such model could be the hybrid version of the upcoming Toyota LandCruiser Prado. While Australia is due to get the mild-hybrid 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, we’re set to miss out on the 2.4-litre turbo-petrol hybrid sold in the US.

That’s because, as recently reported by Drive, the Prado petrol hybrid would need to convert one in two buyers of the diesel – and match sales of the Kluger seven-seater – to make the numbers work for an Australian launch.

Toyota Australia is also unsure if it has the towing capacity – 2722kg vs the diesel's 3500kg – though it’s believed the main roadblock is the lack of a right-hand-drive version, even though it is made on the same production line as the diesel in Japan.

Asked if the success of the remanufacturing trial of Tundra to right-hand drive could open the door to the hybrid Prado, Mr Hanley said there were no plans just yet.

“No, not at this stage,” he told Drive. “But hybrid technology across our range is something that we explore all the time and we haven't totally said no to that hybrid offering in the US.

“We are not quite sure it's right for this market at this point. It's a great engine, but as things evolve, certainly hybrid would be something we'll look at in the future.”