Why Toyota Refused to Put the “New” Hilux on the Same Platform as the Tacoma

Familiar Bones, Carefully Updated
The Toyota Hilux entered its ninth generation last month, but it wasn’t sitting atop a brand-new platform. Toyota stuck with the IMV architecture, a body-on-frame setup that’s been around since 2004. The company said it’s been heavily updated and reinforced, but one can’t deny that it’s an aging underpinning.

Toyota could have gone with the newer TNGA-F platform – the same one used by the Tacoma, Land Cruiser, and Lexus GX in the US – but it didn’t. Instead, it picked what actually works for Hilux buyers worldwide, not just chasing the latest tech.

Why Toyota Passed on TNGA-F
Speaking to carsales, Toyota Motor Asia regional chief engineer Anyarat Sutthibenjakul laid out four key reasons for sticking with IMV: quality, durability, and reliability (QDR), off-road performance, total cost of ownership, and safety performance.

The biggest factor, according to Sutthibenjakul, was the total cost of ownership. She explained that many Hilux markets are developing countries where pricing and serviceability matter more than the latest platform. Of course, moving the Hilux to TNGA-F would have increased its weight, complexity, and cost, with little benefit to buyers.

“When we talk about total cost of ownership, there are so many things inside, including the upfront pricing and serviceability, the maintenance, the downtime,” she told the Australian publication. Toyota began studying the new Hilux platform around four years ago, with the decision to uprate IMV finalized about two and a half years ago.

Truth be told, merging global pickups onto a single platform would have made things easier and, quite frankly, would have made more sense in terms of costs. However, Sutthibenjakul said that wasn’t the priority. “So we keep the optimum platform for customers, not for ourselves.”

Change Is Very Much on the Table
Even though the IMV platform stays for now, Toyota isn’t planning to stand still for the next decade. Sutthibenjakul admitted that new emissions rules and electrification could push bigger changes within five years, maybe even sooner.

While America has totally abandoned diesel powertrains for passenger pickups, it remains for the Hilux, with the 2.8-liter turbo-diesel continuing on, now paired with mild-hybrid assistance on some variants and markets. But Toyota is also actively studying HEV and PHEV options, alongside confirmed BEV and fuel-cell versions due as early as 2026. Even the switch to a full-time 4×4 drivetrain is also being mulled by the automaker.

“No one knows that this platform will last for five or 10 years,” Sutthibenjakul said, adding that Toyota is closely monitoring markets and regulations. In short, IMV stays for now, but the door to a bigger shift is very much open.