New Toyota HiLux leaked (again)

The HiLux Revo Thailand Club Facebook page has published an image of what appears to be a brochure shot of the new HiLux, giving us the clearest look yet at the vehicle's new face.

As one of Australia's top-selling vehicles and the most popular ute in this country, there's a huge amount of interest for the new model, which is expected to be revealed in the next few months.

The single image of the new Thai-built model shows a much bolder face than previously, particularly the curved leading edges of the headlights, which matches the design first leaked by a Greek website in February.

Although little is known about the next HiLux's specifications, such as power output and fuel consumption from its diesel and petrol engines, along with payload capacity and standard safety features, the new ute will grow in size over the current N70 series. This should afford it more interior space and load-lugging capacity.

That HiLux was originally pressed into active duty in 2005 and as such has fallen behind its rivals in many respects.

It will face renewed competition from the new Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara which will reach Australian dealerships in the next few months.

It's still not clear when Toyota will launch the HiLux locally, as TV ads designed to build hype for the vehicle are currently airing in Australia – so it could be earlier than late 2015 as previously expected.

The ute will be available in single, extended, and dual-cab body styles and the vehicle in the image is clearly a top-spec model, with its silver wing mirrors, chrome grille, sporty body kit and fog lights.

The new HiLux is also expected to spawn a Ford Everest seven-seat SUV rival, known as the Fortuner in some markets, and is likely to be offered in Australia and benefit from local tuning.