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If you're worried that the international reports Toyota's incoming LandCruiser 300 Series will be fitted with a four-cylinder diesel engine rather than a bigger and more potent V6 will mean the brand's all-but-confirmed GR HiLux will be fitted with the same smaller engine, then we have good - albeit officially unconfirmed - news for you.
New reports surfaced in Japan this week that suggested the new LC300 will be fitted with a 3.3-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, with the V6 diesel no longer being mentioned in the local press.
And given it was the LC300's engine that was expected to power the GR HiLux, it would also essentially mean a cylinder downgrade for the beefed-up workhorse, which is hotly tipped to arrive with the new generation HiLux around 2023.
But do not panic. At least, not yet. We have read though the many of reports that have surfaced in Japan since news of the LC300 model surfaced, and there has long been talk of a four-cylinder diesel option, only not for our market.
In fact, after several phone calls, CarsGuide continues to understand that that will mean a six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, with any four-cylinder options likely destined for overseas markets.
It is understood Toyota knows our market demands differ from those overseas, and cylinder count, capacity and capability all matter. For those reasons, we expect a six-cylinder diesel to appear in our vehicles.
Toyota in Australia is yet to comment publicly, but the brand has promised the new model LC300 will out-punch the LC200 in every measurable way, and that is understood to mean V6 power for Australian customers.
In fact, the brand promises it will outperform the current diesel V8 used in the LandCruiser 200 Series, which should mean outputs in excess of 200kW and 650Nm.
We also suspect that the new engine won't just be used to power the LC300, with CarsGuide having been told that the all-new power plant will find its way into other vehicles - including, we think, the GR HiLux.
All will be revealed soon, with the new LandCruiser 300 Series expected to debut in April 2021.
As for the GR HiLux, Toyota is yet to officially confirm the model, but the brand has trademarked the name "GR HiLux" in Australia, with the go-fast ute expected to launch with the next new HiLux, possibly in 2023.
Toyota has promised it will carry "significant" performance upgrades compared to the regular version.
“The plan for us is that any product that comes into Australia with Gazoo-racing branding will primarily be focused on performance. It needs to be the full package. It needs to show a noticeable performance increase on our standard line-up,” a spokesperson told CarsGuide in the past.
"We’re always taking a keen interest in the high-performance ute market, but at this stage we have nothing announce. But like we’ve said in the past, we are not ruling truly out any model from GR modification."
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