Toyota Hilux Champ

The Toyota Hilux Champ is a light commercial vehicle manufactured by the Japanese carmaker Toyota since 2023. Based on the Hilux, the Hilux Champ is positioned below it as a simpler and more affordable alternative. It is available as a two-door pickup truck or two-door chassis cab, and primarily targets emerging markets.

History
The Hilux Champ was previewed as a single-cab pickup concept called the Toyota IMV 0 that was presented on 14 December 2022 at the 60th anniversary event of Toyota Motor Thailand hosted by Akio Toyoda. Toyoda stated "Internally we call it the IMV 0 concept. Its official launch is actually over a year away, but I wanted all of you to be the first to see it!".

The IMV 0 was later showcased at the 30th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show on 10 August 2023 as the Rangga Concept. The nameplate was formerly used for a variant of the Toyota Kijang in the 1990s. The IMV 0 was also showcased during Toyota Motor Philippines' 35th anniversary event on 22 August 2023 as the Next Generation Tamaraw Concept with two variants, a pick-up truck similar to the Rangga Concept flat-deck truck, and a modern Jeepney, highlighting the IMV 0's modularity.

The IMV 0 was previewed again at the Japan Mobility Show in October 2023, where the vehicle was displayed in multiple applications such as mobile cafe, cargo truck, ambulance, an off-road-modified vehicle, and a camper.

The production version was released on 27 November 2023 in Thailand. It is available in short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase options, with the latter only available with a 2.4-litre diesel engine.

In December 2023, Indonesian subsidiary Toyota Astra Motor announced that the vehicle will be marketed as the Toyota Hilux Rangga in the country in early 2024. The Hilux Rangga was revealed at the 31st Indonesia International Motor Show on 15 February 2024. It is only available in a short-wheelbase version with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 2.4-litre diesel engine option.

In the Philippines, the Hilux Champ will be marketed as the Hilux Tamaraw. It was previewed on 31 May 2024, and it will be available in short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase options. The SWB option is equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with 5-speed manual transmission, while the LWB option is equipped with a 2.4-litre diesel engine paired with either 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions, extra options such as alloy rims, power windows, door locks and mirrors are only available on the 2.4-litre LWB Diesel automatic. It is set to launch by Q4 2024, while the production of the Hilux Tamaraw is expected to start by Q3 2024.

Development
Based on the IMV platform, the Hilux Champ was designed and engineered by Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing (TDEM) in collaboration with Japanese and Australian engineering teams. The vehicle adopts a rugged styling, with extensive use of angular, boxy lines, and was designed with modularity in mind as owners through body builders are able to mount a customized rear section to the chassis using bolts, making conversions easier.

Sharing its platform with the Hilux, it uses the same ladder frame underpinnings with leaf spring suspension at the rear axle. For easier city use, the Hilux Champ is designed with shorter bonnet and cab. The steering rack is also modified from the Hilux to create shorter turning radius at 4.9 m for the short-wheelbase version.

As standard, the Thailand spec vehicle is equipped with 14-inch steel wheels, bench seats that accommodates three people (except the automatic transmission variant), driver side power window, dual airbags, ABS, and EBD.

Powertrain
The Hilux Champ is available with 2.0-litre and 2.7-litre petrol engines, and a 2.4-litre diesel engine, which are carried over from other IMV vehicles such as the Hilux, Fortuner and Innova.