2026 Toyota Hilux Base Model Still Has a Manual Gearbox

The work truck keeps the old-school handbrake and manual AC.

2026 Toyota Hilux Travo Prerunner

Photo by: Toyota

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Nov 11, 2025 at 4:25am ET

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Automakers usually put their best foot forward at a new model’s launch by showcasing high-end trim levels. However, every now and then, some also reveal the entry-level version, giving prospective buyers a chance to see the most affordable configuration. Toyota knows there’s still a market for a no-nonsense truck, which is why it’s showing off the new Hilux in its most basic form.

The ninth-generation model does things the old-fashioned way with halogen headlights and steel wheels. To keep costs down, some body parts remain unpainted, including the door handles and side mirror caps. There’s something refreshing about seeing a no-frills pickup in a spartan specification, and the back-to-basics approach is even more evident inside.

Gone are the leather seats of the higher trims, replaced by cloth upholstery better suited for a work truck. The cabin is dominated by hard plastics, while blank buttons remind owners of the optional features they’ve skipped. This base Hilux for Thailand keeps things simple with manual air conditioning and a mechanical handbrake.

And yes, Toyota has kept the six-speed manual gearbox alive in the new Hilux. That shouldn’t be surprising, considering the pickup hasn’t switched to a new platform and largely carries over the bones of its decade-old predecessor. The most affordable version still comes with rear-wheel drive, while engine choices continue to include reliable gasoline and diesel four-cylinders. Internal combustion options are now joined by a battery-electric version, with a hydrogen fuel cell variant due in 2028.

Photo by: Toyota

While the European Hilux is now sold exclusively as a double cab, other markets get additional body styles. This single cab is one of them, alongside an access cab with shorter, rear-hinged back doors. Toyota is only showing the ladder-frame truck for now, but we wouldn't rule out another Fortuner, essentially a Hilux-based SUV.

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Whether for developing countries or Western markets, Toyota appears to have a Hilux configuration to fit nearly every need. It’s expected to uphold its “indestructible” reputation thanks to its proven underpinnings. Still, the styling takes a fresh direction, and higher-end versions offer far more modern interiors than before.

Toyota has sold more than 21 million Hilux units since the original debuted in 1968, and the new model seems to build on that winning formula with an evolutionary approach rather than trying to reinvent it.

2026 Toyota Hilux Travo Prerunner