John says the Hilux has great new styling, a fantastic interior – with a lot more room inside, particularly in the back – plus metallic finishes on the dash, steering wheel and doors, and hand stitching on the cloth seats of the SR5 model we were shown, as well as a huge iPad-look touchscreen that’s easy to see and intuitive to use.

“On top of that there’s a new 2.8-litre engine which produces more power than the old 3-litre, as well as new six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, and better suspension, especially at the rear. There’s also a brand-new chassis which is stronger and more rigid, improving handling as well as lifting towing capacity on some models to 3,500kg.

“Utes made up 20 percent of the new vehicle market in 2014, making it the single most important model segment, with Toyota selling nearly 6,000 Hilux utes, and 2015 sales suggest that trend will continue.

“Every new Hilux comes with a comprehensive safety package which includes seven airbags, emergency stop signal, trailer sway control, vehicle stability control and hill start assist.”

Full technical details and equipment specification together with pricing will be announced at the time of the launch at the end of this year.

To read the full story in the September 2015 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (on sale August 17) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.