At present, only the domestic Foton Mars has been mass-produced and marketed for diesel 48V mild hybrid pickups. Overseas, Toyota's Hilux pickup truck will also launch a diesel-mild hybrid model in 2024. Recently, Toyota held the "10 Hours Endurance Racing" event in Thailand. An important highlight of the event was that Toyota took the opportunity to invite Thailand** and some from Japan** to have a short test drive of the Toyota Hilux family's pure electric (BEV), fuel cell (FCEV) and diesel mild hybrid (mild hybrid) versions.
Today, let's take a look at the 48V diesel mild hybrid version of the Toyota Hilux test drive experience. This event is the world's first experience test drive of the Toyota Hilux diesel mild hybrid, although it has not yet completed the development of a prototype version.
The exterior of the 48V mild hybrid model is white, which is indistinguishable from the Hilux Revo Double Cab model currently on the market, except for a green sticker on the rear half of the car. The model is equipped with alloy wheels.
The Hilux diesel mild hybrid has a body length of 5,325 mm, a width of 1,900 mm, a height of 1,815 mm and a wheelbase of 3,085 mm. The dimensions of the cargo box are 1555 mm long, 1540 mm wide and 480 mm high.
The main driver's seat of the Hilux Diesel mild hybrid version is electrically switched, and the steering wheel and gear lever are the same as those of the latest Toyota Land Cruiser. The instrument cluster is equipped with an LED multi-information screen, which looks similar to the Toyota Corolla Altis GR Sport MinorChange, which has been on the market for a year, except that various graphics are displayed on the screen. It was specially designed for this model, but it has not yet been developed.
In terms of power, the Hilux diesel mild hybrid version will be equipped with a 2The 8T diesel engine with a maximum power of 204 hp (PS) and a peak torque of 500 Nm at 1600 - 2800 rpm is the same as a regular Hilux, but the electric motor provides extra assistance during the starting, starting and acceleration phases.
The motor is mounted on the front of the machine (P0) and is connected to the engine by a belt (Belt Starter Generator: BSG), unlike mild hybrids from some companies such as Mercedes-Benz. According to data published by the European side, it has a power of 12 kilowatts or 16 horsepower (ps), a maximum torque of 65 Nm, and a weight of only 76 kg. The 48V lithium-ion battery is installed under the rear passenger seat to power the motor.
The European version of the Hilux 48V mild hybrid is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, but the model that Toyota arranged for the Thai media to test drive this time is equipped with a new 8-speed automatic transmission.
The benefits of a 48v mild hybrid system, in addition to reducing vibration when starting the engine, also help 2The fuel consumption rate of the 8t diesel engine is increased by 5 - 10% (depending on the sub-model). The engineering team set a goal of up to 1,200 km of range for the Hilux Diesel mild hybrid if the tank was filled.
The 000 acceleration time score is 1092 seconds, which is more than the Hilux Revo Rocco 2 tested by the Thai mediaThe 8T+6AT model is slower. The reasons may have been that the ECU (Engine Control Unit) software had not yet been completed, and that it was driving against the wind that day.
From the first moments of the car driving all the way to 1st gear, the driver can barely see any difference in acceleration response from the regular Hilux Revo Rocco, and it is not until you move into 2nd and 3rd gears that you can feel the extra power provided by the electric motor.
The steering wheel is damped, but the rotation is still smooth, light, linear and smooth, and the steering is more precise. But it still needs to be fine-tuned for a more perfect response.
In terms of suspension, it will be relatively smooth in the speed range of 40-50 km/h. After being on concrete, the shock absorption is reduced compared to the Hilux models currently on sale. There is still a lot of understeer in the front of the car.
In terms of brake pedal response, it still has the same pedal travel as the regular Hilux version, but is a bit lighter. It's still not perfect and needs more fine-tuning than that.
It is reported that the Toyota Hilux diesel mild hybrid pickup truck will be launched in Thailand, Europe, Australia and other places in 2024.