The time is now. Well, maybe you could argue that some of these changes could have come sooner, but the 2021 Toyota HiLux is here, and plenty of amendments and adjustments have been made.

The revised and revamped 2021 HiLux has seen a number of visual changes for some variants, while inside there’s new technology that brings the Toyota ute up to standard against its contemporaries. Yes, it finally has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, volume and tuning knobs on the touchscreen and a digital speedo.

That’s just the start, though. Toyota Australia says the new HiLux has been thoroughly reworked to offer a more comfortable drive experience, not to mention the 2.8-litre automatic versions copping a welcome upgrade to power and torque.

With the Ford Ranger constantly treading on the tail of the HiLux, and an all-new D-Max from Isuzu just launched – soon to be followed by a new Mazda BT-50 – has Toyota done enough to remain on top of the relevance list, and the shopping list.