The big news with this 2024 Toyota Hiace is its jump in engine displacement from 2.5- to 3-litres.
Building on its success as one of Malaysia’s best-selling commercial vehicles, UMW Toyota Motor has recently initiated pre-bookings for its updated 2024 Hiace Panel Van 3.0L.
Among the highlights with 2024 update includes an enhanced 3.0-litre turbodiesel four-pot, which replaces the outgoing iteration’s 2.5-litre unit. This newly-enlarged intercooler oil burner is rated to send 136 PS and 300 Nm of torque to its rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission, but more pertinently perhaps is the fact for it to be Euro 4 compliant.
Also new with this 2024 Hiace is the incorporation of RFID technology for added convenience, with Toyota also offering an optional 7-inch central infotainment touchscreen (with bluetooth connectivity and a reversing camera) to really bring car-like comfort to this cargo hauler. Standard safety features included in this van meanwhile includes Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Load Sensing Proportioning & Bypass Valve (LSP & BV), High Mount Stop Lamp, and reversing sensors.
Datuk Ravindran K. remarked regarding this van, “The Toyota Hiace Panel Van 3.0L, designed to ‘Move Your World,’ embodies our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and delivering vehicles that meet the evolving needs of our customers. This latest addition sets a new standard in performance, efficiency, and environmental responsibility.”
What is nevertheless interesting to note with this 2024 update over here is for it to lack all the changes that have been recently be introduced in Japan with its current year update, which brought with it a mildly altered face and a new colour to the Hiace. Though perhaps more frustratingly is that while Toyota Safety Sense has already graced this cargo hauler back in its homeland since 2020, this enhanced suite of safety tech remains elusive on the model offered locally.
It is perhaps also worth highlighting here that while this 5th-iteration Hiace is still to be soldiering on strong over here, there has actually been a sixth-generation model out for quite some time already, and can be bought in essentially all our surrounding neighbours. So why don’t we get it here, Toyota?
