It was back in August this year that Toyota Motor Philippines confirmed they are bringing back the Tamaraw nameplate, which will be a modular pickup truck based on the IMV-0 concept. The cherry on top is that the Tamaraw will be locally made in Toyota's Santa Rosa plant.

But while we're still waiting for TMP to finish retooling its production plant to produce the next-generation Tamaraw, our neighbors in Thailand are now getting ready to have the production-ready form of the IMV-0-based truck.

In fact, the IMV-0-based pickup truck has already been spotted somewhere in Thailand. Based on the photo, the IMV-0-based pickup truck will be called the Hilux Champ, with reports saying Toyota Thailand is set to launch the truck by November 27.

On the outside, the Hilux Champ retained the boxy shape we saw with the IMV-0 concept. In a less detailed photo, the front fascia appears to have been carried over as well.

Meanwhile, the Tamaraw concept shown in PH did not have a complete interior, but the Hilux Champ gives us a glimpse of what it could potentially look like. The steering wheel, the manual transmission shifter, the speedometer, as well as the A/C controls, appear to have been taken from the parts bin of the Hilux fleet models. But the layout itself is unique with likewise boxy styling and round A/C vents.

Reports also suggest the next-generation Tamaraw could very well give PH customers an air of familiarity when it comes to the engine. The Hilux Champ will reportedly be powered by the 2GD-FTV, which is the 2.4-liter turbodiesel unit found in the Hilux and Fortuner models we have in the country.

In terms of pricing, the Thai-spec Hilux Champ will reportedly be priced lower than the Hilux Revo (the current-gen Hilux fleet in PH). The most affordable Hilux in PH comes with the Cab and Chassis variant that retails for PHP 879,000. If TMP follows Thailand's strategy when it comes to pricing, then we could see the next-generation Tamaraw introduced in the country with a price tag of less than a million.

Source: autolifethailand