There’s a vehicle in Toyota’s product pipeline that its fans in the Asia-Pacific region are excited about. It’s the one that will first ride the IMV 0 platform. Since Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda launched it in Thailand last year, it has been the talk of the town in the region.

Various concept vehicles have been spawned by this new platform, but other than possible names (like the Rangga and the Tamaraw), not much technical information has been shared. Well, Toyota Motor Thailand has just formally launched a new model based on the IMV 0. Here’s what has been shared so far.

Toyota Thailand is now accepting reservations for the Hilux Champ, the first vehicle to officially be produced from the new platform. The Thai-market long-wheelbase model will be 5,300mm long, 1,785mm wide, and 1,735mm tall, with a 3,085mm wheelbase. Despite its dimensions, the turning radius is just 5.4m.

It retains much of the styling of the IMV 0 concept that we’ve seen before. But now it comes with “Hilux Champ” badges on the front doors. We dig the vertically mounted door handles by the edge of the doors.

The deck has bolt holes in different locations, allowing for the easy installation of accessories. For clients who want more customization, Toyota Thailand can lead them to over 100 accessory manufacturers to realize how they want their Hilux Champ to be.

The interior is utilitarian, with vinyl-wrapped seats and a simple dashboard layout. Breaking the monotony of the mostly black interior are red trim pieces. These can be found on the HVAC vents, the dash, and the door cards.

It is also quite familiar as several parts like the HVAC switch, the instrument cluster, the steering wheel, and the side mirrors look the same as those in current-model IMV vehicles.

The Thai-market Hilux Champ will have three powertrain options: two petrol engines (2.4- and 2.7-liter) and a 2.4-liter diesel (presumably the 2GD series). The new basic pickup starts at 459,000 baht (P726,000) and tops at 577,000 baht (P912,000).

Given the platform’s flexibility, we can expect differences in the above-mentioned figures and specifications. Which would largely depend on the demands of the market.

But at least, we have an idea of how the upcoming Tamaraw would be once Toyota Motor Philippines starts selling it in the second half of 2024.