2018 Toyota Hilux update officially debuts at the 34th Thailand International Motor Expo. As previously reported, the update gives the pickup a new face similar to the Tacoma full-size truck for the US market; at least for the higher-spec variants.

Highly considered an early 'facelift’ considering the model has been in the market for less than three years. The ultra-competitive pickup market has significantly changed manufacturer timings as they battle for the top spot.

New to the 2018 Toyota Hilux is a 'Rocco' version which gives the pickup a significant amount of kit. It gets 18-inch wheels with 265/60 R18 All-Terrain tires and new LED projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights. The slightly tweaked tail lamps also get LED illumination. The rear bed gets a stylish fashion bar as well.

Inside, it gets black leather upholstery, black chrome trims, power-adjust driver seat, cooling box in the glove compartment, Optitron gauges and a new multi-info display, automatic climate control, keyless entry with push start/stop, rear aircon vents, among other features.

New safety features include stability control (VSC), traction control (TRC), trailer stability control (TSC), hill start assist, downhill assist, reverse camera, and seven airbags.

The engines are carried over from the pre-facelift version. There will be 2.4 and 2.8 options for diesel engines and a 2.7-liter gas mill. These are mated to either a new six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The automatic transmission also gets a slight update to improve efficiency and overall performance.

Toyota says it has also retuned the suspension and NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), we’ll find out if this has done any improvements to the firm ride when we get to test this.