Car companies go to somewhat ridiculous lengths to disguise "new" platforms/models so in all likely hood that's a purposefully "current Taco" looking truck with a few things to make folks think that's the new body but underneath is likely (or rather hopefully) a new chassis and double hopefully some new (*cough* DIESEL!!!) engines... Stranger things have happened, for instance: The Mercedes SLS AMG (or SLR???) was tested with a VIPER body on top of it, prior to Daimler letting Chrysler go to Fiat, so... it's a pretty common practice. There are actually "Disguise Specialists" who's sole job in the Auto industry is to make it as hard as possible to distinguish the final shape and styling/features of new vehicles.
The most promising thing to me, as I said above, is that they're using a trick typically seen when a new chassis/engine/drive-train are being tested (old body style with a few distracting bits to make some folks wonder if that's truly "it") and I can only hope that means an even slightly more "ROW Hilux like" frame/chassis/payload capacities and of course... a D4d Diesel engine for us finally!!!!
But, sadly, Toyota has let me down a LOT over the last 20 years as it's slowly tried to fit in with the typical "big 3/USDM style" truck market (and pigeon hole all of us American truck buyers in the process) instead of just building Toyotas in the way that made them legendary in the past... So I'm not holding my breath, but I do see more hope on the horizon then ever before. The tide is turning for US Diesels again (Cummins/Nissan, Colorado/2.8CRD, 3.0L Ram 1500 etc.) and we're looking at the best possibility of seeing a Diesel Toyota since the 80's.
{I can't WAIT to read this post in a year and shake my head slowly while saying "duped again"... and then run out and jump in my Diesel Hilux MUWAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!}
Cheers
Dave
