Toyota Plans To Give Mild Hybrid Models A New Name

Toyota has recently revealed that there will be amild-hybrid versionof its global pickup truck, the Hilux. However, the Japanese automaker appears to be not completely sold on calling it a "mild hybrid" and wants a different monicker for the electrified truck.

In a report byDrive, Toyota has trademarked the term "Toyota Kinetic Assist," which would likely replace the use of the mild hybrid name for its models assisted by a 48-volt battery system.

For the upcoming Hilux with an MHEV powertrain, Toyota will pair the truck's 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine with a 48-volt battery and a small electric motor generator.

The automaker claims the setup can offer a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy. Other powertrain components include a 4x4 drivetrain system and a six-speed automatic transmission.

This is not the first time Toyota used a different name for a hybrid, though. Even for the US-basedToyota Tacoma, the next-generation iteration will reportedly feature ahybrid powertrain called the i-Force Max.

The "powerful and efficient" i-Force Max promises to push the truck's 2.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine to produce a class-leading 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. It will beavailable on the first-ever Trailhunterand TRD Pro trims.