UMW Toyota has announced a new variant of the Toyota Hilux called the 2.8 Black Edition, the model taking over from the 2.8 L-Edition that was introduced when the facelifted eighth-gen pick-up made its debut in Malaysia last year.

Like with its predecessor, the double cab 4×4 Black Edition gets a number of unique bits – as its name suggests, the exterior goes the blacked-out route. The most obvious visual change is with the 18-inch wheels (wrapped with 265/65 profile tyres) – the design of the unit has been retained, but the unit is now finished completely in black.

Other items to get the black treatment are the side mirror covers and door handles, and the replacement of chrome surfaces continue with the front bumper and also with the front grille – for the latter, the main area of the unit remains black, but the surround is now in dark grey instead of the shiny stuff.

Inside, the variant continues with the piano black trim and perforated combination leather upholstery – with an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat – as seen on the L-Edition, but the multimedia system gets an upgrade. The 6.1-inch touchscreen DVD player unit from before has been replaced with a 6.75-inch unit, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support now in the mix.

Otherwise, all the goodies from the 2.8 L-Edition have been carried over, including LED projector headlamps and LED daytime running lights, automatic climate control (with rear vents), a 4.2-inch Optitron multi-info display, cruise control, digital video recorder and Downhill Assist Control (DAC).

The are no revisions to the powertrain and drivetrain, and so the 2.8 litre 1GD-FTV continues on with 177 PS at 3,400 rpm and 450 Nm from 1,600 to 2,400 rpm, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Toyota Hilux 2.8 Black Edition AT 4×4 is priced at RM139,888 on-the-road without insurance, an increase of RM5,988 from the 2.8 L-Edition, which was priced at RM133,900 at point of its introduction last year. Coincidentally, the Hilux 2.8G variant also looks to have been dropped from the model range, making the Black Edition the sole 2.8 litre version being offered by the company.

-paultan