Trucks

The $13,000 Toyota Hilux Champ Pickup

Toyota’s Hilux Champ pickup starts at just $13,000 in Thailand — but comes only 70% complete, leaving buyers to complete the build themselves. Here’s why it works.

Zoey

25 Sep 2025 — 2 min read

The Toyota Hilux Champ is built to be finished by its owner — part truck, part blank canvas.

It feels almost impossible to find a brand-new vehicle for under $20,000 these days — especially in the U.S., where the cheapest new Tacoma starts at nearly $33,000. But Toyota has pulled off something remarkable in Thailand: the Hilux Champ, a compact pickup that starts at just 459,000 baht (about $13,000 USD).

So what’s the catch? You have to finish building it yourself.

70% Complete, 30% Yours

The Hilux Champ is designed as a commercial-first workhorse, stripped down to its most essential form. Out of the factory, it’s sold as a chassis cab, leaving customers to add a tray bed, cargo box, or whatever fits their business needs.

Toyota’s chief IMV platform engineer, Dr. Jurachart Jongusuk, describes it as being “70 percent finished, with the remaining 30 percent customized by the customer.”

That approach not only makes the truck flexible but also drastically reduces production costs.

Built to Be Affordable

Toyota cut costs with clever engineering decisions and supply chain tweaks. For example, something as small as painting different sides of a leaf spring shackle in separate plants turned out to be more efficient.

And because it isn’t loaded with modern comforts or advanced tech, the Hilux Champ keeps pricing to the bare minimum while giving customers a blank canvas to work with.

A Truck With a Mission

The Hilux Champ isn’t just about affordability — it’s about economic opportunity. Toyota’s vision is for the truck to be an accessible platform for small businesses, helping improve livelihoods across emerging markets.

So far, the Hilux Champ is confirmed for Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Sadly, Toyota hasn’t announced plans to bring it elsewhere — but if it did, it could be a game-changer for budget-conscious buyers around the globe.

AutoZealot Take: Toyota’s Hilux Champ proves that simplicity still sells. By skipping the luxury fluff and empowering owners to finish their builds, Toyota tapped into something rare — a truly modular, affordable truck. It’s a concept that could thrive anywhere if given the chance.