The Greek who created the most popular Toyota pickup in the world

The Japanese farm truck is one of the most recognizable cars in the world, having built its reputation in every corner of the planet as the pick-up that "doesn't break" and works in harsh conditions without complaining. For decades, its name has been synonymous with durability and reliability, and for this reason each new generation is treated with special attention.

The 9th generation of the Hilux is not just another evolution of the model, but brings the historic pickup truck into the new era, since for the first time it will also be available as a purely electric vehicle. Design-wise, the project was particularly demanding, since the new generation had to keep the "tough" image of the Hilux unchanged, but at the same time look more modern and more aerodynamically efficient, especially for the electric version.

The man who managed to balance its image was a Greek from the diaspora, Nicolas (Nick) Hogios, head of the design department at Toyota Australia.

He was born in 1974 in Sydney, with his father originally from Achladokambos in the Peloponnese, where he left for Australia at the age of 16, while his mother came from the Greek community in Egypt. He had been drawing cars since he was six years old, without knowing at the time that there was a profession called “car designer”.

Nicolas (Nick) Hogios studied Industrial Design at the University of New South Wales and graduated with honors. In 1999, he won the “New Designer of the Year” award from Ford and Wheels magazine, which opened the door for him to start working at Ford Australia as a junior designer. Within two years, he was promoted to the position of senior designer and participated in the design of the Ford Falcon BA XR6 and XR8, both for the production cars and for their racing versions.

During the same period, he also designed one of the most iconic livery in Australian touring car history, the “Green-Eyed Monster”, for Craig Lowndes’ Falcon racing car in the V8 Supercars championship, a design that started as a simple sketch and ended up becoming one of the most recognizable racing colors in the history of the category.

In 2002, he moved to Toyota Australia. There, he gradually evolved until he became Chief Designer – Product Design and headed a team of approximately 25 designers, having responsibility for projects involving Australia and the entire Asia-Pacific region, combining the Japanese philosophy of the “Toyota Way” with the needs of different markets.

In 24 years at the offices of the Japanese company, he has put his “hand” on several models and projects. Specifically, he led the design of the 2006 Toyota Aurion, a mid-size sedan for the Australian and New Zealand markets, introducing elements such as the “dual architecture” grille, inspired by Japanese architecture, with the aim of a more global and timeless design. In fact, its name comes from the Greek word for “tomorrow”.

Toyota 86 Shooting Brake Concept
In addition, he led the Toyota 86 Shooting Brake Concept, a design study by his Australian team that transformed the 86 into a more practical model, with a modified rear and a larger trunk. He and his team also adapted the Supra to the new common Supercars category framework and created the racing version Gen3 Toyota GR Supra Supercar.

He also had a hand in the Toyota HiLux Tonka Concept, an extreme off-road concept that linked the Hilux with the Tonka brand, creating a more “playful” but at the same time rugged version of the pick-up. Today, Nicolas Hogios determines the design direction of future Hilux generations, since the Toyota Australia studio, under his guidance, has a central role in shaping the image of the next Hilux, beyond the 9th generation.

From Alexandros Isigonis, who designed the iconic Mini, to Nicolas Hogios who puts his Greek signature on the world’s most famous rural vehicle, Greek designers have managed to leave their mark on the global automotive industry. Sometimes with revolutionary ideas, sometimes with quiet but substantial interventions, they show that Greek talent can stand at the forefront of the international automotive industry.