Toyota will manufacture and donate two Hilux pickup trucks, adapted to serve as mobile popemobiles during Pope Leo XIV's visit to Argentina, scheduled between November 8th and 11th. These pickups will be produced at the factory located in Zárate, in the province of Buenos Aires, the same unit responsible for supplying the Brazilian market.
The decision was confirmed by Toyota Argentina to the media outlets Autoblog and La Nación. After the journey is completed, both units will be handed over to the Vatican, which will determine whether they remain in the fleet used for international travel or receive another institutional destination.
To optimize logistics, two identical Hilux models will be used. One vehicle will be designated for commitments made in Buenos Aires, while the second will serve the agenda in Córdoba, thus eliminating the need to move a single car between distant cities separated by hundreds of kilometers.
According to the published itinerary, the pope will hold ceremonies in the Argentine capital on the 8th. The following day, the 9th, he will visit Claypole, in the province of Buenos Aires, and return to the capital, where he is expected to use the popemobile for the first time. Subsequently, he will travel to Córdoba on the 10th and conclude his stay in the country on November 11th, with a farewell mass at the Basilica of Luján.
The modification of the pickup trucks will be carried out by a coachbuilder duly approved by Toyota, strictly following the engineering and safety guidelines established by the Holy See. For protocol reasons, the automaker opted to keep the details of these changes confidential. However, it is known that the adaptations will focus on the bed and chassis, which require reinforcement to accommodate the pontiff's transport structure and ensure good visibility to the public during slower routes.
This is not the first time the pickup has served this function. In November 2015, during Pope Francis's visit to Kenya, a single-cab Hilux was equipped with an elevated rear platform, passenger seats, an access ladder, and a transparent cover. Furthermore, the collaboration between the automaker and the Vatican involved the Mirai, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle, which was adapted for Francis's trip to Japan in 2019.
The Zárate factory has been producing the Hilux for almost thirty years and exports to twenty-two countries located in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Brazil. This unit has a production capacity of approximately 185 thousand vehicles annually, operating in three shifts, and directs about 80% of its production to the external market. The SW4 and Hiace models are also manufactured at the same plant.
The Argentine segment is part of a larger twelve-day trip through South America, which will begin in Uruguay on November 6th and end in Peru on the 17th. This will be the first papal visit to Argentina since John Paul II in 1987. Although Francis was born in Buenos Aires, he never returned to the country while holding the office of pontiff. Brazil will not be part of this itinerary.