By Otsile Kadiege 

The Toyota Hilux is one of the Japanese automaker’s best-selling vehicles locally. Customers who wants a Hilux with a dash of hot sauce can now get a Dakar Rally inspired Hilux dubbed the GR Sport Hilux. The newest member of the GR Sport lineage gets boosted engine outputs, model-specific suspension tuning and an array of GR Sport exterior and interior styling. 

GR Sport Hilux exterior styling

The Hilux GR-S wears a unique suit, with the designers penning the design around the concepts of toughness and sportiness. A large and prominent black front grille, horizontal cross bar and Toyota lettering (a GR Sport trademark) announce its presence. Special treatment has been applied to the LED headlights, alongside vertically-stacked air ducts with integrated LED fog lamps.

Keen observers will note that the bumpers are based on the Raider model design (rather than Legend variants) and most notably include wider black overfenders with contrasting inserts. This helps give the GR Sport a more aggressive appearance. Black mirror caps, black door handles, black side steps and rear styling bar with GR branding – create a sporty contrast. Customers can also opt for GR side decals on the doors to further add to the visual drama (optional).    

Four exterior colours are offered mimicking the GR brand colours: Arizona Red, Graphite Grey, Attitude Black and Glacier White.

GR Sport Hilux interior styling

Design changes to the interior include a new instrument cluster with metallic bezels and red needles, bespoke leather-trim steering wheel with red contrast stitching and sporty aluminium pedals (with rubber inserts). GR branding has also been applied to the Push Start button and centre console.

Striking carbon-fibre trim replaces the brushed finish in Legend models, which is complemented by red accent trim signalling the GR-S’ performance credentials. The racing-inspired front seats feature Alcantara inserts, GR badging on the headrests, red accent panels plus power adjustment for the driver’s seat. 

GR Sport Hilux specs & features

Standard specification remains comprehensive with the model closely aligned to Legend-grade specification (with the exception of an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and JBL audio). A new feature is the panoramic view monitor.

GR Sport Hilux powertrain and drivetrain 

While the GR-Sport (aka GR-S) moniker normally represents cosmetic and handling enhancements, the Hilux variant has a trick up its sleeve in the performance department too. Power output has been increased to 165 kW (+15) and torque ramped up by 50 Nm to a peak of 550 Nm. This has been accomplished via a special ECU calibration which interfaces with revised 6-speed automatic transmission mapping and lock-up control – to ensure optimised power delivery. These improvements result in a 0-100 km/h sprint time reduction of 0.65 seconds. Top speed is quoted as 175 km/h.

Only one drivetrain configuration is offered in the form of a 4×4 transaxle mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Auto LSD function.

Under the skin, new monotube shock absorbers are paired with stiffer coil springs to deliver improved high-speed stability and handling response.

The wheel and tyre package features bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels in a Titanium finish – while the tyre package has been revised with taller profile 265-65-R17 rubber, to offer enhanced off-road performance.

Safety and security

The Hilux GR-S is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), which offers a full suite of active safety aids including Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) and Pre-Collision System (PCS). These are joined by the obligatory ABS, VSC, EBD, Hill Assist Control (HAC) and Brake Assist systems, as well as passive safety aids such as ISOFIX and a full airbag array.

Pricing and warranty 

The Toyota Hilux GR-S 2.8 GD-6 4×4 6AT is priced at R865,400. All Hilux GR Sport models are sold with a 9-services/90,000 km service plan and a 3-year/100,000km warranty.