By Otsile Kadiege

We recently joined Toyota South Africa Motors in George for the local launch of the third iteration of the sporty Hilux GR-S which introduces a redesigned exterior, an increased width and height, a new suspension setup, new set of tyres, and new equipment.

Making its presence felt

The designers at Gazoo Racing have made significant updates to the styling of the Hilux GR-S III. Starting up front, the third GR-S iteration gets a redesigned snout with bold ‘TOYOTA’ lettering nestled on the centre as well as a GR badge. It’s flanked by LED headlights and LED fog lights which have been integrated into the redesigned front bumper.

In profile, the Hilux GR-S III boasts wider wheel arches which have functional air inlets up front. It sits 20mm taller than the Hilux GR-S II it replaces and is fitted with 17-inch wheels wrapped with BF Goodrich K02 all terrain tyres measuring 265/65. According to TSAM, this is the very first time Toyota has fitted BF Goodrich tyres on a production vehicle.

At the rear, the Hilux GR-S III gets a GR badged sports bar, three-shaped LED taillights with bulb reverse and indicator lights, a tonneau cover for the load bin as well as a non-dampened tailgate with a GR-Sport badge and darkened ‘Hilux’ lettering. Overall, we like the revised looks of the Hilux GR-S III and we believe it go toe-to-toe with its main rivals at a ‘stance-off’.

No shortage of GR badges

Like the exterior, the dated interior of the GR-S III Hilux gets a bunch of GR-S sporty touches like comfortable and supportive leather and suede combination seats with GR branded headrests, red seats belts for both front and rear passengers, a GR branded multifunctional steering wheel, GR Sport floor mats, a Gazoo Racing sticker on the centre console, and a GR branded key fob. 

New to the Hilux GR-S III is an eight-speaker JBL sound system which sounds much better than the old six-speaker system in the Hilux GR-S II.

Performance

Underneath the hood of the Hilux GR-S III is a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine developing 165kW and 550Nm. It’s paired with a 6-speed auto transmission and has a claimed fuel consumption of 8.7L/100km. Toyota fitted the GR-S III Hilux with KYB monotube shock absorbers which are said to be more off-road than on road biased. 

Driving impressions

On road driving, the Hilux GR-S impresses with sufficient power and torque which works perfectly with its smooth 6-speed auto transmission. The suspension dampening is a bit choppy, especially on poorly maintained roads but nothing too jarring.

Tackling gravel roads was a breeze for the butch stallion. Despite being in high range, its rear-end tends to step-out a bit when travelling at speed. That said, it makes off-road driving fun but it can quickly lead to an insurance claim when you don’t know how to handle the stallion.

We also took it to the daunting dunes in George and it handled steep sand inclines like a champ. Descending was also effortless thanks to hill descent control and low range gear which helped the Hilux GR-S crawl down slow and steady.

Pricing and competitors

The Toyota Hilux GR-S III is priced at R999,000 which represents a R51,400 increase over the Hilux GR-S II it replaces. We believe its main rivals are the Isuzu D-Max AT35 by Arctic Trucks and the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X. The D-Max is R170,400 more pricier than the Hilux GR-S III while the Ranger Wildtrak X costs just R40,700 more than the Toyota.

We look forward to having the Hilux GR-S III on test for a more comprehensive review.