The highly-anticipated Toyota HiLux GR Sport has officially landed in Australia and is heading to a showroom near you. It goes on sale priced from $73,990.
It might not be the hardcore performance rival to the Ford Ranger Raptor that some may have hoped for, but the HiLux GR Sport is a nice step up from the regular range. One might argue that it is a more refined effort compared with the rally-bred competitors, too.
We spotted two examples in Sydney today on the back of a truck, which looked to be carrying a number of other Toyotas and likely heading to a dealership. Coincidentally (or not, as it turns out) Toyota Australia announced just this week the new variant is arriving in showrooms now.
The HiLux GR Sport is a lightly tuned and tweaked variant based on the latest Rogue. As such, it features the same widened body as the Rogue, with 135mm added to the front track and 155mm added to the back, supported by black wheel arch bulges. The ride height is also increased by 15mm over the regular HiLux.
With the GR Sport, the body is suspended by a set of bespoke KYB monotube dampers that are specifically tuned for the GR Sport, and the rear stabiliser bar has been removed to increase wheel travel off road.
Grip is provided by a set of 265/65 Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres wrapped around special 17-inch alloy wheels. Toyota says the suspension changes have not interfered with the HiLux’s 3500kg braked towing capacity.
Also helping with off-road performance, Toyota has applied a unique front skid plate apparently inspired by Dakar rally cars, along with rock rails along the sides made from steel, and recovery points at the rear painted in red.
Some tweaks have also been made under the bonnet, which is great to see. The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder remains, but power is pushed up to 165kW from 150, and torque is boosted to 550Nm from 500.
These figures might not set any new benchmarks for the class but they should be welcomed with open arms by HiLux fans and buyers. Fuel economy figures haven’t been mentioned yet. As a guide the current Rogue is rated at 8.4L/100km.
In terms of performance, we’ve timed 0-100km/h in 10.68 seconds in the current HiLux Rogue. We’d expect that figure to drop into the 9s for the GR Sport, but the added protection plate and side rails might offset some performance with weight. Although, the rear stabiliser is removed. Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, said:
“This is far more than a HiLux that looks the part. The extensive suspension, powertrain and underbody modifications give our new HiLux GR Sport the sort of performance credentials, that, along with its renowned towing and off-road capability, will appeal to recreational enthusiasts.”
The new variant is on sale now priced from $73,990 (excluding on-roads). That slightly undercuts some of the flagship rivals, including the Ford Ranger Platinum (from $78,190), but it overshadows the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior (from $70,765), for example.
The GR Sport will be followed by the 2024 HiLux update next year, introducing mild-hybrid technology for the 2.8 diesel engine.
