The Toyota HiLux has long held its reign as Australia’s favourite ute, known for its rugged capability and unstoppable reliability. With the introduction of the first-ever Toyota HiLux GR Sport, the bar is raised even higher.
This flagship variant promises not only enhanced aesthetics but also substantial performance upgrades for on and off the road, making it an even more desirable choice for enthusiasts seeking adventure and the full ‘4×4 ute’ experience and lifestyle.
2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport: Specifications
Engine: 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder
Output: 165kW@3000rpm / 550Nm@1600-2800rpm
Gearbox: Six-speed auto
Drive type: RWD/4WD
Wheels: F & R: 17×7.5, 265/65
ANCAP: Not tested
Tare weight: 2050kg
Power-to-weight: 12.42:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 8.1L/100km
Our consumption: 9.4L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 80L/DieselPower efficiency: 20.37kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 4.53 seconds*
0-100km/h: 9.91 seconds*
60-110km/h: 7.01 seconds*
1/4 mile: 17.19 seconds at 132.4km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.592g*
100-0km/h braking: 43.72m in 3.49 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.260g*
Decibel at idle: 45*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 81*
Starting price: $74,310
*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different
2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport: How much does it cost?
The Toyota HiLux GR Sport commands attention from the get-go, sitting as the flagship variant. So, as you’d expect, it is presented with a commanding starting price of $74,310 (excluding on-roads).
While that might seem steep at first glance, it isn’t the most expensive ute in its class. There are a few Ford Ranger models that are more expensive, such as the Wildtrak X, and even the Mazda BT-50 with the optional SP Pro pack is more expensive ($76,328).
Toyota offers a five-year warranty (unlimited km), with a seven-year anti-corrosion warranty. Scheduled servicing is every 10,000km or six months, whichever occurs first.
2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport: Interior & packaging
Undoubtedly, the GR Sport stands out with its Dakar-inspired styling cues, courtesy of the Toyota Australia Design team. The blacked-out front grille, wider front bumper, and menacing dark grey wheel arch extensions exude a sense of adventure, while the red-painted rear recovery points hint at the ute’s off-road capability. Paired with unique gloss black 17-inch alloy wheels, the GR Sport cuts a striking figure on both urban streets and rugged trails.
Stepping inside the HiLux GR Sport, it’s clear that Toyota hasn’t really focused much attention on dressing up the atmosphere. The GR Sport comes with leather and suede for the seats, with grey stitching and red seatbelts, as well as a bespoke steering wheel highlight, paddle shifters, and ‘Technical Mesh’ trimmings.
Aside from those bits and pieces, the cabin is very similar to the regular HiLux SR5. It is sporty enough to let you know this is something a bit different, but it doesn’t really match the excitement and enthusiasm of the exterior and changes made to the hardware.
In any case, the cabin is very easy to live with, as you’d expect from a Toyota. You’ve got plenty of storage, cup and bottle holders, and most of the buttons and controls are big and clearly marked, and in located in logical positions. And there are plenty of physical controls which will go down well with traditional fans.
On the other hand, this interior isn’t exactly modern. It is current, but only just. An 8.0-inch touch-screen on the dash is small by today’s standards, even in this class, and the instrument cluster isn’t fully digital. This is good news in my personal opinion, but it probably doesn’t look good to the general buyer cross-shopping against the rivals.
The GR Sport does come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with voice command and a wireless phone charger. Passenger space is about average for the dual-cab ute market, which is to say it is suitable for a full family or four thick work blokes.
Towing and payload capacities fall short of the class benchmarks. It offers a 3500kg braked towing rating, however, the gross combination mass of 5850kg, minus the kerb weight of 2270kg means you’re only left with 80kg after hooking up a 3500kg trailer. That’s not even enough for a driver. The payload of 780kg is also low.
Much of this is due to the bespoke GR Sport suspension package – more on that below. The GR Sport does come with a tow bar as standard. In Toyota’s official press release, the company says: “The suspension upgrades have not compromised on the HiLux’s full 3500kg braked towing capacity.”
But that’s a crafty way of confirming it meets the 3500kg tow rating, without revealing the full depth of the situation. A bit dirty, in our opinion.
But anyway, if you want the GR Sport, we’re guessing you’re more interested in its off-road performance and go-faster bits, rather than pure towing/hauling capability. This is a bit like the Ford Ranger Raptor, which suffers even greater load capacity drops compared with its more civilised siblings.
2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport: Powertrain & handling
It’s amazing to see Toyota has actually tuned and tweaked an engine so it’s different to the rest. This 2.8-litre turbo-diesel is used in everything, from the Prado and Fortuner and even the Granvia van. It is very unusual of Toyota to deviate away from the standard setup.
Thanks to revised turbo characteristics and altered fuel injection control via engine computer tuning, the 1GD-FTV is boosted from 150kW to 165kW, with torque raised from 500Nm to 550Nm. It is the most powerful diesel HiLux ever.
Peak torque is available between 1600rpm and 2800rpm, which is a wide window but not as wide some rivals. And then peak power arrives at 3000rpm. It feels a bit quicker on the road, but perhaps more noticeably, it is effortless. Well, more so than the standard model.
It churns its way up to highway speeds with ease, and overtaking doesn’t require full-throttle blasting past. In this you can just leisurely steam past other vehicles without seeming like you’re trying. Acceleration is improved. We timed 0-100km/h in 9.91 seconds, compared with 10.68 in the Rogue.
Paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic, the transmission has been recalibrated to harness the enhanced engine outputs. Toyota says changes have been made to oil pressure management to improve shift speeds, while shift mapping is fine-tuned to provide a more precise and responsive character, in normal and sport modes. The GR Sport also comes with paddle-shifters so it’s easier to manually shift if you prefer.
The true standout feature of the GR Sport lies in the suspension upgrades. Drawing from the wide-track layout shared with the HiLux Rogue, the GR Sport takes it a step further with bespoke enhancements. Notable improvements include increased front coil spring rigidity, along with upgraded Japanese-made KYB monotube type dampers on both front and rear, tuned specifically to suit the GR Sport. The removal of the rear sway bar promotes an increase range in rear axle articulation to improve off-road capability.
In the real world, the suspension does feel more dynamic, especially over harsh bumps. You can smash this thing over bumpy or rough surfaces and it takes it in its stride; it won’t bounce around like some rivals. During our off-road test where we take a common loop around a rough dirt road, the GR Sport demonstrated excellent composure and stability, even during tough demands including catching some air over a hump in the ground. We’ve taken other utes over the same ‘track’ and over the same hump, and some have bottomed-out the suspension. Not in this.
Obviously going off jumps is not what we all do in utes, but it is good to know these suspension changes can handle rugged and challenging conditions, over and above many rivals and even other HiLux variants. On the tarmac, the rear end is a bit jiggly but not as tight as other variants in our opinion. In many ways, the GR Sport is the most comfortable variant.
That’s probably a good thing because, in our opinion, the GR Sport is probably the most attractive variant to those who want the full 4×4 ute experience, in terms of the active lifestyle and outdoor activities these types of vehicles tend to portray.
Braking performance is good but this does come with 265/65R17 Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres, so the stopping distance is not as short as some rivals (and other HiLux variants) that use highway-terrain tyres. That’s just a compromise that has to happen. Even so, we measured 100-0km/h in 43.72m using our Vbox, which is about average for the 4×4 ute class for models equipped with AT tyres.
The GR Sport comes with ventilated disc brakes on all four corners, complemented by red-painted four-piston fixed callipers at the front and single-piston floating callipers at the rear.
2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport: Key attractions/reasons to buy
- Dakar-inspired styling: The HiLux GR Sport boasts a bold and aggressive exterior design, with visual cues inspired by Toyota’s off-road racing heritage. It looks tough.
- Enhanced performance: With a more powerful engine and recalibrated transmission, the GR Sport is a proper enhanced special variant – not just a sticker pack.
- Suspension upgrades: The tune is very good, offering awesome off-road, hard-impact absorption and a reasonably pleasant ride comfort on the road (for a ute).
- Toyota’s renowned reputation for reliability: It doesn’t even matter if it’s true or accurate, the reputation for dependability here is huge. And that explains, at least partly, why these things retain so much value years after purchase.
2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport: Key considerations before you buy
- Limited colour options: The available colour palette for the HiLux GR Sport is limited to four colours, but you can opt for a black roof on some: Glacier White, Frosted White, Stunning Silver, and Eclipse Black and Feverish Red finishes (Glacier White, Frosted White and Feverish Red are available with the black roof).
- Basic interior: Although the exterior is dressed up and looks distinctive over other variants, the interior features splashes of red but that’s about it.
- Infotainment: The touch-screen is falling well behind the class standards now. You could take it as a good thing if you’re not a fan of these big screens that are showing up these days, but in terms of graphics, menu flow and sheer functionality, this one is near the bottom of the class.
How does it rate against its rivals?
- Price
- Quality look & feel
- Interior tech
- Powertrain performance
- Ride & handling
- X-factor (does it stand out in its class?)
Final word
With its rugged good looks, more powerful engine, and more dynamic suspension, this isn’t just some special edition sticker pack. It’s a well thought-out thoroughly engineered package that should meet the demands – and wants – of many buyers in this segment. It’s the ultimate blend of style and substance, wrapped up in the highly desirable HiLux nameplate. Bragging rights don’t get much higher. Resale value is also likely to out-perform all rivals. Although, it is a big price to begin with and the interior is still very basic.
