As the bakkie war rages on neither side willing to back down, Ford introduced its formidable all-new Ford Ranger earlier this year, and before that was the Volkswagen Amarok. However, the Toyota Hilux remains the leader in South African bakkie sales according to official figures. A tweaked GR Sport version of Toyota's top-seller was introduced earlier this year, and we caught up with it to find out what the 'GR Sport' represents in this bakkie.

GR Performance

Under the bonnet, you'll find a powerful and proven 2.8GD-6 turbocharged diesel engine that would normally produce 150 kW and 500 Nm, however, because this is a GR Sport badged Hilux, output had to be increased to live up to the GR name. The Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 GR Sport is a 165 kW and 550 Nm machine. This gives you plenty of oomph to conquer those off-road trails or keep up with fast-paced Joburg traffic with ease. It's surprisingly fast for a bakkie, and performance is delivered effortlessly. There are two buttons for the drivetrain mapping; ECO and PWR. ECO, as the name states is the most fuel-efficient setting, it goes through gears quickly to get to the highest gear and limits the responsiveness of the throttle. Select the PWR button and the Hulix GR Sport responds by injecting more performance and acceleration into the already responsive 2.8-litre engine four-cylinder. A set of shift paddles is neatly tucked behind the red-stitched GR-badged steering wheel. Using these is not practical due to the long delay between input and output. 

Styling & Interior

Externally, the GR Sport variant brings some extra goodies to the party. With a touch of sporty flair, the Hilux GR Sport boasts a sleek de-badged black front grille, which surprisingly looks nicer with the Toyota badge omitted. Bold fender flares with a touch of red make way for a set of 17-inch alloy wheels. GR badges can be spotted everywhere, from the side fenders to the sidesteps and roll bar at the rear. The difference between this and the Legend RS is that the GR Sport has rock slider-like side steps, a roll bar and a tonneau cover. The Legend RS gets broader, flat-surfaced side steps, a sports bar at the rear, and a hard electronic load-bin cover.

Step inside, and you'll be greeted by a comfortable and sporty interior. Seat material is a combination of leather and Alcantara, all stitched in red for the 'GR' effect. Carbon fibre finishes have also been utilised across the dash, offset by Toyota's red GR colour on the lower section. It's a sporty interior, and it's hard to see the typical Toyota Hilux buyer glaring at all the GR Sport enhancements in awe and excitement. It even boasts aluminium-finished pedals - Toyota meant business here. Fortunately, they didn’t skimp on safety as it's packed with features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. Diff lock, Hill descent control, along with 4H, 4L and 2H are also available. Beneath it all, the Hilux GR Sport comes with a beefed-up suspension that’s practically begging for an adventure. So, whether you're navigating a tricky mountain section or cruising on the highway, you're in good hands.

 

Price

Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 double cab 4x4 GR-Sport

R 945 600

 

Gugu Masuku – Proudly CHANGECARS