The new widebody Toyota Hilux GR Sport model has finally been confirmed for South Africa. Here’s what you can expect from the updated off-roader…
Yes, it’s official: the new widebody Toyota Hilux GR Sport is scheduled to launch in South Africa in March 2024 (at around the same time the Hilux 48V mild-hybrid version is due to hit the market).
Toyota SA Motors made the announcement at its State of the Motor Industry (SOMI) 2024 event at Kyalami, billing the newcomer as the “ultimate off-roader”, while also promising it would deliver “polished on-road dynamics”.
As a reminder, the Japanese firm’s local division told Cars.co.za in October 2023 that this new Hilux GR Sport III double cab was “under study” for a possible local introduction. A few months prior, Toyota SA Motors also hinted to us that a widebody version of the Hilux GR Sport (or “GR-S”, for short) could eventually be sold here. And now it’s finally official.
So, what sets the Hilux GR Sport III apart from the outgoing version? Well, though Toyota has yet to release detailed specifications for the local market, the major change is obviously the upgrade to a widebody configuration.
Indeed, the recently announced UK-spec version – which will likewise be sourced from Toyota SA Motors’ Prospecton factory in KwaZulu-Natal – gains a wider track, increased by 140 mm fore (to 1 675 mm) and 155 mm aft (to 1 705 mm) compared to the standard Hilux, increasing the double-cab bakkie’s overall width to 2 020 mm.
Toyota’s UK division bills the latest GR Sport as the “best-driving Hilux yet, on and off-road”, thanks to the wider track and “significant improvements” in handling characteristics, including a reduced roll angle and “more precise” steering response. There is also ostensibly less noise and vibration, while the suspension and brakes (larger front discs and new rear discs in place of the previous drums) have furthermore been revised.
In addition, the bakkie’s approach angle improves from 29 to 30 degrees, while ride height grows by 20 mm (boosting ground clearance to about 265 mm). New monotube dampers take the place of the previous twin-tube items, apparently providing “better performance and faster response in tough conditions”, while the lighter 17-inch wheels are again wrapped in all-terrain tyres.
Styling changes include red coil springs and coloured dampers (black at the front and red at the rear), plus chunky black overfenders and red brake callipers. There’s also a new black grille (complete with bold “Toyota” lettering), a silver front bashplate and an interesting “aero-styled sport bar and deck cover” (not pictured in the images here; check out the UK-spec model to see this feature).
What about the powertrain? Well, the SA-spec version is in line to retain the uprated 2.8-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine – not to mention 6-speed automatic transmission – of its forebear, which means peak outputs will again be pegged at 165 kW and 550 Nm.
Before now, Mzansi has seen 2 versions of the Hilux GR Sport. The first came in mid-2019, with a revised iteration (replete with the aforementioned extra power and torque) hitting the local market in September 2022. Both, of course, featured standard bodies.
Check back in the coming weeks for wideboy Toyota Hilux GR Sport pricing…
In the meantime, browse our Toyota Hilux listings.
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