Do Hilux buyers really want a high-performance Hilux variant that would go toe-to-toe with the new petrol-powered Ford Ranger Raptor V6? A high-ranking Toyota executive says the answer is no … for now.

The head of Toyota’s commercial-vehicle division in the United Kingdom says customers simply aren’t calling for a high-performance, full-fat GR version of the Hilux positioned to take on the new Ford Ranger Raptor.

The flagship Raptor that tops the Blue Oval brand’s new Ranger line-up employs a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 EcoBoost petrol engine worth up to 292 kW and 583 Nm (depending on the market). The most powerful Hilux, meanwhile, is the new GR Sport, which in SA-spec form is set to generate uprated peak outputs of 165 kW and 550 Nm from its 2.8-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel heart.

Gareth Matthews, Toyota GB Light Commercial Vehicles manager, told Auto Express the Hilux GR Sport would remain the flagship derivative for the foreseeable future, saying customers are not “complaining that the 2.8-litre diesel is underpowered”.

“There isn’t a good enough case for us to look beyond that for a performance version. The GR Sport has the looks that customers want while still having the right payload weight, so we’re meeting the demands of performance fans there,” Matthews explained.

If Toyota were to build a GR Hilux (perhaps using the 3.3-litre turbodiesel from the Land Cruiser 300 as a base), it’d surely come only with the next generation of the popular Japanese bakkie, which is still a few years away.

The executive furthermore suggested Toyota had no plans to ditch diesel as the Hilux’s primary fuel source, despite plenty of industry buzz about upcoming hybrid and fully electric bakkies.

“It’s difficult to move away from diesel, because of the payload weights and towing capacity that’s needed for a pickup. For us, full electric doesn’t meet that requirement yet, while heavier vehicles are turning more towards fuel-cell technology, which could be a better alternative,” Matthews told the publication.

As a reminder, the new Hilux GR Sport that is expected to hit the South African market later in 2022 will likely ship standard with various upgraded suspension components, a raft of styling updates (inside and out) and choice powertrain tweaks to push the engine’s outputs to the aforementioned figures (up 15 kW and 50 Nm).