zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Trucks
/
Here's Another Toyota GR You Can Daydream About But Can't Ever Have
Here's Another Toyota GR You Can Daydream About But Can't Ever Have-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:05

Image for article titled Here's Another Toyota GR You Can Daydream About But Can't Ever Have

Toyota’s Hilux has achieved near legendary status all over the world as one of the most ready-for-anything pick-em-up trucks out there. It’s been through a number of generations, and we haven’t gotten a damn one of them here in the U.S. market, which is a damn shame because it would sell like hot cakes. You know, if it weren’t for that frickin’ chicken tax. And now there’s another reason to be bummed that we can’t buy a new Hilux. Two letters; GR.

The Hilux GR Sport doesn’t go to quite the extent that the Yaris GR did. It’s not a homologation racing special, and it doesn’t have a special body, special drivetrain, or even a special engine. Under the hood you’ve got the same 2.8-liter D-4D diesel engine delivering 201 horsepower and 369 nice foot pounds of torque through a six-speed auto box.

The Hilux GR Sport doesn’t get any extra towing or hauling capacity, either. It’s just a regular truck from the drivetrain’s point of view. It’s still good enough at 7800 pounds towing, or 2200 pounds in the bed. The GR version only comes in Double Cab configuration, for what it’s worth.

Okay, so what fun stuff does it come with? What has Gazoo Racing done to this one to make it worthy of the name? All of the stuff that would make a truck good when the pavement disappears, that’s what they did. This special Hilux has a gnarly suspension setup with new monotube shocks and stiffer front coils tuned to provide faster response, sharper off-road handling, and an all-around increase in grip. That’s paired with a standard limited slip differential and Toyota Active Traction Control to allow everything to work together in harmony. Of course there are new and special 17-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires fitted, because that’s what you do.

Image for article titled Here's Another Toyota GR You Can Daydream About But Can't Ever Have

While this version of the truck would probably be called TRD Pro over here in the states, I just think GR Sport sounds cooler.

Visually, you’ll get a unique front fascia with a G-pattern mesh grille and a center bumper bar that Toyota says is reminiscent of the 4th-gen Hilux from the 1980s. I don’t really see it, myself. Oh, and there are bigger fog lights and surrounds to match. Neat.

Inside you get more or less the same interior as the Hilux Invincible. (Side note, how awesome is ‘Invincible’ as a trim level? Does it get more badass?) That means sporty front seats with red stitching, and sporty aluminum pedals and shift paddles. It comes standard with JBL audio, nav, heated front and rear seats, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, and Downhill Assist Control for creeping down steep off-road hills.

Personally, I think a right-sized pickup in off-road spec would be a great seller right now. It’s a bit smaller than Toyota’s current offerings here in the U.S. and has the kind of engineering and reputation all over the world that it only wishes it had in this market. Admittedly most American truck buyers don’t know what Hilux means, and wouldn’t know GR from any other weird badge, but it’s still cool and I wish we got it. Obviously the diesel wouldn’t fly, but maybe a good V6 and it’d still be a decent buy. Here’s hoping it’s actually good off road.

Image for article titled Here's Another Toyota GR You Can Daydream About But Can't Ever Have

If you live in the UK, for example, you can order one for about 44,000 pounds after VAT. Toyota will begin delivering the GR this summer.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Trucks
The Nissan Navara Was The Overdue Frontier We Deserved A Decade Ago
The Nissan Navara Was The Overdue Frontier We Deserved A Decade Ago
gets dunked on for letting models like the languish for years. But, the truck saw a model update well before the release of the , which is mechanically much like an with a design. Outside of the U.S., the successor to the second-generation Frontier came in 2014 with the...
Aug 16, 2025
Porsche Built A 911 With Portal Axles To Go Where Unimogs Can't Reach
Porsche Built A 911 With Portal Axles To Go Where Unimogs Can't Reach
No car has ever driven at higher altitude than this 992-generation Porsche 911 Carrera 4S with portal axles. On Saturday the Porsche crew, led by racing driver Romain Dumas, reached the highest peak of the west ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile, . That’s the tallest...
Aug 16, 2025
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Is The Hybrid Truck America Probably Needs
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Is The Hybrid Truck America Probably Needs
In addition to the all-electric , the truck brand announced this week that it will also release a engine gasoline-powered hybrid version of its electric pickup, called Ramcharger. The goal here is to use the V6 engine as a generator for the electric powertrain when the 92 kWh battery...
Aug 16, 2025
Ford Robbed Us Of The Old Four-Door Ranger To Give Us The Explorer Sport Trac
Ford Robbed Us Of The Old Four-Door Ranger To Give Us The Explorer Sport Trac
By definition, a big truck like a or struggles to be small. Even in its smallest, most trucky configuration — a two-door single cab — a full-size truck is relatively large and comes with a sizable bed for hauling cargo. But a small truck like the third-generation can do...
Aug 16, 2025
There Was Once A Glorious Compact Chevy ZR2 Truck
There Was Once A Glorious Compact Chevy ZR2 Truck
Those who saw the meteoric rise of through the 2010s and onward probably associate the badge with the . The was Chevy’s halo midsize truck when it was released in 2016, but the ZR2 badging goes all the way to the when Chevy made the S-10 ZR2. It’s gnarly....
Aug 16, 2025
Deer Flies Directly Into Pickup As Its Prospective Buyer Arrives
Deer Flies Directly Into Pickup As Its Prospective Buyer Arrives
No square inch of the Northeast is safe from deer, as video out of New Jersey shows. A deer, tearing through the suburbs, managed to leap over a Pontiac Vibe and Honda CR-V before landing on the bedside of a 2007 Chevy Silverado — just as a prospective buyer arrived...
Aug 16, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved