Following the unveiling of its Thai “Revo” counterpart last month, the new-look Hilux GR Sport has debuted in Japan, replete with a wider body, a swathe of aesthetic updates and a tweaked suspension. Toyota South Africa must surely be considering this derivative for our market…

After all, the Japanese automotive giant’s GR Sport nameplate made its South African debut with the pre-facelift iteration of the current Hilux, but, whereas that was a limited-edition derivative, the new Land Cruiser 300 range has featureda GR Sport right from the get-go. In other words, the GR Sport is now a fixture in Toyota SA’s line-up, which suggests that there are more versions in the pipeline…

Weexpected that Toyota Japan would unveil the post-facelift Hilux GR Sport this month, especially considering that its Thailand-based subsidiary introduced thesimilarly Hilux Revo GR Sport last month in “Low-rider” (ostensibly 2WD) and “High-rider” 4-wheel-drive guises. Well, here it is, folks – right on cue.

In truth, the Japanese Hilux GR Sport looks a bit tamer than its Thai counterpart (we assume it will again be offered exclusively in white, black and red finishes), because it foregoes the latter’s decorative decals and its rectangular black foglamp surrounds are notably subtler. It also looks a little bare without a chunky sportsbar affixed behind the cab!

The newcomer is marginally wider (by 45 mm) than its standard siblings – the elaborately flared wheel arches (with gloss black accents) extend the Hilux GR Sport’s overall width to 1 900 mm. Those accents are complemented by variousGR Sport badges, a blacked-out grille with bold TOYOTA lettering, as well as matching lower-grille garnishes, side mirrors and rear bumper.

New black 18-inch alloy wheels, complemented by red brake callipers, finishoff the look.

The interior features all the updates that were part of the Hilux’s recent update (including the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay- and Android Auto), but is distinguished by its red contrast stitching on the door trims, leather-and-suede seatupholstery and the GR-Sport-branded multifunction steering wheel, which is fitted with metallic-finish shift paddles and has a decorative red stripe at the 12 o’clock position.

Other Hilux GR Sport-specific cabin details include GR Sport-branded headrests (in combination with red upper bolsters), -instrument cluster and -engine start/stop button, all of which is complemented by dark grey inserts and sporty aluminium-look pedals.

Unlike its Thai counterpart, which features the updated 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine that offers 150 kW and 500 Nm and is mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Japanese Hilux GR Sport is powered by Toyota’s 2.4-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel motor. The 4-wheel-drive system with “shift-on-fly” off-road driving dial with 2H, 4H and 4L, locking rear differential andhill descent control is unchanged.

Meanwhile, the Gazoo Racing division has again retuned the sportier bakkie’s suspension “for better steering response and flatter handling (with less body roll”, Toyota claims.

Race! Toyota Hilux GR Sport vs Hilux Legend 50

Otherwise, the Hilux GR Sport is much like the Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4×4 Legend RS Automatic that was featured in our recent Double-Cab 4×4 Bakkie Buyer’s Guide (2021). We assume thatToyota’s Safety Sense package, which includes a pre-collision detection system, road-sign detection, lane departure alert and adaptive cruise control, is included in the Hilux GR Sportpackage.

Whereas Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) availed 535 units of the previous Hilux GR Sport in Mzansi in mid-2019, that derivative was largely a brand builder for the range, which – at that point – was a year or so away from undergoing the recent upgrade. Seeing as the facelift is still fresh [watch our video review], does thatdiminish the possibility that the new-look GR Sport will come to the Republic?

Could aSouth African version of the new-look Hilux GR Sport look more like the Thai version?

Considering the rapid rate at which Toyota’s arch-rival Ford is rolling out special editions of the outgoing Ranger (such as the new Stormtrak), we couldn’t count against a riposte from the Prospecton-based firm…TSAM has not confirmed whether the new-look Hilux GR Sport will be offered on local soil, but as soon as we learn anything new about this red-hot topic, we’ll be sure to let you know!

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