If you think South Africa is crazy about bakkies, perhaps you should visit Thailand. The Toyota Hilux is also produced in Thailand and in that market it’s known as the Hilux Revo and a GR Sport version has now been launched in both high- and low-riding guise.
Earlier this year, we reported that the Toyota Hilux GR Sport was due for reveal in Japan in October 2021 but now the Thai-made Hilux Revo GR Sport has broken cover, showing us what’s possible.
In Thailand, the Hilux Revo GR Sport is offered in both high- and low-riding guise and features the obligatory visual enhancements that a Hilux GR Sport commands.
The Hilux Revo GR Sport gains a suspension upgrade as well as beefier styling.
The low-rider Hilux Revo GR Sport is rear-wheel-drive and Toyota has fitted 17-inch wheels with red brake callipers but dropped the suspension by 23 mm to give it that low-rider look. A sporty, beefed-up body kit is fitted with a body-coloured grille surround and a gloss black finish for the air intake surrounds. A GR Sport wouldn’t be complete without its badges and GR Sport decals…
As for the high-riding Hilux Revo GR Sport, it features all-wheel-drive capability with a rear differential lock and its suspension has been upgraded with a reinforced Superflex Suspension which makes it more adept to tackling offroad conditions than its low-riding sibling. IT makes use of larger 18-inch wheels and is also differentiated with a larger grille. The lower bumper also features integrated fog lights and underbody protection while side steps and wheel arch extensions further add to the rugged appeal. Towards the rear, a sports bar is also fitted and the model also gains mud flaps.
Both variants can be had in 3 body colours including black, white and red.
The interior features a sporty look thanks to red stitching seen on the GR-embossed suede-leather combination seats as well as the sports steering wheel with red marking and aluminium pedals The GR start-stop button adds to the interior drama while the familiar 8-inch infotainment screen takes care of entertainment and key in-car functions.
In terms of engine power, the Hilux Revo GR Sport is equipped with Toyota’s updated 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine that now offers 150 kW and 500 Nm and comes mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
While the Hilux Revo GR Sport is market-specific for Thailand, it gives us some idea of what to expect from the latest Japanese Hilux GR Sport which is due for reveal in weeks to come. We expect the Hilux GR Sport to come to market in South Africa sometime in 2022. As always, we will keep you updated as soon as more information becomes available.
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