New Toyota bakkie coming to South Africa – But there’s a catch

A new Toyota bakkie is heading to South Africa this year, but it won’t be sold by Toyota.

The Durban-based company Rospa International recently announced that it had signed a partnership agreement with Autogroup International to bring a curated selection of American cars to South Africa.

Autogroup is a global business that specializes in converting American vehicles to right-hand-drive in order to bring them to markets where they otherwise wouldn’t be available.

This is big news for South Africa, as several car brands from the United States have closed their doors in the last 15 years, including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, and Cadillac.

Motorists will therefore be able to once again purchase a number of right-hand-drive American cars on the tip of Africa, but the list of confirmed models goes beyond names like the Chevrolet Camaro.

Arguably, the most exciting addition for South Africa is the Toyota Tundra, a bakkie that the Japanese carmaker is unlikely to introduce in an official capacity.

The Toyota Hilux’s big brother

It’s no secret that South Africa loves its bakkies, as names like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger consistently top the sales charts every month.

While these are certainly large vehicles compared to a typical passenger car like the VW Polo, the reality is that the Hilux is only considered a midsize vehicle by global standards.

On the other side of the Atlantic, motorists are far more interested in full-size pickup trucks like the Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150, which are essentially the big brothers to the models we have over here.

To put things in perspective, this is how the current-gen Hilux double cab compares to the Tundra:

Of course, a bakkie is only as good as its engine, and the Tundra is no joke in this regard.

Autogroup confirmed that it will bring two versions of the Toyota, which just so happen to be the range-topping TRD Pro and Capstone.

Both models are equipped with the brand’s i-Force Max hybrid engine, which marries a 3.4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol plant with an electric motor.

The result is an enormous combined output of 325kW and 790Nm.

In comparison, the Ford Ranger Raptor we have here produces 292kW and 583Nm, while the hybrid BYD Shark generates 321kW and 650Nm.

In other words, the Toyota Tundra will unofficially be the most powerful bakkie in South Africa once it goes on sale.

It even has a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds, meaning the six-metre-long double cab can keep up with a Polo GTI hot hatch.

Gear changes are handled by a 10-speed automatic gearbox, which is hooked up to a full-time four-wheel-drive system.

The off-road suspension is fitted with heavy-duty Fox shocks, and the vehicle comes standard with a rear differential lock and 18-inch forged alloy rims wrapped in 33-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tyres.

It also features Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select function with various driving modes and Crawl Control (effectively off-road cruise control).

As for the rest of the package, a few of the highlights on the Tundra include a powered tailgate, a 12-speaker JBL stereo, heated and ventilated seats, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, a 14-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 360-degree camera system.

Unfortunately, Autogroup has not disclosed the pricing for any of the American cars coming to South Africa, but it’s unlikely to be cheap.

In the United States, the TRD Pro can fetch up to $79,000, which works out to roughly R1.4 million at the current exchange rate.

That’s certainly a lot of money, but considering the R1.4-million Toyota Prado has been a big hit in our market, it’s reasonable to assume there is a segment of the population that could afford such a vehicle.

Toyota Tundra