The most expensive Toyota bakkie you can buy in South Africa

The most expensive Toyota bakkie you can buy in South Africa is the new Tundra, which costs R4 million.

The catch is that this bakkie is not sold by Toyota; rather, it is sold by Rospa International – a Durban-based company that imports highly-coveted models from around the world.

Earlier this year, Rospa announced that it had signed an agreement with another company, AutoGroup International, to import a selection of American vehicles to South Africa.

AutoGroup specializes in converting American cars to right-hand-drive, allowing them to be sold in markets where they aren’t normally available.

One of these models is the Toyota Tundra, a full-size pickup truck that is essentially the big brother to the Hilux we are all familiar with.

Of course, this does mean the Tundra fetches quite the sum, given that it has been converted to right-hand-drive and imported via a third-party company.

Two of the variants Rospa has brought to our shores are the top-spec TRD Pro and the Capstone, which cost R3,920,000 and R4,000,000, respectively.

To put that in perspective, the most expensive Hilux you can buy in South Africa right now is the GR-Sport, which asks for R999,000.

One powerful pickup

The range-topping Tundra is fitted with the brand’s iForce Max hybrid powertrain, which combines a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack.

The result is a whopping 325kW and 790Nm, which is distributed to a permanent four-wheel-drive system via a 10-speed automatic gearbox.

Thanks to this substantial output, the American pickup can rocket from 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds despite its size.

This puts it in the same league as the Ford Ranger Raptor, as well as hot hatchbacks like the VW Polo GTI.

The suspension benefits from heavy-duty FOX shocks, and it has a rear diff lock and 18-inch forged alloy rims wrapped in 33-inch Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tyres.

Furthermore, the bakkie comes with Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select function with various driving modes and Crawl Control (off-road cruise control).

To put its size in perspective, these are the Tundra’s measurements relative to the Hilux:

As far as equipment is concerned, the upmarket Tundra comes with nice-to-haves like a a powered tailgate, a 12-speaker JBL stereo, heated and ventilated seats, automatic climate control, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, a panoramic sunroof, a 14-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 360-degree camera system.

One thing to bear in mind with imported cars like these is that they are not officially supported by their respective manufacturers.

Rospa International offers a 3-year/100,000km warranty on its cars, and the company has trained technicians who can provide after-sales support in each of South Africa’s major cities, but it’s unlikely that you will be able to take it into any Toyota dealership when you need assistance.

Toyota Tundra