New Toyota Hilux GR-Sport III for South Africa – Pricing and specifications

Toyota is bringing the beefy Hilux GR-Sport III to South Africa shortly, which is a big step up from anything the Hilux family has offered before.

The aggressive bakkie is wider, taller, and more capable than any other model in the range courtesy of a variety of cosmetic and functional upgrades.

At launch, it will be positioned as the third-most expensive Hilux in the line-up at a starting price of R999,000, which includes a 3-year/100,000km warranty and 9-services/90,000km service plan, confirmed our sources at Duporta vehicle information specialists.

What’s new

The new GR-Sport III benefits from a bespoke body kit underscored by a mesh grille with bold TOYOTA lettering; a revised air curtain structure that includes a new bumper and redesigned fog lamp bezels which optimise drag efficiency and reduce turbulence in the wheel arches; a steel bash plate; wider over-fenders; a larger rear bumper; an aero-styled sports bar in the load box; BF Goodrich Baja Champion all-terrain tyres; and exclusive 17-inch alloy rims.

The dimensions of the GR-Sport III in comparison to the normal Hilux Legend are compared below:

Motivating the bigger Hilux is an uprated version of Toyota’s famous turbocharged 2.8-litre diesel mill putting out 165kW and 550Nm – 15kW and 50Nm more than the rest of the range.

Drive is channeled to all four corners through a selectable 4×4 system and six-speed automatic transmission, with average fuel usage pegged at 8.1l/100km.

Other mechanical enhancements exclusive to the GR-Sport III include new monotube dampers at the rear that provide better response on rough terrains than the twin-tube setup on the standard derivatives.

The improved suspension system is painted bright red, and accompanied by new and more capable brakes in the same hue.

Inside the cabin, there are GR-specific seats in black synthetic suede and leather with silver stitching and perforations, a GR-branded leather steering wheel with a red 12 o’clock marker and paddle shifters, red seat belts, aluminium pedals, and GR logos in the instrumentation panels.

Creature comforts include dual-zone climate control, a central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker JBL stereo, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert, front and rear parking sensors, hill-assist control, downhill assist, ABS with brake assist, and seven airbags.