According to numerous sources including carsales.com.au, Toyota will be launching a more powerful version of the Hilux pickup truck in South Africa. It is scheduled to debut in the said country by May 2022.
The South Africa-spec Toyota Hilux GR Sport [Photo: Adventure Afrika]
This upcoming version of the truck model falls under the Gazoo Racing Toyota sub-brand. And as per the source, it will be sporting a 2.8-liter inline-4 turbodiesel that’s capable of producing up to 221 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque.
With regards to how exactly this engine can produce that amount of power and torque, nothing has been revealed just yet. If those output figures turn out to be true though, we can safely say that this version of the Hilux produces a fair bit more than the currently available Ford Ranger Raptor.
For those unaware, the current Ranger Raptor has held the crown of being the sportiest midsize pickup truck since its initial release in 2018. For the Philippine market, the Ranger Raptor uses a 2.0-liter bi-turbo engine that can churn out 210 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque.
Apart from the beef powertrain, the South Africa-spec Hilux GR Sport is also getting an upgraded suspension. We’re guessing that the sources are referring to more ride height compared to the regular version, maybe even some performance shocks and springs. But again, nothing was specified in the report.
Not much details are available for this upcoming Hilux GR Sport [Photo: Adventure Afrika]
As for looks, it is getting a lot of GR badges, a larger pair of fog light bezels, a GR sports bar for the bed, among others. Of note, rumors of a Toyota-made Ranger Raptor rival have been floating around the internet since 2019.
Since then, though, Toyota has already released several Toyota Hilux GR Sport versions around the globe. There’s one in the Philippines, one in Thailand, as well as in Europe. These however, make just as much power and torque as the regular 2.8-liter Hilux Conquest.
Like most articles where details are yet to be clarified, we urge those who are reading this to take the information about the beefy South African Hilux with a grain of salt. So, if you’re excited about this, let’s just wait for more details until its launch this coming May.
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