Toyota HiLux 2024 review: GR Sport - off-road test

Before we get into the meat of it, let’s talk price. This is now the most expensive HiLux you can buy, and yet it isn’t quite a full-fat GR in the same vein as a GR Corolla or GR Yaris.

To do so, it would need to come with a massive boost in power, but instead this HiLux goes in a different direction.

Positioned by the brand as a more hardcore off-road alternative to the previous top-spec Rogue, the HiLux GR Sport costs $73,990, before on-road costs.

You might note that this is significantly cheaper than what might appear to be its most natural rival, the Ranger Raptor ($87,990), but it’s not quite in the same performance territory.

Does this leave room above for a full-fat GR? Perhaps. Toyota said no such truck is in the works, though, so I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Positioned by the brand as a more hardcore off-road alternative to the previous top-spec Rogue, the HiLux GR Sport costs $73,990, before on-road costs. (Image: Tom White)

To disappoint further, the GR Sport doesn’t pack a different engine. Instead it persists with a re-tuned version of the existing 2.8-litre four-cylinder unit from the rest of the range.

We’ll cover the details on that later, but your additional money is instead mostly going towards modifications, visible and more subtle, to improve the HiLux’s performance, mainly when you venture off the tarmac.

The biggest changes are to the suspension. It gets the same wider track as the Rogue, but also a 15mm lift and larger KYB monotube shock absorbers.

There’s a set of off-road ready 17-inch alloy wheels, disc brakes all around, and a boost to axle articulation thanks to the removal of the rear sway bar.

Other upgrades extend to the underbody, including what Toyota calls ‘Dakar-inspired’ skid plates (consisting of 4.0mm thick pressed aluminium), heavy duty rock rails with side steps (made of 2.0mm thick steel), said to be able to hold the fully laden weight of the car, and the addition of rear (20mm thick steel) recovery points.

There’s a set of off-road ready 17-inch alloy wheels. (Image: Tom White)

To facilitate its additional width, there are, of course, the hard-to-miss body modifications, including massive plastic over fenders, and a completely new face with a big open grille (good luck cleaning bugs out of your radiator) and trendy TOYOTA typeface across the top.

The extra width in the bumper also includes functional air vents to push air around the car and reduce drag.

The brand says these modifications are part of the GR Sport’s Dakar DNA allowing it to be “high and light” - and there's a local touch. The new look was developed in Melbourne.

Around the back there are less significant changes. Toyota says it has intentionally left the tray free of a sports bar or other modifications as it keeps the weight and price of the vehicle down, while understanding that most buyers will want to add their own modifications, anyway.

Toyota says it has intentionally left the tray free of a sports bar or other modifications as it keeps the weight and price of the vehicle down, while understanding that most buyers will want to add their own modifications, anyway. (Image: Tom White)

Regardless, the tow kit with wiring harness is standard, as is a GR Sport themed tub liner.

If you’re worried about a wait-list, as there has been for other popular Toyotas, the brand certainly isn’t, proclaiming it has the ability to build some 3500 units a year.

What don’t you get? Aside from some GR Sport seats (in a synthetic suede/leather combination) and a slightly tweaked wheel, there’s little extra going on inside, and while engine outputs have been boosted by about 10 per cent, it’s hardly a big turbo V6.

Raptor rival then, this isn’t, more in the vein of the Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme or Navara Pro-4X, as is reflected in its price.

Practicality is the name of the game here when it comes to clearances and the design of the body. The HiLux GR Sport has a 30-degree approach angle, a 23-degree departure angle and 265mm of ground clearance to go with its 15mm raise.

Other benefits include enhanced underbody protection in the event that you manage to find ruts deep enough to bottom out on, and the side-rails will help protect the body when dealing with hairy conditions off-road.

It’s a good deal that the tow gear comes standard, and while the tray seems pretty bare, the lack of a sports bar improves rear visibility. The tray is standard HiLux fare.

The cabin is much the same. There’s a bottle holder and map pocket in the door, dual bottle holders in the centre console and a tray under the climate controls.

There’s no wireless charger, but physical controls are maintained for all the climate functions, as well as a volume dial and shortcut buttons for the now small-looking 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen. It might not be the most modern cabin, but it is easy to operate.

Additional storage is provided by an armrest console box, and split glove box fittings on the passenger side. The seats are comfortable, and the additional bolstering on the GR Sport versions are welcome for cornering and off-road activities.

Entry is more difficult than other HiLux variants thanks to the additional ride height, and the side-steps above the rails are annoyingly narrow and close to the body, making it hard to put your bodyweight on them without slipping.

The rear seat is far from the best-in-class. Behind my own driving position at 182cm tall I had a tiny amount of airspace for my knees, and the black theme makes it feel a bit claustrophobic.

Headroom is decent, and there’s an abundance of hooks (on the backs of the front seats and in the roof) as well as handy grabs for helping yourself up into the cab.

There are dual adjustable air vents, and pockets on the backs of both seats, but no power outlets for rear passengers. The seat bases can be folded up to open the space up for cargo, or alternatively the seat backs can be folded down.

The most impressive trait for the GR specifically, though, is the untarnished capacities. Towing - a key draw for the HiLux at any time - remains at the full 3500kg braked capacity, while the payload comes in at 780kg.

No big six-cylinder or multiple turbo set-up here, just the same old '1GD' series 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine from the rest of the HiLux range.

For the GR Sport, though, this trusty unit has received an ECU re-map, boosting outputs ever so slightly to 165kW/550Nm (from 150kW/500Nm).

For the GR Sport, though, this trusty unit has received an ECU re-map, boosting outputs ever so slightly to 165kW/550Nm (from 150kW/500Nm). (Image: Tom White)

It makes a meaningful difference from behind the wheel, as the higher peak power and torque numbers arrive at the same engine speeds as in the non-GR HiLux. That is, quite low in the rev range. More on that in the driving section.

The HiLux GR Sport has a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 8.1L/100km, an improvement over the Rogue’s 8.4L/100km, perhaps speaking to the GR Sport’s improved front bumper design.

Our brief test across several vehicles in adverse conditions during the launch was hardly a fair scenario from which to pull an as-tested fuel number, so it’s probably better to check back once we get the GR Sport on a longer test for a more accurate look at what you might see in the real world.

The HiLux has an 80-litre fuel tank giving the GR Sport a theoretical 988km cruising range.

The GR Sport has the same level of safety equipment as the Rogue. This includes auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control.

There are also seven airbags. While the HiLux range was rated a maximum five ANCAP stars in 2019, this rating excludes the GR Sport.