2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport Review – on-road & off-road test

Tarted up pick ups are big business these days. Not only is the pick up – or ute as it’s so fondly called in Australia – one of the best-selling vehicles in the country, it’s also one of the most accessorised. In recent years, demand for factory upgraded utes has skyrocketed so much that nearly every major manufacturer has a beefed up version of its ute in the line-up.

Ford has the dominant Ranger Raptor, Nissan has the adventure-ready Navara Pro-4X Warrior and Mitsubishi has the ruggedised Triton GSR. Long time favourite Toyota HiLux boasts the pumped up Rogue variant, but it seems even this isn’t enough to ruffle the feathers of some of the market’s toughest utes, especially the Ranger Raptor.

Cue the HiLux GR Sport, the range’s new top dog. But first let’s get something straight. This is not to be mistaken as a GR model from Toyota’s go-fast division. It’s badged GR Sport which means it’s inspired by GR or Gazoo Racing but not a full fat GR variant.

Yet, this HiLux GR Sport, which is priced at $73,990 plus on-road costs, does look the part with its widen stance and mechanical enhancements. For about $3,200 more than the Rogue and $9,000 dearer than the SR5+ dual cab auto, you get a pretty aggressive looking HiLux complete with a blacked-out front grille with large TOYOTA lettering, a wide-track front bumper with silver lower moulding and bash-plate, black squared-off overfenders to house the widen wheel track, black badging all around and black door handles and side mirrors.

Finishing the dynamic looks are a set of bespoke gloss black 17-inch alloy wheels behind which tuck red brake calipers and a splatter of GR Sport logos around the vehicle including on the cargo tray.

And that’s not everything yet. Inside the seats are upholstered in a blend of leather and perforated suede trim with silver stitching, with the front seat headrests embroidered with the GR logo. Red seat belt for each seat further adds a touch of sportiness, while the red centre mark at the 12 o’clock position of the GR badged steering wheel let the driver know which way the wheels are pointing when conquering the most challenging terrain. There’s the so-called ‘Technical Mesh’ trim inserts on the dashboard and lower down there’re aluminium pedals and GR floor mats.

All in all, the toughest HiLux yet to have come out of the factory looks purposeful and has enough fitted details to set it apart from the rest of the range. Those 265/65R17 Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres are also exclusive to the GR Sport and sit nicely flush with those widen fenders.

Despite the recent tech update to a whole range of Toyota passenger cars, the HiLux unfortunately is still soldering on with some older generation cabin tech and this applies also to the GR Sport model. The same 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is carried over from the regular HiLux to the GR Sport and it’s getting a bit long in the tooth compared to modern systems with larger displays in rivals. Granted, it supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired only) as well as built-in navigation and DAB+ digital radio. The 9-speaker JBL audio is pretty decent, too.

The driving instrumentation with conventional analogue gauges sandwiching a small multi-info display is also lifted straight from a HiLux SR5 unchanged except for splashes of red colour in the display. Toyota does have a fully digital instrumentation display which is already in use in the updated Corolla, Camry and RAV4, it’s a missed opportunity to not also deploy that in this $74k range-topping HiLux GR Sport.

The rest of the cabin is the standard HiLux fare that we are familiar with and have come to like. The seats are very comfortable and the space in the back is quite good, plus there’s rear air vents to keep rear passengers happy. Pop-out cupholders under the air vents are tradies’ favourite while the centre storage is deep enough for the odds and bobs.

The HiLux GR Sport is not a luxury ute like the Ranger Raptor or Amarok Aventura. That’s not the design intent and hence the interior build quality is focused on durability than anything else, with the use of hard-wearing plastics in most places and rugged switchgear throughout – like the standard HiLux.

Uprades to the exterior and interior aside, a large chunk of the development budget was instead spent on increasing performance and off-road prowess of the vehicle. And this is where most of the price premium pays for. To start off, Toyota retuned the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine to make more power. Engine tweak is not something that we see often from conservative Toyota, but here it is with the factory upgraded GR Sport engine producing 165kW and 550Nm – a hike of 15kW and 50Nm over the standard engine.

With a recalibrated and faster shifting six-speed automatic transmission hooked up to the punchier engine, the increased in performance is certainly noticeable with it feeling a little more sprightly and effortless during acceleration. It pulls stronger and revs harder as well. It all adds up to a better driving experience, be it on take off, cruising on the freeway or bush bashing off-road. It’s like a HiLux gaining a special sports tune and that’s how the HiLux GR Sport feels like to drive.

Appropriately, the other part of the performance upgrade is centred around the chassis and four-wheel drive system to rip the benefits of higher output engine. The GR Sport gains the same track width increase as the HiLux Rogue, growing by 135mm at the front and 155mm at the rear, along with a 15mm increase in ride height. Exclusive to the GR Sport however, is the fitment of specially tuned KYB suspension and the removal of the rear stabiliser bar, the latter to provide increased wheel articulation for maximum ground contact during off-road. Steel rock rails and a pair of red-painted rear recovery points provide the finishing touches.

Before we dive into the off-road performance, it’s worth noting that the HiLux GR Sport with its upgraded suspension still rides as firm as the standard HiLux which is one of the hardest riding utes around. Unladen the HiLux bounces and skips over road imperfections. It doesn’t crashes over them but the ride isn’t what you’d describe as smooth. It’s still fine to drive it daily but if you’re after a ute with a more compromising ride quality the HiLux GR Sport isn’t one. With the rear tub loaded up the ride does improve considerably though.

This GR Sport version does maintain the standard HiLux’s 3.5-tonne towing capacity which is good news for those who regularly have a trailer in the back. The increased in power will be very much welcomed as well, as hill climb with a caravan or boat on hooked is going to be a little bit easier.

Now onto to what the HiLux GR Sport is all about – off roading. With the standard HiLux already one of the most off-road capable utes out there, the GR Sport takes it up a notch with 49mm higher ground clearance compared to the HiLux SR5. The wider track provides added stability over tilted grounds and the heavy duty bash plate reduces the potential for under car damages.

The hard-riding suspension kind of comes into its own the moment you hit gravel tracks at high speeds, as it filters the cabin from much of the rough bits underneath. At the same time, you still feel the tracks through the feedback from the steering wheel and chassis. It gives you a lot of clarity of what’s going on and what’s happening under the vehicle, which is how a good off-roader should be.

The rougher stuff is tackled with ease with the available 4×4 gadgetry including low range gearing, rear diff lock and hill descent control. The suspension travel is ridiculous, keeping the wheels planted on the ground to push you along even on the most challenging terrain. The wider tyres help with traction but they could go even wider if you’re keen.

All that roughness and lack of on-road manners are for the better off-road. This is one seriously off-road capable ute straight out of the factory. And if Toyota’s solid 4×4 reliability track record is anything to go by, you can expect the HiLux GR Sport to provide many years of trouble-free ownership despite the abuse.

In terms of fuel use, the HiLux GR Sport is rated at 8.1L/100km on the combined average. We managed a pretty close 8.8L/100km after over 400km of driving including some off-road excursion.

All HiLuxes including the GR Sport is covered by a five year, unlimited km warranty that is pretty much standard fare with most manufacturers these days. However, the HiLux is lacking behind in terms of service intervals, which are set at just six months or 10,000km, when most rivals only require a visit to the dealer every 12 months.

Verdict

2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport pricing and specifications