Overview

THERE is no getting around the fact the Toyota HiLux is feeling its age when viewed against the most recent of its rivals. While still a strong-selling vehicle, it lacks the technology and outright refinement of its nearest competitor, something the GR Sport variant had hoped to address.

Of course – and as good as it is in isolation – the HiLux GR Sport is not a patch on a comparable Ranger where ride quality, value for money, equipment, and even power and torque are concerned; meaning you must want to buy a HiLux for its, shall we say, less tangible qualities if you’re shopping the market.

In terms of positioning, the HiLux GR Sport offers a little more of (almost) everything when viewed against the second-tier Rogue. Excusing the lack of any form of tonneau covering, the GR Sport is otherwise a step ahead in offering more power and torque, off-road focused suspension and underbody protection, and its own aesthetic flourishes inside and out.

Priced from $73,990 plus on-road costs, the GR Sport adds stiffer coils in the front and a set of red-finished KYB monotube shocks all-round. The rear sway bar has been deleted to improve off-road articulation, the variant further adding rock sliders, a front bash plate, TOYOTA lettering on the grille, squarer-cut wheel arch mouldings, rear recovery points, and handsome 17-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, we find suede and leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with red 12 o’clock marker, red seatbelts, and a (tacky-looking) Technical Mesh dashboard garnishing. Otherwise, the GR Sport shares its specification and equipment list with the penultimate-grade Rogue.

The cabin might feel smaller than some of the segment’s newer entrants but is nonetheless very practical. There is a decent amount of oddment storage and plentiful beverage holders, a ventilated upper glove box, 230-volt power outlet in the console bin, and, disappointingly, acres upon acres of hard, slate-coloured plastic.

Toyota continues to offer the measly 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment array found elsewhere in the range with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, in-built sat nav, and DAB+ digital radio reception. Audio is JBL-sourced and offers decent, but far-from-premium levels of sound.

A connected services app further offers owners remote access to vehicle location, fuel and odometer status, fuel discounts (via Ampol), and the ability to book the vehicle’s next service without waiting on hold for your local service department.

We also appreciated the HiLux’s hard buttons for climate control and other ancillary items, the easy-to-operate cruise control (which offers both conventional and adaptive modes), and the sensible ergonomics of the driver’s pew and steering column.

Better still, there are also grab handles in all the right places, an inclusion some four-wheel drive utilities oddly now seem to forego.

Further back, the load bed offers four tie-down points and a dampened tailgate, as well as a three-piece plastic tub liner. There is, however, no clever adjustable load restraint systems (as found in rivals of a similar price point), no side steps, no sailplane, and no roll-over hoop.

While ANCAP has not awarded a rating to the HiLux GR Sport we note a five-star score for other variants as of 2019.

The vehicle is equipped as standard with a 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, hill descent control, lane-departure alert, lane keeping (via brake), rear cross-traffic alert, seven airbags, speed sign recognition and trailer sway control.

For private owners, the Toyota HiLux is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty which reduces to five years/160,000km for commercial buyers. Roadside assistance and capped price servicing is included for the duration, with servicing costs set at $290 per visit.

Maintenance intervals are pegged at a shorter six months or 10,000km – whichever comes first.

Driving Impressions

In giving the HiLux GR Sport a little ‘extra’, Toyota turned up the wick of its ubiquitous 2.8-litre turbo-diesel to churn out 165kW (+15kW) at 3000rpm and 550Nm (+50Nm) between 1600-2800rpm.

As elsewhere in the range, power is delivered via the combination of an Aisin-sourced six-speed torque converter automatic transmission (more on that in a moment) and part-time four-wheel drive system.

Braked towing capacity remains as per other 1GD powered HiLux variants at 3500kg, while payload is listed at 780kg.

The HiLux GR Sport offers a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 8.1 litres per 100km, which is excellent considering the beefier all-terrain tyres fitted, added ride height, and un-aerodynamic open load bed. On test – and in predominantly off-road conditions – we managed 9.8L/100km.

On the go, the GR Sport does not feel a whole lot different to the wide-body Rogue on which it is based; though the added grunt does make for easier progress off-the-line and when tackling larger grades. The revisions to the six-speed automatic aid in hastening shifts, adding a small but noticeable change in the behaviour to the driveline.

The addition of steering wheel mounted shift paddles is another welcomed feature when off-roading, allowing straightforward gear selection as required.

But it’s arguably the suspension changes that deliver the largest shift in the performance for the HiLux off-road.

While we hasten to add that these changes do come at the cost of outright comfort on the sealed stuff, the new springs and shocks provide excellent stability and articulation as required off-road, working with the Bridgestone A/Ts to deliver confident progress over tougher terrain.

Toyota’s no-nonsense traction control system assists in smoothly intervening to apportion drive when encountering loose terrain but is deactivated when the rear differential lock is engaged, which some may find a nuisance.

With sufficient “airing down” of the tyres, we experienced no real traction issues on test; the HiLux GR Sport doing everything we asked off it – even embarrassing some modified and higher-priced four-wheel drives along for the trek.

That said – and were it up to us to make suggest a few changes – we would fit smaller mudflaps to the rear of the HiLux (to save them being torn off over the tough stuff), add a larger touchscreen and better resolution cameras (to make benefit of the 360-degree camera system), and omit the aluminium-faced pedals (which are slippery when wet).

It would also be nice to see Toyota include auto high beam functionality, rain-sensing wipers, the ability to switch the headlights off, a folding rear seat back (for access to storage between the seat and rear bulkhead), sliding sun visors, and perhaps an opening rear window to help keep the HiLux GR Sport (and HiLux Rogue for that matter) in step with its contemporaries.

Let’s hope these changes are found in the all-new HiLux expected sometime next year…

Away from those points, we remain a fan of the widebody Hilux’s progressive braking action and the all-disc brakes, which offer proven superior stopping power than that of the disc/drum SR5. Further, we found metering-out just the right amount of brake pressure is an absolute cinch, taking one less piece of guesswork from the equation when negotiating steep descents.

As noted previously, the four-wheel discs are also terrific when hauling a load with plenty of stopping power in reserve. Check out our tow test of the wide-body HiLux here.

We also remain fans of the hydraulically assisted steering in the HiLux. There’s an honesty in the level of feedback offered here that some electrically assisted units fail to match. We’re also fans of the slightly meatier feel the HiLux’s steering offers, even if its 12.6m turning circle could be half-a-metre better.

As we said at the outset, there’s no denying that the HiLux is getting long in the tooth. But there’s a reason it still vies with the Ranger each month as Australia’s best-selling car – and that’s because it’s a bloody good thing.

With off-road performance that embarrasses some of the more technically advanced rivals in the segment, an adequate level of equipment and safety kit for its age, and a little something extra to separate it from the rest of the HiLux range, we think the GR Sport is worth a test drive  – especially if you’re the type of buyer that wants to enjoy the great outdoors without spending a fortune on warranty-voiding modifications.