Hilux GR-Sport MK3 Arrives

Wars. They're fascinating in the consumer variant and as opposed to the real thing they're generally good for the consumer.

Locally we have Ford vs Toyota - eternal mortal enemies pitching Ranger against Hilux and going head to head for years on end. The sales ebb and flow from one to the other and in recent times the all new Ranger has been doing damage.

In the double cab sector it's becoming more and more interesting. Whilst I concur with my colleague Miles that the Raptor is playing in its own space it is with the Wildtrak X that this GR-Sport Hilux locks horns directly.

Both are aimed at the offroad enthusiast which means that in ordinary person terms they come with knobbly off road tyres which gives them superior off road go anywhere type performance but which comes with the price of added road noise.

Toyota have been busy with this model and now the vehicle's increased tread, the lateral distance between the wheels, has expanded by 140mm at the front and 155mm at the rear compared to the standard Toyota Hilux. This means proper engineering has had to take place in Prospecton where the cars are locally built and, this being Toyota, you can rest assured that the work behind the scenes to make this all happen and maintain the breed in the process is not inconsequential.

And I quote "The GR-S 3 comes with a purpose-built off-road suspension, resulting in improved damping performance and faster response in tough conditions - this is courtesy of the monotube shock absorber that results in a larger piston diameter".

What this means in practical terms is simply this. The ride is vastly, and I do mean vastly improved. Toyota have seen the SUV like ride that the bigger Rangers can offer and have adopted this for their own - watch to see this coming in the Fortuner soon is my bet - and it works.

On launch it's disdain for terrible dirt roads, sand dunes and rocky tracks was palpable with the GRS dispatching them haughtily as minor inconveniences. The ride is that good that making this your daily is a no brainer and you'll do half a million kms in it before it can be considered as 'run in'. And you'll have the knowledge that should you want to, taking it offroad, there is nowhere that this will not go.

So don't be fooled into thinking that this is just a facelift.

Whilst we are on the topic yes, the 2.8 GD6 diesel is in duty (Toyota are betting heavily on this motor and with good reason) with the uprated 'S' spec delivering 165kW and 550Nm via a 6 speed auto box.

On the fly 2H to 4H shifting and diff lock is of course available although you need to be in neutral to get to 4L and to click the diff lock button. There are no off road programs however with Toyota sensibly deferring to the skills of the driver in such situation. You can select Sport or Eco mode if you so desire which, as is standard with these things, shifts the throttle response around a bit and holds the gears a bit further up the rev range.

Sport also seems to turn on the otherwise superfluous flappy paddles - which obstinately ignore any inputs from the driver in anything measured using more accuracy than a sun dial. Meh. Ditch those, give me an HUD rather would be my advice.

It's really my only gripe other than the 6 speed box is indicative of the age. Whilst it's sufficient the Ranger has 10 and where that makes a difference is just in being able to keep more of the engine more on the boil more often, disguising that additional 250kg that the Wildtrak is lugging around.

Offroad the Toyota is of course competent. Head to head with the competition I think is probably a pointless comparison because its going to come down to the driver and not the vehicle at the end of the day. All the stuff that you could need is equipped on the Toyota and the rest is up to you.

Of course Toyota have loaded this vehicle with all the toys - from a pretty decent upgraded JBL sound system to radar cruise control and an upgraded infotainment module. You cannot moan for a lack of creature comforts.

The downside is that it's not all new and shiny and has more of the traditional analogue feel to it when compared to say, the Ranger. Being Toyota though you know it will all still be working in 2050.

Maybe the Hilux is showing it's age a little but that doesn't mean it's out for the count. Far from it. The reputation that Hilux has for reliability and dependability and in turn resale value (!) counts in large amounts (with apologies to Depeche Mode which will hopefully be listened to on the uprated JBL sound system fitted to the GRS) and it is here where the Hilux GR-S packs a proper punch.

As I have said the new suspension fitted and the carefully chosen BF Goodrich tyres give the Hilux as close to an SUV ride as you'll find outside of a Ranger.

It comes down to what it is that you want from your daily ride. High tech and latest digital is not what you will find in the Hilux but solid dependability, Toyota built to last twenty years build quality and reliability is exactly the DNA that's in the GRS-III. Based on first impressions it is going to be hard to fault and it's hard to see how you can really go wrong.

I made a short video of it on launch which you can find here.

https://youtu.be/puL8UQX8gTo

Almost forgot the price. R999,000.