Review: Toyota Hilux GR-Sport – A Sporty Truck That’s Also A Bargain?

Is the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport a truly 'sporty' truck? We reckon so...

Is It Really ‘Sporty’?

In terms of styling? Definitely. Compared to the GR Sport-treated Corolla Cross we sampled recently, the GR Sport treatment in Toyota’s evergreen eighth-generation pick-up truck offering is arguably more visible to say the least.

Much of this is driven by this Hilux’s totally new face courtesy of a distinct new grille and bumper design. Bolstering that are gloss black-finished honeycomb grille insert and foglamp surrounds, a more prominent ‘Toyota’ script badge mounted front-and-centre, as well as the addition of a subtle GR Sport badge.

A striking difference from the regular Hilux is this GR-Sport version's prominent new front grille and bumper design complete with an equally prominent new 'Toyota' script badge.

We reckon pick-up truck fan will agree that the body-coloured wheel arches and subtle GR Sport badges are tasty additions indeed. 

Avid pick-up truck fans will certainly approve of the body-coloured flared wheel arches that also feature subtle gloss-black contrast inserts, as well as the variant-specific gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels design, subtle red-painted and GR Sport-badged brake calipers, GR Sport quarter panel badges, racing decals donned on the doors, and the blacked-out side-steps.

At the rear, the sporty redux continues through the adoption of a new blacked-out rear bumper design, along with racing decals in the tailgate that matches the set donned on the doors. Capping things off here is the blacked-out flatbed sportbar, and the presence of yet another subtle GR Sport badge in the tailgate.

Gloss black-painted 18-inch alloy wheels, as well as subtle GR Sport-branded and red-painted brake calipers are unique only to this sporty variant of the evergreen Hilux.

Other unique touches include the racing decals on both the doors and tailgate, as well as the blacked-out rear bumper and flatbed sportbar.

Overall, it’s easy to see how both these big and small sporty exterior design tweaks over the Hilux 2.8 Rogue variant that this version underpins helped grant a sportier look and stance to an otherwise utilitarian-looking truck. And the news gets better as we climbed into the cabin…

On board, the visually sporty twist to this truck's utility-driven nature is also very visible.

Go On, Tell Us More About The Cabin…

Once again, the GR Sport treatment in the cabin appears arguably as visible as the exterior’s. The choice of combination leather and suede upholstery, matched with red pipe-stitching in the sporty new seats, dash and steering wheel are prominent signs of which, as are the GR Sport badges in the head rests.

Certainly, the GR Sport-badged key fob and engine push-start button, plus the sporty aluminium pedals, further add to this. What properly sets the sporty mood here is the GR Sport-specific ‘Optitron’ meter panel, which really is a visual treat, and the presence of steering-mounted paddle-shifters.

The switch to plush combination leather and suede upholstery with red pipe-stitching plus the GR Sport headrest logos are a nice touch. Take note, the front seats are also new with a sportier frame design.

That last hardware mentioned is exclusive to this GR-Sport variant of the Hilux, perhaps aptly warranted for something that promises sporty driving dynamics, which this truck somehow manages to deliver to a certain extent – more on which in a bit.

Also, much of the Hilux 2.8 Rogue’s high-tech amenities are also carried over here. Included are the 9-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear vents, as well as the 360-degree and 3D parking camera, amongst many.

The visually sporty 'Optitron' meter panel (left) and steering-mounted paddle-shifters are exclusive hallmarks of the Hilux GR-Sport.

GR Sport-badged push-start button, key fob, and steering wheel plus sporty aluminium pedals all add further to this truck's sporty cabin ambience indeed.

Simply put, whatever that made the Hilux 2.8 Rogue great to live with on daily remains unchanged here, but the sporty GR Sport-themed twist to which definitely looks and feels equally great too. If anything, these somehow justifiably matches with the way this truck drives…

Despite its sporty looks, the Hilux GR-Sport remains true to its core of being a utilitarian pick-up truck.

Tell Us Then, How Does It Drive?

We’ll break the bad news first by noting that the GR Sport badge this Hilux proudly wears does not include any mechanical enhancements, unlike what Toyota offer its Australian customers with – that Hilux GR Sport actually gets a tuned powertrain to match its sporty aesthetics.

Instead, this Hilux continues to soldier on with the familiar and somewhat robust 2.8-litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel as found in the Rogue, delivering the same 204 PS and 500 NM outputs too. The 6-speed automatic box is also untouched, so don’t expect lighting quick up- and down-shifts despite the added presence of paddle-shifters and a ‘Sport’ drive mode.

Both the 2.8-litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel mill (left) and the 6-speed automatic plus 4x4 driveline (right) are derived from the Hilux 2.8 Rogue remains unchanged in this GR-Sport version.

Stiffer monotube shock absorbers and springs up front (pictured) plus equally stiffened rear leafpsrings are the real performance 'tuning' endowed in this sporty flavour of the Hilux.

The only upside to this untouched powertrain and 4x4 driveline, the latter complemented with an automatic limited-slip diff, rear diff-lock and Active Traction Control (A-TRC), is that these have proven to be both robust and reliable. Surely, these promise frugal, reliable daily driving ability, as well as enabling the Hilux to traverse across any terrain – provided you know how to maximise said hardware, that is.

Instead, the real performance ‘magic’ endowed by the GR Sport badges this truck dons comes from its enhanced handling and corner-carving abilities. Much of this stems from the adoption of stiffer monotube shock absorbers and springs up front, equally stiffened rear leafsprings, and a sharpened steering setup.

Though not quicker or faster off-the-line than the regular Hilux 2.8 Rogue, the GR-Sport variant does indeed handle much better, especially on the pavement through corners.

The result of said beefed up chassis hardware sees this truck deliver its drivers with a very sure-footed feel on the pavement – something most pick-up trucks struggle to emulate. In turn, this inspires a load more confidence – read: bravery – for drivers to take corners at much quicker rates too.

That’s exactly what we discovered when we took the Hilux GR Sport on a quick early morning jaunt and climb through the Karak Highway towards Genting Highlands during our test. It was during our descent from said hill-top retreat where we got to put this lightly beefed up chassis through its paces.

Simply put, keeping up with smaller, nimbler sporty hatchbacks, was a cinch with this sporty flagship truck, and that’s quite a feat indeed given its 2,120 KG kerb heft with a high-riding, long body. Perhaps the only other thing that begs to differ here is a certain Ford rival that costs way more than this Toyota.

Sporty drive dynamic delivered by the GR Sport badge does mean this Hilux has a noticeably bumpier ride.

Any Downsides To This Sporty Drive?

Unfortunately, yes, but it’s somewhat expected to say the least. The hardened suspension tuning, though aimed towards providing better damping force and optimal balance for improved stability, does mean trading off just a little on comfort levels which, amongst pick-up trucks, is a big ask.

In other words, this sharpened agility comes at the price of losing out on comforts because of the noticeably harder and bumpier ride, especially for passengers seated in the back seat. This becomes more apparent when traversing through bad roads and whilst traversing terrains.

The presence of key ADAS features such as LDA with Yaw Assist, BSM, as well as DRCC, does make this Hilux both easier and safer to drive on the daily.

Nevertheless, despite the sport-tuned suspension, it does little in hampering the Hilux’s ability to conquer terrains off the pavement. And should it matter, much of the Hilux 2.8 Rogue’s active driver assistances (ADAS) are carried over here too, which includes Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Yaw Assist, blind-spot monitor (BSM), as well as rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA).

In short, the GR Sport treatment in this Hilux lives up to its promise of a sportier drive on-road at least, and it comes without any adverse reduction of its all-terrain driving capability. One just needs to live with a bumpier ride on road, which may not sit too well for some.

As far as kit count goes, the Hilux GR Sport stands rather respectable, but we cannot disagree that it could use more features on this front given the price it commands.

At Least It’s Fully Equipped, Right?

That’s a bit of a hit and miss really, and we say this simply because at the same price tag commanded by the Hilux GR-Sport, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak is within reach – and that’s one truck that’s laden with everything you could possibly want and need, really.

Dual-zone automatic climate control plus rear vents are both basic and somewhat expected at this price.

9-inch touchscreen offers Apple CarPlay and Android auto connectivity. Also, whilst the forward-facing dashcam is standard equipment, the rear-facing unit is a cost-option instead.

Against said range-topping Ford rival that’s also similarly priced, some will perhaps cry foul over the lack of added utility and features like a built-in 12-volt or three-pin accessory socket in the flatbed, and perhaps the absence of things like a wireless smartphone charging pad in the cabin.

The good news here is that besides the ADAS features mentioned, there are some nice additions like a forward dashcam with the option for a rear-facing one too, as well as the presence of 7 airbags lining the cabin which, altogether bolsters peace of mind in terms of safety.

At RM169,080 sans insurance, is the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport the 'affordable' sporty pick-up truck you seek?

So What’s The Cost Of All This?

Sans insurance and options, the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport is tagged at a seemingly princely figure of RM169,080. For perspective, the less sporty but seemingly fully-loaded Ford Ranger Wildtrak we sampled some time back isn’t far at RM169,688.

However, one could argue that the Hilux GR Sport isn’t exactly a rival against the Widltrak guise of the Ford Ranger, but more of a bargain alternative against said Ford’s Raptor 2.0 Bi-Turbo Diesel iteration of which instead. To a certain extent, this view isn’t entirely wrong either…

Simply put, if you’re keen on a properly sporty pick-up truck that arguably isn’t overpriced, then this flavour of the Hilux might just be what you seek. Moreover, the inclusion of a 5-year or 150,000 KM warranty ought to make it worthwhile too. Wouldn’t you folks agree?

SPECIFICATIONS
TOYOTA HILUX GR-SPORT

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