THE MUCH-LOVED TOYOTA HILUX IS NOW AVAILABLE IN AN AWESOME GR-S III-SPEC.
Here in South Africa, bakkies are as much of a way of life as braaivleis and rugby. I’ve always liked how these fast lane behemoths look but I’ve never wanted one in my own driveway. I absolutely despise them on the roads because bakkie drivers seem to like hoofing it down the highway in the fast lane pushing everyone driving slower out of the way. That’s how I feel about them when I’m cruising in my car, but put me in the driver’s seat of a bakkie and the Kempton Park DNA in me kicks in and I drive exactly the same. There’s just something about sitting so high up in a fully-specced bakkie that has hundreds of Newton meters of torque to play with that brings this out in people - it’s a scientific fact I’m sure. We have so many bakkies available from a host of manufacturers and the offerings range from simple entry-level single cab setups to fully optioned double cabs that have all the same tech and features as modern luxury sports cars. Some manufacturers have even trimmed their product inventory so much that they no longer sell regular cars, if you want a new Nissan it has to be a bakkie or an SUV. The two major players in the game are undoubtedly Ford and Toyota, and the latter has just released one of the coolest bakkies to roll its tread on local soil - the all-new Toyota Hilux GR-S III. You literally can’t throw a stone in Jo’burg without hitting a Hilux, they’re everywhere in all states of tune. This means they’re always in demand, and when a new one hits the market that has all the bells & whistles plus a heck of a lot more, you’re guaranteed to start seeing them around quite quickly. The pricing doesn’t even seem to matter, those who know and like Toyota and the Hilux will see the bakkie in person and sign on the dotted line. The Hilux GR-S III has a double cab as its base, but it’s dressed up with a host of visual upgrades that bear the now iconic GR logo. The whole world loves GR cars, and so it makes sense to add some tasty GR flavour to the already popular Hilux to create one of the most desirable bakkies on the market to keep the Hilux wanted by the masses.
This new Hilux in GR-S III guise features a host of changes to make it unique. The GR-S III now wears new black 17-inch wheels with a large rim area that reduces aerodynamic drag while the ultra-efficient central spoke trims wheel weight down, they look better than most we’ve seen on a new bakkie, and through the interesting spoke design, you can see that the brake calipers have been given a red coat of heat-resistant paint to make them seem more sporty, and they clamp down on new, larger 17-inch discs (the rear gets 15-inches). The bodywork now has bold black over-fenders that accentuate the GR-S III’s imposing stance, and depending on the body colour also makes for an awesome contrast. It’s especially cool on the red paint seen in the press images. The exterior also features a black G mesh front grille featuring the classic Toyota name logo, black sidesteps, black wing mirrors and black door handles, a contrasting silver protective front underguard, a black rear bumper and the obligatory new GR logos. The front bumper has a functional fog lamp bezel that optimises drag efficiency and reduces turbulence in the wheel arches. The approach angle increases from 29 degrees to 30 degrees from a 20 mm increase in ride height combined with a tread increase of 140mm at the front and 155 mm at the rear. The cabin also received some treatment, the black monochrome theme makes the red accents and red seat belt stand out. There are paddle controls for shifting gears with your fingertips while holding the leather-clad multifunction steering wheel. Black suede and leather sports seats with silver stitching are in play and there is also a new hydrographic ornament on the door trim and dashboard that features GR details on the information display and instrumentation. The multimedia system is headed up with an 8-inch touchscreen display, and when you want tunes, they bang through a 9-speaker JBL audio system. While it’s a pretty thing, it can still haul a ton on the load bed and can tow 3,500 kg - all thanks to the trusted 2.8-litre turbo-diesel powerplant rated at 165kW with 550Nm of torque and it is mated to a 6-speed auto transmission. The Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 DC 4×4 GR Sport III is competitively priced at R999 000 and it comes standard with a 9-Service / 90 000 km service plan and a 3-year / 100 000 km warranty.
Take a look at the YouTube video from local motoring TV channel Ignition as they shine a long spotlight on this latest offering from Toyota SA in the form of the special edition GR-S III Hilux: Toyota Hilux GR Special | IGNITION
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