Toyota Hilux GR Sport review: Glammed-up for a different driver

We took something of a perverse joy in these columns recently when we reviewed the Ford Ranger Raptor pick-up truck, revelling in the car’s completely outré character and its general outrageousness.

The beefy blue oval’s contender in that very small field of performance pick-ups is largely uncontested – or at least it was until this week’s tester arrived on the scene and, having driven the Toyota Hilux GR Sport pick-up, we would have to conclude that it still is.

The Ford, aside from its garish paint scheme, outlandish tyres and its V6 petrol powerplant, is possibly more notable for the fact it is what’s termed a ‘lifestyle’ choice for buyers, but all that really means is that it’s ideal for people who wish to be at the centre of attention – wherever they are.

Now Toyota has decided to get in on the act and offer Hilux customers the opportunity to stand out a bit from regular Hilux owners by having one which is a bit more eye-catching, muscular-looking and a bit more potent. The GR Sport version is that car.

But don’t be losing the run of yourself here because this is far from being one of those fire-breathing, hairy-chested versions of regular road-going cars that Toyota’s sporting arm, Gazoo Racing, produces every now and then.

In fairness, we have been enthralled by such as the GR Yaris and the GR Supra and the GR86 coupes, which have been built from the ground up and are meant as road companions to such as the World Rally Championship-winning Yaris and the circuit racing touring car contending Supra and GT86 models.

These are all epic cars and have already become stars in their own right, reaching legendary status among those in the know. To capitalize on the successes of these models Toyota has – rightly – decided to cash in by introducing various GR Sport models to dickey-up otherwise bland model line-ups.

That effectively means the ‘GR’ tag is not aways what it seems, or what it might be and in some cases what you get is a very watery version of what you thought might be a fire-breather. In essence it is more often than not a trim level enhancement rather than any performance booster.

The GR Sport version of the Hilux is a little different in that it gets a bigger engine than some of the entry level models, a six-speed automatic gearbox and a raft of upgrades on the existing SR5 and Invincible variants which includes 17” alloys, an exterior look with revised Toyota badging and plenty of ‘GR’ signage around the interior and the exterior.

You also get a revised suspension set-up with recalibrated dampers and stiffer springs, a new mesh grille, steering wheel paddle shifters, carbon-effect inserts and a leather and suede upholstery mix.

And, in contrast to the generally accepted workmanlike nature of the genus ‘pick-up’ there’s a whole raft of things such as ambient lighting, keyless operating, two-zone climate control, a bunch of safety stuff like adaptive cruise control, the ever-annoying lane changing warning and pedestrian and cyclist detection.

It is a pretty handsome pick-up, however, as these things go, even if we’d have liked to see bigger wheels and tyres filling out those massive wheel arches, just to give it that extra hint of muscular presence.

While the speccing is very impressive and all very nice, it’s under the skin that you where the performance differential is seen, what with the addition of the 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine which offers some 204 bhp, as well as a top speed of 175 km/h and a pretty decent 0-100 km/h time of 10.7 seconds.

You also get switchable four-wheel drive with a 4WD Auto Disconnecting Differential (ADD), a locking rear diff. and low ratio ‘4L’ setting if you’re willing to get the thing dirty and, from a towing point of view, you’ve got the capacity to cope with a 3,500 kg braked load or 750 kg unbraked.

So the GR Sport Hi-Lux has lost none of its inherent abilities and is certainly not workshy and it will still tackle small mountains, deep-ish rivers and all the mud you can throw at it.

But, if you’re expecting a performance boost, forget it - so to any improvement in ride or handling. Sure the stiffer springs and revised dampers sound good, but on anything other than a billiard table surface they make little or no difference to any other version of the car you might choose.

The ride is lumpy on normal roads and the handling is vague and while the firmer set-up helps reduce body-lean and makes the steering feel a little less dead than might otherwise be the case, it’s truthfully no real benefit to the driving characteristics.

I also felt that the six-speed auto gearbox was a little off-putting in a car of this nature, but it actually works well and does not in any way diminish the car’s off-roading ability. It is worth noting too that in 2WD mode, the massive 500 Nm of torque will induce wheelspin if you’re too hot on the throttle.

As a sporty entity, therefore, this Hilux doesn’t really cut it and it is certainly no match for its Ford rival, the Raptor, and especially so as an on-road performer. It’s no economy world beater either and you’ll be patting yourself on the back if you can average somewhere in the 9.7 l/100km ballpark, which is only just shy of 29 mpg.

But, as an option for those who have not intention of ever using it to climb a small Alp or fording the Mississippi and will be concentrating on carrying loads long distance via motorway, it does present a certain charm.

We know the Hilux to be hugely popular among the farming community and builders/tradesmen, but some how I doubt this particular version will appeal to the same people. But, as a jazzed-up version with plenty of glitzy additions, there will undoubtedly be a market for it, however marginal.

If you are a non-agriculturalist or a non-tradesman, the Hilux GR Sport will have an appeal, especially as a practical double-cab with a decent load bed. But the one thing that will sell it to people is Toyota’s reputation for making bomb-proof product with the longevity of a Seychelles Giant Tortoise.

As such – and whatever reservations we might have, it is still a very attractive package, but that’s the case whichever Hilux you might chose from the line-up there is.

It might have been something of a hoot if Toyota decided to get serious with the performance end of things; rather, it is merely something of a cosmetic exercise and, from that point of view, a little disappointing.

Although offering the peace of mind that comes with anything that has a ‘Hilux’ badge on it, there is little of the expected excitement that we have largely come to expect from something with a ‘GR’ nameplate. That’s a bit of a pity.