Toyota has at long last announced it will be bringing a new flagship off-road ute to market – the Hilux GR Sport.
The new Hilux GR Sport, a variant due to launch in Australia during the second half of 2023, is the most powerful diesel Hilux ever built, but how will it stack up against its biggest competitor, the Ford Ranger Raptor?
Chasing Cars sat down to work out all the similarities and differences between the two competitors to see how they compare on the spec sheet.
The Toyota Hilux GR Sport that was announced for Australia today
Drivetrains compared
Toyota has announced that its flagship Hilux GR Sport will be fitted with the most powerful diesel engine ever used in a Hilux. Outputs for the 2.8-litre four-cylinder engine have lifted from 150kW/500Nm to 165kW/550Nm thanks to revised turbocharging and fuel injection.
It’s certainly not the turbo-diesel V6 engine we were hoping for, however Toyota has said it has re-tuned the transmission to be “sportier” and now features paddle shifters.
The Hilux can’t match the Raptor in terms of grunt
The Ford Ranger Raptor, on the other hand, features a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engine that produces far higher outputs – 292kW/583Nm – and is paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Ranger Raptor comes standard with multiple drive modes, along with four selectable exhaust modes, ranging from neighbour-friendly right up to raucous Baja mode.
Standard off-road equipment
The freshly-announced Toyota Hilux GR Sport has been inspired by the off-road Dakar race and adopts wider tracks than before, now 140mm wider at the front and 155mm at the rear.
The Toyota Hilux GR Sport gains beefy off-road suspension
Dedicated monotube shock absorbers, stiffer coil springs and both increased approach angle and higher ground clearance feature, along with redesigned wishbones and a reinforced rear axle.
Also included on the new GR Sport are 17-inch alloy wheels, all-terrain tyres, a skid plate, rock sliders and rear recovery points.
The Ford Ranger Raptor has electronically controlled front and rear differentials, 2.5-inch Ford Performance fox shocks, adjustable dampers and standard 17-inch alloy wheels (beadlock capable wheels are optional). The Raptor is able to wade in water up to 850mm without a snorkel.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is also built for fast or slow off-roading
Much like the Toyota GR Sport, the Ranger Raptor features unique reinforced suspension mounts, as well as unique frames for the jounce bumper, shock tower and rear shock brackets.
What about the interior of both cars?
The inside of the Hilux GR Sport has been pretty much blacked out, however this is contrasted by bright red seatbelts and alloy sports pedals. There is plenty of GR branding, too, including on the steering wheel and headrests.
Inside the new 2023 Toyota Hilux GR Sport
Toyota hasn’t gone into extensive detail about the rest of the interior just yet, however it looks like the central touchscreen and instrument cluster are much the same as a Hilux Rogue.
We know much more about what is inside the Ford Ranger Raptor, a space that has features including a 12-inch portrait touchscreen, a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and Ford Performance seats front and rear. Other niceties include a 360-degree camera, wireless charging pad and wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.
On the exterior, both the Toyota Hilux GR Sport and Ford Ranger Raptor have unique brand lettering in their grilles to help differentiate the variants from the rest of the range.
Ranger Raptor gains Ford Performance seats and large 12-inch portrait screen
Vehicle dimensions
The Toyota Hilux GR Sport measures in at 5320mm long, 2020mm wide and 1880mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3085mm.
This means that the new flagship Hilux is only 10mm taller than a Hilux Rogue and is identical in length and width. Both the GR Sport and Rogue share identical wheelbase lengths, too.
The Toyota Hilux GR Sport flexing away
The Ford Ranger Raptor, to compare, measures in at 5381mm long, 1922mm wide and 1955mm tall, with a wheelbase measuring 3270mm.
The Raptor is therefore taller and longer than the Hilux GR Sport, but not wider.
While the weight of the Toyota Hilux GR Sport has not yet been released, the big Ford Ranger Raptor weighs in at 2475kg.
Ford’s Ranger Raptor is not cheap, starting from $85,490 before on-road costs
Price
Toyota hasn’t told Australian media what sort of price the new Hilux GR Sport will sit at, however if the $70,200 Rogue is anything to go by, this new GR Sport could run into the $80k price bracket.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is currently priced from $85,490 before on-road costs, making it one of the most expensive dual-cab utes on the Australian new car market.