Toyota Hilux 2023: Australian pricing and release date confirmed for flagship GR Sport grade

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Toyota Australia has revealed it will launch its new flagship Hilux ute, the GR Sport, in Australia in September this year. 

The enhanced dual-cab ute from Toyota will be priced from $73,990 before on-road costs, making it $3230 more expensive than the $70,760 Hilux Rogue, but exactly $14,000 less than the Ford Ranger Raptor. 

Sitting on the same wider track as the recently-updated Hilux Rogue, the GR Sport sits 15mm higher than the rest of the Hilux range and has a 135mm wider front track and a 155mm rear track. 

The GR Sport will be the most off-road enhanced production Hilux yet, using uprated KYB monotube shock absorbers front and rear, along with the removal of the rear sway bar to aid articulation. 

New Dakar-style alloy wheels will feature, wrapped in 265/65R17 Bridgestone Dueler AT tyres. Disc brakes measuring 338mm at the front and 312mm at the rear will ensure the Hilux will pull up stops when needed. 

The new GR Sport flagship will join the rest of the current Hilux range in Australia in September 2023. 

The GR Sport will obviously target the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor, along with high-spec ute variants such as the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain and the recently-launched Volkswagen Amarok Aventura. 

Hilux GR Sport for 2023 to bring more grunt, tougher looks

Toyota Australia says that the GR Sport will also feature thick rock rails to protect door sills and the vehicle’s underbody, along with red tow recovery points and plenty of GR badging. 

The GR Sport also features bold TOYOTA lettering on the grille, something we have already seen installed on the current Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series GR Sport. 

To help the new Hilux GR Sport perform better, power and torque outputs have been lifted for the existing 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine. Outputs are now 165kW/550Nm, rather than the current 150KW/500Nm tune found in the broader Hilux range. 

That’s still some way off the more potent Ford Ranger Raptor’s 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engine that produces a considerable 292kW/583Nm.