2023 Toyota HiLux GR Sport review: Towing, on-road & off-road

Australia’s most popular car for seven years running is feeling the pinch. With this generation now eight years old and surrounded by a bevy of fresh-faced competitors, the ubiquitous Toyota HiLux is finally starting to fade.

In order to keep things feeling unwilted, Toyota has rolled out the most expensive variant of the HiLux yet. It’s the 2023 Toyota HiLux GR Sport, and it gets more power, more torque, upgraded suspension, extra protection, and a handful of aesthetic touches.

It’s not the most powerful Hilux ever – that mantle still belongs to the TRD HiLux of the late 2000s, which used a supercharged 4.0-litre V6 for 225kW/453Nm.

Still, 165kW is a stout figure for this 2.8-litre diesel four-cylinder engine. Its 550Nm is good as well. It wears the title of most powerful diesel HiLux so far – though it is bested by the diesel V6 that is shared between the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok.

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: this GR Sport HiLux is not a competitor to the highly regarded Ford Ranger Raptor, despite getting a shot in the arm for power and torque. Extra poke is well received, but the HiLux is more of a competitor for the likes of the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior or Mitsubishi Triton Xtreme perhaps.

The Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana is worth consideration, as is the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X. Another example I keep thinking of is the previous-generation Ford Ranger FX4 Max which had upgraded tyres, suspension, and protection.

Sitting just shy of 74 gorillas before you include on-road costs, the GR Sport HiLux does pack some significant changes beyond the extra power and torque. Firstly, the suspension gets updated with new (stiffer) front coil springs and carryover rear springs that are matched to bigger red shock absorbers. These are made by Japanese company KYB, and are monotube in their design to allow for a larger piston inside.

There are some sturdy rock sliders on each side – mounted beefily onto the chassis rails – a front bash plate, twin rear recovery points, and a heritage-style grille. Bridgestone all-terrain tyres are wrapped around black 17-inch alloy wheels, and the rear swaybar of the HiLux Rogue has been removed.

There’s GR Sport branding on the leather and suede front seats, as well as the leather steering wheel, along with the seemingly requisite red 12 o’clock marker. Seatbelts turn red, and there is a fairly underwhelming ‘Technical Mesh’ finish on the dashboard. Otherwise, the interior of the HiLux GR Sport is the regular high-spec fare with a JBL sound system, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, push-button start and automatic LED headlights.

It’s worth pondering what this kind of money gets you elsewhere in the ute segment. The Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana is $75,990 plus on-road costs, a price shared with the closely related Ford Ranger Wildtrak X. The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is a little cheaper at $70,765, and the entry-level Jeep Gladiator goes for more at $78,250 plus on-road costs.

Regular-sized four-wheel-drive utes are getting bigger as each generation rolls around. And if the rumours are true, Toyota’s forthcoming next-generation HiLux will follow this trend.

Focussing on what we have here, though, is something that feels slightly smaller than others in the segment. It’s not so much about the length, as the width and height are affected by the GR Sport treatment of this HiLux.

However, that’s mostly from the extended flares, wider wheel track and raised suspension. The cabin itself is the same as what debuted some time ago in terms of dimensions, and it feels a little smaller than what is found elsewhere in the segment.

Ergonomically, it’s a solid offering with good levels of adjustment available through the steering wheel and driver’s seat.

There are some nice practical touches inside. Pop-out cupholders under the air vents can work for take-away coffee and cartons of flavoured milk, and the second glovebox can fit some of your everyday stuff. There’s a 230-volt power outlet hiding in the centre console bin, and you’ll find yourself tossing things like phones and wallets into the space underneath the climate controls.

It’s worth calling out though, some other markets around the world get a wireless charging pad in this space. We do not.

If you like your utes to be durable inside, the HiLux will please with its no-nonsense hard plastics and tough build quality. But on the other hand, the ute segment has gentrified dramatically in the last eight years, and nicer interior experiences can be found – especially at this kind of price point.

The so-called ‘Technical Mesh’ finish on the dashboard, which is unique to the HiLux GR Sport, feels a bit cheap for me. Replacing satin plastic, this just looks like a bit of vinyl wrap purchased off the interwebs and neatly installed.

The second row is big enough, but certainly isn’t as spacious as the likes of a Ranger or Amarok. Once again, I’ll put this down to the age of the platform. Child seats and adults will fit, but there’s not a load of space left over.

At the back, the HiLux GR Sport does get a three-piece drop-in tub liner – GR Sport-branded nonetheless. Load carrying is performance-based, I guess, and it’s good that this top-spec model at least gets that fitted. The SR5 gets a bare tub, which puts it at odds with others in the segment.

It’s worth noting that the less expensive Rogue model gets a more sophisticated tub setup with an electric roller cover, a dust-sealed tailgate, lighting and carpeting. This doesn’t exactly suit a load of firewood, but does impact the value-for-money equation for this GR Sport model.

The same 8.0-inch infotainment display from the rest of the HiLux carries on here, which hasn’t been updated in recent years (despite other models like the Corolla and RAV4 getting upgrades). It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with native navigation and digital radio.

Despite feeling a bit old – and clearly being outgunned by almost every other ute out there for size and slickness – this isn’t a bad set-up that works well enough, and is helped by the addition of a volume dial and physical buttons.

This setup has been improved with Toyota’s own connected services, which cover the basics of vehicle tracking, fuel level, vehicle status and automatic collision notification.

While the rest of the HiLux range has a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2019, such graces have not been extended to the GR Sport variant. This is similar to the GR Sport LandCruiser, which goes without a rating that is found elsewhere.

For reference’s sake, the regular HiLux range gets a 96 per cent score for adult occupant protection, while child occupant protection is 87 per cent. Vulnerable road user (pedestrian) protection scored 88 per cent, and 78 per cent for safety assist systems.

The GR Sport features the Toyota Safety Sense package including forward autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, high-speed active cruise control, lane-departure alert, lane keeping via braking intervention (instead of the more modern steering assist found in some rivals), speed sign recognition, 360 degree-view cameras, seven airbags, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitor.

There is no rear AEB, but there is trailer sway control and downhill assist control.

The Toyota HiLux GR Sport comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. If you keep your HiLux services on-time and to the conditions of Toyota’s logbook warranty extends by up to two years on the engine and driveline.

Toyota’s capped-price servicing costs are $290 per visit for the five years, with services required every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. Beyond the fifth year, Toyota still provides capped pricing, but individual services vary (and step up significantly) but can be viewed ahead of time via the Toyota website.

Comprehensive insurance for the Toyota HiLux GR Sport is $1843.26 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Here’s an interesting point. Despite weighing more and having more power, the HiLux GR Sport has a slightly better claimed fuel consumption figure than the HiLux Rogue. Perhaps that’s something to do with the combination of a sports bar and electric roller cover at the rear spoiling whatever aerodynamics there are on offer, but the claim is 8.1 litres per hundred kilometres.

Within the Toyota range, the HiLux Rogue claims 8.4L/100km, but an unoptioned SR5 auto wears a 7.9L/100km consumption claim.

After doing a big chunk of highway driving, a lot of off-roading, and our fair share of suburban tootling, we saw an average of 9.4L/100km of diesel.

The first thing people probably want to know about this HiLux is whether the engine upgrades are noticeable. Importantly, yes they are.

It’s not a rude shock of heroic proportions, but the incremental improvements of this over the usual 150kW/500Nm make for a better overall driving experience. It’s more relaxed and easy driving off the mark, but also offers noticeably more zing and eagerness at the top of the rev range.

The gearbox gets revised as well, with increased oil pressure making gear changes faster and more dramatic, and shift mapping being equally tweaked.

I’m not going to say it’s a sporty driving experience, because this is still a diesel-powered four-wheel-drive ute at the end of the day. But the extra grunt is welcome, and the gearbox livens things up a little as well.

Whereas some suspension updates can go a long way to improve the usual jiggling ride quality of a four-wheel-drive ute, the new springs and dampers underneath the GR Sport don’t really transform the ute’s on-road demeanour. It still feels stiff when unladen – especially at the rear – as it skips and bounces over rough surfaces.

Those who buy a ute for its load-carrying ability won’t be so bothered by this, because the ride quality does improve when laden. And from our testing with a load of firewood in the back, the HiLux is well versed as a beast of burden.

When you get off-road, it’s something of a mixed bag for this top-spec HiLux. And it’s something of a surprise, as the HiLux is one of the most potent four-wheel-drive utes in standard form.

The regular strengths of a HiLux are apparent here: good stability and articulation through the suspension, a locking rear differential, and a sharp off-road traction-control system. A wider wheel track is good for the centre of gravity and counteracts the higher ride height of this GR Sport.

However, it’s not a knockout blow. The 265/65 R17 tyre diameter provides no meaningful improvement over a regular HiLux, although going down from 18-inch rims is better for off-road driving. However, when you consider the more aggressive 32-inch and 33-inch tyres available elsewhere, these tyres (at under 31 inches) feel underdone.

And in our testing, we noticed that taller tyres and an improved approach angle from the steel bumper allow a Navara SL Warrior to approach some rock steps that this HiLux couldn’t.

Another thing to note is that while the locking rear differential and off-road traction control are both very good to have off-road, they are mutually exclusive in their use. Turning on the rear locker turns off the traction-control system, which feels like one step forward and one step back.

Extra power and torque are always good things when it comes to towing, and the 10 per cent bump for this GR Sport (along with transmission tweaks) puts this HiLux in good stead. The same tyre diameter doesn’t blunt on-road performance, and some additional width is beneficial.

And while the HiLux GR Sport retains the same 3.5-tonne braking towing capacity, the same Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), Gross Combination Mass (GCM) and higher kerb mass mean it is compromised when towing at or near the maximum capacity. In fact, only 80kg of capacity is left over when towing 3.5 tonnes – potentially meaning the weight of even just the driver could tip the GR Sport over its stated GCM.

When towing less – like the 2.5 tonnes’ worth of Jayco caravan we had in this tow test – the available capacity shoots up to 1080kg, which means you’ll need to watch your available payload for the HiLux (including ball weight).

This kind of weight is easily handled by the vehicle, with plenty of grunt available even for tackling longer hills. Extra torque helps get things rolling at the lower end of the rev range, while more power at the top end is also appreciated.

The suspension of the HiLux GR Sport – which can feel stiff when unladen – and relatively heavy hydraulic steering system seem well suited to towing, and did not feel fazed in the slightest during our tow test.

More grunt, more clearance, more kit. It’s a loaded HiLux experience that is demonstrably better than a ‘regular’ HiLux in just about every other regard. However, it comes at a price that needs to be considered. Not so much being overly expensive in the scope of the HiLux range, but rather what kind of competition becomes available when you’re three-quarters of the way to six figures.

For that kind of money, you can get something that misses out on some of the tough-guy looks we have here, but you’ll gain a better cabin, better technology, a nicer driving experience and similar off-road ability.

HiLux lovers will no doubt lap up this GR Sport variant, especially considering the bump in power and torque. But at the same time, there are 600Nm V6 engines available at similar price points.

GR Sport is only a few thousand dollars more expensive than the Rogue, which doesn’t get the driveline and suspension upgrades. That seems like good value, but don’t forget the Rogue does get a sealed tub with an electric roller cover. This GR Sport only gets a tub liner.

We think Toyota might have missed a trick by not increasing the tyre diameter on this model, which would have helped the off-road focus that comes with the GR Sport badge.

The price of the HiLux GR Sport might put it off the consideration set for some, but the unsurprising fact is many Australian buyers are already lining up and patiently waiting for their example to arrive.

Against an annual forecast of around 3500 examples of the most expensive HiLux each year, Toyota Australia has already had 1600 deposits lodged by keen buyers. This means wait times for those wanting one will be sitting at around six months, according to current supply rates.

The next steps on the purchase journey would be to contact a handful of your nearby Toyota dealerships, and discuss what kind of wait times will be in play if you were to make an order, and if it has an example for a test drive. You can also find other Toyotas for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.

As always, test-drive the GR Sport against some similarly priced and positioned competitors, like the Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana, Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior and Ford Ranger Wildtrak X. Also consider a HiLux SR5 with the Premium Pack and spending a portion of your savings on aftermarket modifications.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.