Toyota has unleashed a new version of the Hilux GR Sport for the European market, sporting numerous design and technical enhancements.

At this stage it’s not known whether any of these changes will be implemented on the South African Hilux GR-S, which was introduced with numerous revisions in late 2022, but it’s likely that we could see something similar to this in 2024 given that this new GR-S will only hit EU showrooms from the second half of next year.

Like the current GR-S the version “II”, as it’s called, boasts a unique monotube suspension set-up, but it also gains 20mm in ride height versus the standard Hilux, increasing the approach angle from 29 degrees to 30 degrees.

To further improve road holding, the track width has been increased by 140mm at the front and 155mm at the back, while the lighter 17-inch alloy wheels are shod with all-terrain tyres.

The braking system is beefed up too with larger 17-inch front discs, while the rear end swaps its drums for 15-inch discs, a Hilux first.

Interestingly, while the South African GR-S has a more powerful version of Toyota’s 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine, with 165kW and 550Nm, the European version retains the standard 150kW and 500Nm tuning, likely due to pollution laws.

The 2024 Toyota Hilux GR Sport II is also set apart by new exterior design elements, including a redesigned black G mesh front grille that runs into the headlights.

The front bumper has been given a complete redesign too, incorporating air curtain structures on the sides that improve aerodynamics, and there’s a new lower bash plate finished in silver.

Moving to the side and back we see larger wheel arch mouldings, with an edgier design, and a fresh rear bumper design.

Inside the revised GR-S has a black monochrome colour theme, while some elements, such as the seat belts, are in a contrasting red colour.

The black suede and leather sports seats boast perforation and silver stitching, while new hydrographic trimming on the inner doors and dashboard, as well as GR logos on the information display and instrument cluster, round off the interior enhancements.

Furthermore, the European model gains a new 8.0-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, cloud-based navigation and over-the-air software update capability.

Once again, it’s unclear whether any of these changes will be incorporated into a future GR-S model in South Africa, but it’s more likely than not.

IOL Motoring