Toyota’s revved-up Raider 2.4 GD-6 4×4 has all the upgrades of a lifestyle bakkie without the unlimited price tag writes Braam Peens ahead of his time with the model ahead of the festive season.
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It’s about as common a fact that South Africa is a bakkie-mad nation as it is that we are unbeatable in the Rugby World Cup. Following the dovetailing of bakkies from single-cab workhorses to double-cabs and super cabs in their segment categorisation over time, thanks to their makers constantly narrowing the gap between utility vehicles and passenger cars, it wasn’t long before another sub-division was born in the last decade: the lifestyle bakkie.
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These are utility vehicles that provide all the off-roading goodness as any of their other four-wheel-driven ladder-frame chassis brethren, yet with an overriding emphasis on comfort, ease of use and fitment of appearance-enhancing accessories.
On the sales charts, the venerable Toyota Hilux – now in its eighth generation and introduced in 2015 – continues to top the figures month after month. This is despite the second-gen Ford Ranger, introduced at the end of 2022, having moved the game on as the definitive lifestyle bakkie.
As one of several responses, until the ninth-generation Hilux arrives later in 2024, Toyota has taken to sharpening the lifestyle appeal of its current Hilux offering. But it comes with a twist – and it’s a good one.
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An intriguing new package, Toyota has opted to replace the entry-level Raider GD-6 2.4 4×4 models with the Hilux Raider X Limited Edition, which retains the aforementioned model’s mechanicals, thereby keeping it within budget for many aspiring buyers.
Available in manual (R674 800) or automatic (R706 300) guise, both versions produce 110 kW and 400 N.m (from just 1 600 r/min), while delivering a claimed 7,7 L/100 km and 7,6 L/100 km, respectively, of average fuel consumption.
The Hilux Raider X features 17-inch black alloy wheels with red insert details atop its wheel arch extensions. A bespoke grille and a louvred rear styling bar complete the look. The bakkie is sold with leather tonneau cover and a rubberised load box. An easy-lift tailgate is standard.
We’ll have online “Living With It” posts, as a full road test on Toyota Hilux 2.4 GD-6 4×4 Raider X published in the March issue of CAR.
