Toyota ‘looking towards’ full-fat Hilux GR performance bakkie, says exec…

While Toyota has yet to share any concrete plans around a high-performance Hilux flagship, a high-ranking executive says the firm is “looking towards these things for the future”.

Speaking to whichcar.com.au, Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia sales and marketing director, said company was watching the market “very carefully”.

“We don’t have firm plans outside of the line-up we have currently – which is doing quite well in its own right – but certainly we’re watching that market very carefully and it’s moving quickly, and it’s ultra-competitive and products are coming seemingly by the month at the moment,” Hanley told the publication.

Confirming Toyota was “acutely aware of the competition out there”, Hanley hinted a high-performance model – which might end up wearing the “Hilux GR” badge – could be on the horizon.

“Does that mean we’re looking towards these things for the future? You’d better believe we are.”

Hanley went on to say any new flagship Hilux would “have to have performance, in a dynamic sense”.

“We don’t have any plans around [Hilux GR] right now, but that’s my thinking going forward. When it comes to performance, it needs to run, stop and turn – at least one of those things has to be improved,” he said.

In South Africa, of course, Toyota offers the limited-edition Hilux GR-Sport double-cab bakkie, which features suspension upgrades and cosmetic enhancements.