High-performance Toyota Hilux GR bakkie ‘not on the radar right now’…

Holding out for a full-fat Toyota Hilux GR performance model? Well, a high-ranking executive in Australia says such a model is not on the radar “right now”.

Sean Hanley, the firm’s vice-president of sales and marketing Down Under, in October 2019 suggested Toyota was “looking towards” a full-fat Hilux GR model. But his latest comments suggest fans could be in for quite a wait.

“There’s definitely a market for performance cars; there’s no doubt about that,” Hanley told CarsGuide. “Whatever GR product might come available, we’ll analyse that product to assess its suitability for our market.

“I think customers would be interested in [a Hilux GR] but I don’t know whether we’re getting asked for it, to be honest. But I think it’s something that would appeal. However, right now we don’t have it on the radar,” he said.

Interestingly, late in November 2019 Toyota in South America whipped the covers off an updated version of the familiar GR Sport bakkie, ditching the four-cylinder diesel engine for a petrol-powered V6.