Toyota HiLux GR Sport 2024 Tow Test

The 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport is the most expensive HiLux model on offer, priced at $73,990 plus on-road costs.

The GR Sport evolved from the previous?HiLux Rugged X, an off-road oriented model, although the GR Sport improvements run deeper. One rung down the ladder of the HiLux model walk is the HiLux Rogue,?priced from $70,760 plus on-road costs. Again, the HiLux Rogue is not as off-road focussed as the GR Sport and lacks the premium HiLux’s engine output improvements and suspension changes.

If you’re cross-shopping the HiLux GR Sport with other off-road oriented mid-size utes, the nearest off-road hero in the Ford range is the Ranger Wildtrak X (from $75,990 plus ORCs). The uncompromising Ranger Raptor is less capable, with a 2500kg towing capacity, and much more expensive ($90,440, plus ORCs). Nissan has the Navara PRO-4X Warrior (from $68,765 plus ORCs), while the only other mid-size ute pitched as an off-roader out of the box is the GWM Cannon-XSR ($52,990 including on-road costs) – although the GWM has a lower 3000kg towing maximum.

Toyota Australia was deeply involved with 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport’s development. Australian design input included the unique front bumper and grille, wheel arch flares, 17-inch gloss black alloy wheels, steel rock slider rails, front underbody protection plate and front recovery hooks.

A moulded tub liner and tow bar receiver are standard on GR Sport, as is a roller cover, which can be deleted for those who prefer the extra tray space a roller cover takes up.

The points of difference over lesser HiLuxes inside the HiLux GR Sport include red seatbelt sashes, suede/leather- front sports seats with GR logos, leather steering wheel with paddleshifters and aluminium sport pedal covers. There are also standard features seen elsewhere in the range, like keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats (with an eight-way power-adjustment for the driver only).

The HiLux GR Sport has Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and a roadside assistance plan. Service intervals are six months/10,000km and cost $290 each for the first three years or 60,000km.

As far as important safety features go, the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport has autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with day and night pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure alert with brake assist. There’s also a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, and trailer sway control. As for child seat fitment, there are two ISOFIX and two top-tether strap points.

The GR Sport also comes with seven airbags, but no ANCAP crash safety rating. While the rest of the HiLux range has a five-star ANCAP rating (and one might assume that the GR Sport would be similar), Toyota’s policy with all Gazoo Racing (GR) models is to refrain from publishing a safety rating.

There is nothing much different about the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport’s tech, sharing much of it with lesser models (except the ‘GR Sport’ graphic on the 4.2-inch dash screen on start-up). These features include the familiar 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen with embedded satellite navigation, AM/FM and digital radio, cabled Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, Bluetooth and a voice recognition system. Sound is pumped out from a nine-speaker JBL HiFi?system.

The HiLux GR Sport, as with the rest of the range, has three years’ access to Toyota Connected Services. This includes the myToyota Connect app, tracking the vehicle if stolen, automatic collision notification and SOS emergency calling.

Thanks to some software fettling by Toyota Japan, the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport’s 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine has slightly beefed-up outputs over the standard HiLux: 165kW (up from 150kW) and 550Nm (up from 500Nm).

The six-speed automatic (standard in GR Sport) has also been upgraded to provide quicker shifts and improved shift feel in Normal and Sport modes. The rest of the drivetrain is shared with other variants in the HiLux range, and comprises a part-time, dual-range 4x4 system and locking rear differential.

While the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport sips fuel at a claimed 8.1L/100km rate on the ADR combined cycle, when adding a big, bluff and heavy 3000kg caravan behind it, the HiLux averaged 16.4L/100km. This is quite a decent figure for heavy-load towing.

There has been much going on underneath the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport to give it a better driving experience over the standard set-up. As you can read elsewhere, the GR Sport shares the HiLux Rogue’s wider track, shock relocation, increased ground clearance and rear discs in place of drums. But the HiLux GR Sport gets its own KYB monotube shocks, changed front springs and makes do without the HiLux Rogue’s rear anti-roll bar for better rear axle articulation off-road.

The net result is a suspension that feels very firm over small amplitude bumps but takes the bigger hits in its stride. If you’re crawling through pot-holed city canyons more than Outback tracks, it might become tiresome.

The good news is that the rear discs have really improved brake feel and the engine’s extra go is obvious – when driving unladen, at least. Not so much when towing, as we’ll explain below.

Hitching up the 3000kg Jayco we borrowed from Jayco Sydney in North St Marys was a simple process with the rear-view camera displaying the tow pin clearly enough.

The addition of 300kg towball download to the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport saw a 38mm rear suspension droop, but importantly, the front only rose 7mm. This means you don’t always need to use a Weight Distribution Hitch to keep the front wheels on the ground – but as always, seek professional advice on this for your own set-up.

The GR Sport does feel a little more responsive when lugging a heavy trailer at highway speeds, but it isn’t in Ranger/Amarok V6 territory. Even the 140kW/450Nm Isuzu D-MAX, with 25kW/100Nm less to play with, achieves a similar result towing a similar mass. The GR Sport’s speed dropped from the posted 90km/h to 75km/h on the hillclimb, holding third gear.

Engine braking was quite good, pegging at 72km/h down the hill from a 70km/h start. The paddleshifts that are a unique GR Sport feature really help when towing, allowing you to get to the gear you need quickly – a must when you have a lot going on when towing.

Stability when towing is better than the standard HiLux, the rig being far less prone to tramlining or being pushed around by trucks’ wash or crosswinds. It still doesn’t feel quite as planted as the Ranger does though, but ride quality was quite good, and body control was certainly very good on the roads we used.

No medium size dual cab ute can comfortably tow 3500kg in reality, and most won’t tow this and also leave enough payload in the vehicle to carry loads of stuff in the bed. And even by conservative measures, the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport is not that well endowed for maximum weight capacities.

When you add the HiLux GR Sport’s 2270kg kerb weight and the claimed 3500kg towing capacity there remains 80kg for payload. More than that will exceed the vehicle’s 5850kg gross combined mass (GCM). The GR Sport has just 780kg payload, against the 940kg the HiLux SR5 auto can carry.

The HiLux’s tray area is 1570mm long x 1645mm wide and 1105mm wide between the wheel-arches. That means it won’t fit an Aussie pallet. But plenty of firewood for the campsite? No problem.

It is a very familiar environment inside the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport, most of its ambience common to other variants in the HiLux range. Yet the subtle changes, such as more bolstered front seats, clearly offer more in comfort and support, while the red seatbelts and GR badges dotted around the cabin are a nice point of difference.

There is no hiding the dated nature of the HiLux inside, with much of this hardware around since 2015. Yet is that such a bad thing? The HiLux’s physical buttons for audio controls and climate controls are a positive when the touch-screen revolution has contributed to increased driver distraction.

There is enough storage to keep most occupants happy, with two glove boxes, door pockets and a centre console replete with a pair of cup holders, lidded bin and an open recessed tray.

The rear occupants are treated to air vents, seat-back storage pockets, a fold-down arm rest and door bins – while the seat base can be lifted up and secured in a 60:40 split-fold arrangement for additional storage.

There is a lot of appealing points to this top-shelf HiLux, from assertive engine response when unladen and good towing fuel economy to better suspension control under all conditions. However, if the 2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport is on your tow-vehicle shortlist, you may also want to consider its limited towing/payload weight capacities and the fact that its improved outputs over the standard HiLux 2.8-litre don’t make it a class-leader for towing performance.

2024 Toyota HiLux GR Sport at a glance:
Price:?$73,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available:?Now
Engine:?2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output:?165kW/550Nm
Transmission:?Six-speed automatic
Fuel:?8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2:?217g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating:?Not tested

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au