Toyota HiLux GR Sport low-rider exposed

We’ve seen Toyota HiLux GR Sport models before… but never like this.

The HiLux GR Sport Revo low-rider is a sight to behold, fitted with tucked-in 17-inch black alloy wheels and a street-wise body kit, it hugs the road like few other 4x2 HiLux utes before it.

Revealed in Thailand and locally developed only for that market, the slammed rear-drive Toyota HiLux is available with a full range of accessories and custom body kits, but they’re about as likely to be seen Down Under as a Tassie Tiger.

With 23mm lower suspension that offers a “tight, firm, sporty style”, according to Toyota Thailand, the HiLux GR Sport Revo 4x2 is also offered as a regular high-riding 4x4 model as well.

Both come with upgraded cabins, including a GR-branded steering wheel with overt red stitching, red needles for the instrument panel gauges, alloy pedals and more safety tech including rear-cross traffic alert system and a 360-degree surround-view parking camera.

The engine is the same 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel found in Australian HiLux utes, offered with the same six-speed manual and auto transmissions.

But if you really want to stand out in downtown Bangkok, you’ll need one of the new ‘Z-edition’ HiLux models.

These include the Razer, T-Rex and Bulagoon grades, which come with eye-watering customisations like striking alloy wheels designs, different grille trimmings, bold decal sets and lairy paintjobs including bright pink.

In the case of the Toyota HiLux Revo Z Edition T-Rex, you even get bolt-on wheel-arch extensions, more negative camber for the front wheels and the mother of all rear wings.

This is a factory Toyota the likes of which you’re unlikely to ever see in Australia, where the Japanese car-maker has been the nation’s top-selling brand for 20 years.

Indeed, despite the fact the Toyota HiLux has been Australia’s favourite new vehicle for the past five years, and that almost 50,000 of them are imported from Thailand every year, none of these pimped-out low-riders are expected to be sold Down Under.

That’s partly because most Aussie ute buyers – at least since the death of homegrown Ford and Holden utes by 2017 – prefer jacked-up 4x4s, with top-spec off-road dual-cab models like the Toyota HiLux Rugged X and Ford Ranger Wildtrak continuing to account for the biggest slice of the ute pie in Australia.

To get in on the action, Nissan commissioned aftermarket engineering firm Premcar to develop its own off-road rival in the form of the Navara Pro-4X Warrior and Mazda Australia also developed its own mud-plugging BT-50 Thunder.

In Thailand, however, low-riding light commercial utes are hugely popular, as evidenced by the likes of the Ford Ranger XL Street and these latest HiLux GR Sport models.

Many Aussies love their slammed dual-cabs too though, so what do you think? Should Toyota Australia lift (or lower in this case) its game and get with the low-rider ute program? Let us and them know in the comments.