The success of the Ford Ranger Raptor has prompted other automakers to launch similarly rugged variants of their pickups. Toyota didn’t go that far with the Hilux GR Sport, but its Australian division is already working on a new “Apex” variant of the popular pickup featuring plenty of off-road-focused modifications.
More specifically, Toyota Australia said: “In a further upgrade to the Hilux range, Toyota plans to launch a new Apex off-road variant, replacing the Hilux Rugged X. Details, including launch timing, will be announced in due course”. Mind you, the Hilux Rugged X is a market-specific version, with unique features applied by Toyota Australia in Melbourne.
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The outgoing Toyota Hilux Rugged X (above) was introduced in 2018 and received a facelift in 2020. On the other hand, the more extreme Toyota Hilux Tonka Concept (below) debuted in 2017.
As reported by CarExpert, sales of the Rogue and Rugged X variants of the Hilux have exceeded the 17,000 mark since their introduction in 2018. This makes a great case for the new Apex that should go even further with the off-road treatment. Most of us would love to see a production version of the 2017 Hilux Tonka Concept, although it is hard to justify such extreme modifications for a series production vehicle.
In that context, the new Hilux Apex is expected to get a steel bumper with a protective bullbar and an integrated LED light bar, a snorkel, plastic fender add-ons, rock sliders, beefier tires, and probably a heavy-duty suspension. In terms of powertrain, the pickup will likely use a tuned version of the existing 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine. In stock form, the engine that was introduced in the facelifted Hiilux is good for 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS). Even though the Hilux GR Sport models in Japan, Europe, and Thailand do not get extra power over the standard model, the one sold in South Africa makes 221 hp (165 kW / 224 PS), showing there is room for improvement when emissions are not an issue.
Australia is a friendly market for beefed-up pickup variants as proven by the Toyota Hilux Rugged X, the Nissan Navar Pro-4X Warrior (Premcar), the Mazda BT-50 Thunder, and the VW Amarok W580X (Walkinshaw). While the efforts of local teams are impressive, to say the least, none of the aforementioned pickups has the power and the heavy-duty suspension of the more expensive second-generation Ford Ranger Raptor. Let’s hope that this changes with the new Toyota, bringing some tough competition to the Raptor.
