When the vehicle in question is Toyota’s Hilux, even the most innocuous of product updates are significant news.
For decades Toyota’s 1-tonne bakkie has been the crucial logistics gearing of South Africa’s economy, transporting goods and enabling services in the agricultural, mining, construction and small business spheres.
The eight-generation Hilux has continued the legacy of its forebears by remining at the very top of Mzansi vehicle sales charts.
It’s locally built, in Durban, and with decades of unwavering demand, Hilux is an inarguable South African automotive success story.
Hilux has also enabled South Africa’s motorsport industry to reach global recognition, the support of Toyota South Africa assisting Kyalami based Hallspeed engineering to design and build Hilux V8 racing bakkies for the arduous Dakar rally raid.
These locally engineered Hilux V8s have scored numerous Dakar podiums, validating the quality of South African high-performance automotive engineering.
Leveraging off this motorsport success, Toyota’s introduced a limited-edition version of the current Hilux, celebrating its Dakar achievements.
Brand loyalists will be familiar with the previous Dakar edition Hilux and although the updates are merely cosmetic, they do gift the Hilux an improved appearance.
The eight-generation Hilux has been criticised for its overly shiny imitation chrome nose and a new hexagonal grille, underscored by a reshaped bumper and revised foglamps, does the appearance of South Africa’s most popular a world of good.
Inspiration for the redesign is drawn primarily from Toyota’s larger bakkie range, the Tacoma, which only retails in left-hand drive markets.
Toyota’s proven engines and gearboxes remain unaltered and initially the Dakar edition updated applies to a spread of nine derivatives, although the entire Hilux range should eventually feature the new hexagonal grille.
Of practical interest is a new colour option, which debuts with the Dakar edition: a rather lurid shade of burnt orange, which is sure to appeal to those Hilux customers who like their double-cabs a touch more daring than plain white.
No coincidence either, that Ford’s special edition Ranger, the Wildtrak, has been available in a bright orange finish for a few years now.
Dakar Double Cab
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 RB Dakar Double Cab: R535 000
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 RB Dakar Double Cab AT: R553 400
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 4×4 Dakar Double Cab: R601 100
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 4×4 Dakar Double Cab AT: R621 000
Toyota Hilux 4,0 V6 4×4 Dakar Double Cab AT: R662 700
Dakar Xtra Cab
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 RB Dakar Xtra Cab: R470 300
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 RB Dakar Xtra Cab AT: R488 300
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 4X4 Dakar Xtra Cab: R535 600
Toyota Hilux 2,8 GD-6 4X4 Dakar Xtra Cab AT: R553 800
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