The Toyota HiLux GR Sport 2027 is on the way in South Africa, but it is not confirmed for Australia yet. Toyota South Africa Motors President and CEO Andrew Kirby said in October 2026 that a GR-Sport version of the new ninth-generation HiLux will arrive there "next year sometime", calling it "an exciting product" before adding "that's about all I can say". Toyota Australia has not committed to it. Its position is that the previous GR Sport "was very popular with customers" and that, should a new one become available, "we will certainly look at it, but we don't have anything to announce today."
That leaves Australian buyers with no confirmed price, specs or launch date. Below we set out what Toyota has said, the last local GR Sport price as a baseline, the specs being reported for the new model, and how a new GR Sport would line up against Ford's Ranger Wildtrak and Raptor. Anything Toyota has not confirmed is labelled as expected or reported.
Australian release timing is not confirmed, and 2027 is the earliest realistic window
Mr Kirby made his comments at Naamsa SA Auto Week 2026 in Durban, in an interview with South African media, and they spread to Australia in early November. He did not give a month, a body style or any specs. In South Africa the badge is written GR-Sport, often shortened to GR-S.
Australia's new-generation Toyota HiLux went on sale from December 2025 in WorkMate, SR, SR5, Rogue and Rugged X grades. There is no GR Sport in that line-up. Toyota Australia's own GR Sport page now says the August 2024 variant shown "is currently unavailable for order" and points buyers to the Rogue instead.
Our expectation is that any Australian GR Sport would follow South Africa by months rather than weeks, so late 2027 is the earliest realistic arrival if Toyota Australia signs off. That is an estimate, not a Toyota date. One point in Australia's favour is history. The previous wide-track GR Sport was styled by Toyota Australia's design team at Altona and went on sale here in September 2023, months before South Africa got its own wide-body GR-Sport in March 2024. Supply is another factor. Toyota buyers are already facing wait times of around three months on popular models including the HiLux.
Official images show the international new-generation HiLux, not the GR Sport
Toyota has not released any images of a new-generation HiLux GR Sport. The gallery below uses official Toyota press images of international models from Toyota Europe and Toyota Motor Asia, so you can see the body and cabin a GR Sport would be based on. These are international-market vehicles, some in left-hand drive, and they are not Australian specification.
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International-market new-generation Toyota HiLux Hybrid 48V shown. Australian GR Sport not yet revealed. Image courtesy of Toyota Europe.
Expected price is likely to sit above $74,310, the last GR Sport list price
Toyota Australia launched the first HiLux GR Sport in September 2023 at $73,990 plus on-road costs. Its price rose to $74,310 plus on-road costs in March 2024, with two-tone paint a $1,000 option. That $74,310 figure is the last GR Sport list price in Toyota Australia's press material, so it is the fairest baseline.
The new range has moved the goalposts. The ninth-generation HiLux starts at $33,990 plus on-road costs, the SR5 double-cab pick-up 48V automatic is $65,990, and the Rogue and Rugged X 48V automatics are both $71,990. At launch in 2023 the GR Sport cost $3,230 more than the Rogue. Applying a similar gap to today's $71,990 Rogue points to roughly $75,000, and extra hardware such as a wider track could push it higher.
Model | Price before on-road costs | Status |
|---|---|---|
HiLux GR Sport, launch price (2023) | $73,990 | Confirmed, Toyota Australia |
HiLux GR Sport, last list price (from March 2024) | $74,310 | Confirmed, Toyota Australia |
New-generation HiLux Rogue 48V auto | $71,990 | Confirmed, Toyota Australia |
New-generation HiLux Rugged X 48V auto | $71,990 | Confirmed, Toyota Australia |
HiLux GR Sport 2027 | About $75,000 to $80,000 | Expected, AussieMotor estimate |
Toyota has not announced any price for a new GR Sport. If you are shopping now rather than waiting, check current offers first, such as the $4,000 deposit bonus on the HiLux SR5 through Toyota Finance.
Expected specs point to a 165kW and 550Nm diesel, but nothing is official
The table compares the last Australian GR Sport, using Toyota Australia's published figures, with what is being reported for the new model. Every 2027 figure is reported or expected, not confirmed.
Specification | Previous AU HiLux GR Sport (Toyota Australia) | HiLux GR Sport 2027 (reported) |
|---|---|---|
Engine | 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel | 2.8-litre turbo-diesel (reported) |
Power and torque | 165kW and 550Nm | 165kW and 550Nm (reported, expected carry-over) |
Transmission | 6-speed auto with paddle shifters | 6-speed auto (reported) |
Drive | 4x4, double cab | 4x4, double cab (reported) |
Track width | 135mm wider front, 155mm wider rear than the core range | Wide-track body likely (reported, not confirmed) |
Suspension | KYB monotube dampers, ride height up 20mm front and rear on the August 2024 version | Upgraded suspension expected (reported) |
Wheels and tyres | 17-inch gloss black wheels, Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tyres | Model-specific wheels and tyres expected (reported) |
Braked towing and payload | 3,500kg and 780kg | Not yet announced |
Claimed fuel use | 8.1L/100km | Not yet announced |
48V mild-hybrid | No | Not yet announced |
For context, every new-generation Australian HiLux uses the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel with 150kW, and 420Nm with the manual or 500Nm with the automatic. A carry-over 165kW and 550Nm tune would give a new GR Sport the same 10 per cent bump in power the previous model had over the core range. Whether that tune can be paired with the 48V V-Active system, which adds an 8.5kW and 65Nm motor generator, is one of the big unknowns.
What changes from the current GR Sport is mostly the platform underneath
The previous-generation Australian HiLux GR Sport, launched in 2023 and no longer available to order. Image courtesy of Toyota Australia.
The previous GR Sport was based on the eighth-generation HiLux. Toyota Australia led its styling, and it added a Dakar-inspired skid plate, steel rock rails, red rear recovery points, red GR brake calipers and a cabin with suede and leather-accented seats, a 9-speaker JBL system and heated front seats. A new GR Sport would start from the ninth-generation HiLux, which brings a new body, a new cabin and wider electrification.
New body and cabin. Toyota Europe describes a cabin inspired by the Land Cruiser, with screens up to 12.3 inches on its models. Australian specifications for a GR Sport cabin have not been announced.
48V option. Australia's Rogue and Rugged X automatics already use the 48V V-Active system. A GR Sport could follow, but that is not confirmed.
Electric and hydrogen versions. A battery-electric HiLux with a 59.2kWh battery is part of the global range, and Toyota has said a fuel-cell HiLux is due for Europe and Oceania from 2028. Read more on the hydrogen HiLux confirmed for Australia in 2028. Neither is expected to wear a GR Sport badge.
Emissions rules. A more powerful diesel flagship has to fit inside Toyota's fleet targets under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. Our NVES explainer on whether utes will cost more in 2027 and our look at tighter NVES targets explain why that matters for pricing and model choice.
How it shapes up against the Ranger Raptor and Wildtrak depends on price and power
The previous GR Sport sat between the Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 and the Ranger Raptor in price, and a new one is likely to land in the same place. The figures below are current Ford list prices before on-road costs and Ford Australia's published specs. The GR Sport column uses the expected and reported figures from above.
Model | Price before on-road costs | Engine | Power and torque | Braked towing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HiLux GR Sport 2027 (expected) | About $75,000 to $80,000 (estimate) | 2.8-litre turbo-diesel (reported) | 165kW and 550Nm (reported) | Not announced |
$75,090 | 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, 10-speed auto | 184kW and 600Nm | 3,500kg | |
$90,690 | 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol, 10-speed auto | 292kW and 583Nm | 2,500kg |
On those numbers, a 165kW GR Sport would still trail the Wildtrak V6 on power and torque at a similar price. The Toyota's case would rest on its wider track, tuned suspension, HiLux resale and Toyota's dealer network. The Raptor plays a different game. It costs about $10,000 to $15,000 more than our expected GR Sport price, adds FOX 2.5-inch Live Valve dampers, 272mm of ground clearance and Baja mode, but its 2,500kg braked towing is 1,000kg less than the previous GR Sport's 3,500kg. Ford's site now lists the Raptor as a 2027 model, so check its price before you compare. For a wider view, see our guide to the best utes in Australia.
Our take on the HiLux GR Sport 2027 for Australia
A new GR Sport is confirmed for South Africa in 2027, not for Australia. The previous model sold well here, Toyota Australia designed much of it, and the local arm has said it would "certainly look at" a new one. That makes a local GR Sport plausible, but until Toyota Australia confirms it, the specs and price above should be treated as reported and expected only. If you need a ute in the next six months, the current Rogue and Rugged X are the closest thing on sale today.
Sources include Toyota Australia's HiLux GR Sport page, the Toyota Australia GR Sport launch release, the Toyota Europe HiLux newsroom and Ford Australia's Ranger Raptor page.