Summer of 69
Introduction: Legend has it that this South African love affair
started way back in the Summer of ’69, the same season
and year that Bryan Adams refers to in his hit song! The first Hilux units
arrived on the sunny shores of SA, in 1969, with Toyota selling a total of 386
units, with a price tag, equivalent to that of a round of golf for 2 players and
one cart, at a local golf course – Correct, R1525 SA rond! A year later, Toyota
sold 7380 units, making it the undisputed sales leader in SA – fast forward 55
years and Toyota have sold over 26 million Hilux’s globally – that is nearly
500 000 Hilux units every year for 55 years! If your name was Fred
Flintstone and you had ventured out from your town of Bedrock, and then somehow
time lapsed into the modern world, and you were looking to buy a lekker bakkie
and by chance you came across a Toyota driver in Durban, the conversation might
have gone something like this – “Hi, I am Fred from Bedrock and am looking for
a bakkie.” Hi Fred, there is only one bakkie and that’s a Toyota Hilux. If you
are looking for another bakkie, then there is of course the other option, a
Toyota Hilux...!!”
Engine/ Economy/ Drive/ Comfort: The 2.8 liter turbo-diesel engine
delivers 165 kW and 550 Nm of torque and is paired with a 6-speed automatic
transmission. Toyota claims an average of 8.7 kms per Liter, but I averaged
11.7, whilst driving to KZN’s gorgeous Midlands, having fun through the corners,
and testing out various powerbands with the responsive paddle shifters. I found
myself, thanks to my wife’s amazing fascination of sticking to the speed limit,
having to look at the digital and/ or analogue speedometer often, as it soon
became apparent that a fine from our men in light brown, would ruin my
afternoon, by me, genuinely and unintentionally going too fast. I found the overall
drive experience to be good and bakkie comfortable and enjoyed the feeling of
being high off the ground, thanks to the chunky A/T tires and due to its whopping
306 mm ground clearance! Adding to the excellent 4x4 capability and experience are
the unique 46 mm KYB monotube shock absorbers, ensuring top handling and
stability on all terrain.
Features: You
get to enjoy the familiar Toyota interior, with some nice to haves, such as
Lane departure Alert, Adaptive speed control, Central locking tail gate, Reverse
camera, the reliable Toyota Display Audio touchscreen scores a panoramic view
monitor and you will enjoy the standard BT and Toyota Connect and an array of
the beautiful GR logo’s making the cabin look sporty and a constant reminder that
you are in the ultimate Hilux, the GR Sport III. The GR’s 9-speaker JBL sound system is great and when you pump the Summer of 69 at
the robots, the cars in the next-door lane will be able to sing along and if
they from the 80’s, you can bet that they will know the lyrics!
Interior/ Exterior/ Boot: The bold and stocky exterior of this GR-badged
double cab looks powerful and oozes confidence, with its hungry honey badger
looks, and if it were a Springbok rugby player, its name would be Malcom Marx –
agile, formidable, and ready for any challenge! The front bumper with impressive
new fog lamps, striking red brake calipers which match the red seatbelts btw,
and the obvious aero ducts pair beautifully with the large wheel arches. The fantastic
standard 265/65 Goodrich all-terrain tires wrap around 17-inch alloys, and the
bash plate helps protect your chassis, when you are off roading for fun or if
you are embarking on a Travis Duggan 4x4 course, to tame even the avid and been
there done that, 4x4ers! The approach angle of 30 degrees, and the increased ride
height by 20 mm and the 8 cm width increase, certainly takes the Hilux’s off-road
capabilities to a new level. I loved the dual 12V sockets in the bin, with easy
access right by the tailgate.
Price/ Warranty/ Service Plan: R999000, 9 Services/ 90 000 km service
plan, with intervals of 10000 kms, plus a 3-year/ 100000 km warranty.
In Summary: Tried and
tested, repeat, Tried and tested, repeat…. South Africa’s favourite bakkie just
got that much better with the introduction of the Toyota Hilux D/C GR Sport 111.
Some of the lyrics of the Bryan Adam’s all time classic song,” Summer of 69”,
say it all,… “Oh, when I look back now, That summer seemed to last forever, And
if I had the choice, Yeah, I’d always wanna be there, Those were the best days
of my life…..” Any Toyota Hilux owner will be loyal to the brand because of its
reliability, exterior appeal and resale value – The GR Sport III now takes this
love to another level with a no nonsense more powerful workhorse that confidently
boasts its good looks while you cruise on or off the road and no matter what, will
always get you to your destination, wherever you are going! And if you do not
know that someone owns one, then like a Maritzburg College Old boy, the owner
will tell you!!
*This
article is written in my opinion only. For detailed information on the specs,
please contact Toyota SA*
