It’s inspired by the Dakar Rally and got 204hp on tap, but can Toyota’s flaghip Hilux GR Sport hold its own in the high-end pickup sector? Al Suttie investigates.

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Toyota Hilux GR Sport

List price: £48,634 CO2: 248g/km Economy: 30mpg Test efficiency: 28.9mpg

Monday

Trying to make pickup trucks sporty is like putting an elephant on roller skates, in my view – what’s the point? This was what I was thinking as I picked up the keys to the Toyota Hilux GR Sport, a truck that draws heavily on Toyota’s motorsport involvement with the Dakar Rally. The GR Sport certainly has the looks and presence, but does it have the on-road chops to pass off as a sporty pickup?

Tuesday

The GR Sport comes as standard with the 204hp 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Together, they offer 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds and, if you can find a straight long enough, 109mph flat out. However, your ears will have cried enough way before that happens as this engine is from the rough and ready school of thought rather than smooth and punchy.

Wednesday

A key element of the Hilux GR Sport’s look is the large black front grille that double as a protective bull-bar. There’s no question it will bat aside branches and much else it encounters off-road, and the Hilux easily remains one of the very best when it comes to getting from here to there over poor terrain. However, for this money it comes into contact with the likes of the Land Rover Defender and even the Ineos Grenadier, which are both far comfier and refined.

Thursday

Workhorse credentials are proven with the Hilux as per a look at its load bed, which has a hard-wearing liner to protect it. Tie-down points further add to the ease of use, and the drop-down tailgate is plenty substantial enough to double as a workbench. As a result, the GR Sport works perfectly as a business vehicle, but then so do more affordable versions of the Toyota pickup.

Friday

Toyota’s GR Sport division has had a hand in tweaking this Hilux’s suspension, but on the roads around Helensburgh today there’s scant evidence of this. I’ve driven a lot of pickups recently and the Ford Ranger Raptor runs rings around the Toyota on country lanes. Where the Ford is agile and controlled, the Hilux just feels lumbering and a bit slow. Drive it like a Hilux instead of a sporty pickup and it’s much happier – and so am I.

Saturday

If it sounds like I’m being hard on the Hilux, it’s because I expect a lot of this truck given its reputation, cost and pleasant past experience. One area I very much like is the interior, which is built with Toyota’s usual eye for detail, plenty of space, and the infotainment is very easy to use. There are even well-spaced shortcut buttons that will be easy to work when wearing chunky work gloves.

Sunday

It’s clear to see why Toyota has created the Hilux GR Sport to grab a slice of the lucrative high-end pickup market. However, lower-spec versions are better to drive and better value, which leaves the GR Sport missing out to the Land Rover Defender that is way more refined and the Ford Ranger that is much more enjoyable to drive while also being good off-road.