Could this be Toyota’s long awaited Raptor-rivalling Hilux?

With an all-new model reportedly on the cards for unveiling next year as evident by its American sibling, the Tacoma, undergoing testing, Toyota’s long rumoured and constantly denied Ford Ranger Raptor-rivalling Hilux appears to be on track after all.

Not just an Aussie model?

A model speculated upon for close on four years, the rumour mill went into overdrive in July when the automaker unveiled the macho Hilux Rogue in Australia that boasts not only a wider track, but also extended wheel arches with plastic cladding, new axles and dampers, a rear anti roll-bar and rear disc brakes in order to improve stopping power.

While thought to be a uniquely Australian model, Thailand’s Headlightmag has obtained images of a lightly disguised Rogue undergoing testing on its roads, suggesting Toyota could introduce it for the Thai market instead of keeping it exclusively Down Under.

Could Rogue morph into GR?

At the same time, it has also been alleged that the Rogue could provide a preview of the forthcoming GR Hilux, in spite of Gazoo Racing Chief Engineer Yasunori Suezawa telling drive.com.au in October that the GR Supra, GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR86 will be the sole models privy to the full-on GR designation.

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Despite a trademark for the GR Hilux nomenclature having been accepted Down Under two years ago, the project has been shrouded in more mystery than exact details being pinned-down.

Last year, it was suggested that the GR Hilux could be powered by the same 3.4-litre badged 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 as the Land Cruiser 300 in order to directly rival the EcoBoost V6-powered Ranger Raptor, or a more powerful version, rumoured to be 230kW/687Nm, of the 3.3-litre turbodiesel V6 also used in the Land Cruiser 300.

None of these have come to fruition though, especially after Toyota’s Light Commercial Vehicles Manager for the UK Gareth Matthews told Auto Express in May this year that no plans are being to introduce a Hilux positioned above the GR Sport.

Introduced to South Africa last month, the GR Sport, based on the Raider specification rather than the flagship Legend, sports more power and a number of subtle of upgrades, but none as aggressive as those of the Rogue that carries a list price of $70 200 (R815 080) in Australia.

Final encore

With the current Hilux, as mentioned, due to be replaced next year by a model aligned closer to the Tacoma, the expansion of the Rogue to Thailand could, potentially, either result in the GR Hilux becoming an official reality, or simply point to another market specific model wearing a different name.

Either way, expect more details to emerge next year. For now, the GR Sport remains the sportiest Hilux derivative in South Africa, but don’t be surprised if this changes next year as the Hilux reaches the end of its lifecycle.