TOYOTA has teamed up with its Toyota Racing Development (TRD) stable to bring a number of visual enhancements to its top-spec SR5 dual-cab 4x4 HiLux ute, creating the new TRD variant priced from $58,990 driveaway.
TheΒ TRDΒ uses fifteen new components, seven of which come from theΒ TRDΒ parts division, and is only available in black or white paint.
Front exterior enhancements include a redΒ TRD-branded skid plate, blackΒ TRDΒ grille, new front bumper and flared wheel arches.
On the side are black mouldings along the bottom of the door panels and 18-inch six-spoke black alloy wheels, while at the back theΒ TRDΒ gets a black sports bar, ute liner, soft tonneau cover, tail-light covers,Β TRDΒ mudflaps and a towing kit encompassing tongue, ball and wiring harness.
trD carpet floor mats and aΒ TRDΒ gear knob for automatic variants round out the list of visual enhancements.
No changes have been made to the SR5βs 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, which still makes 130kW and 420Nm for the six-speed manual, while opting for the six-speed auto boosts torque to 450Nm.
Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb said that the company chose the SR5 dual-cab as the best variant to accessorise withΒ TRDΒ trimmings as it accounted for more than 50 per cent of all 4x4 HiLux sales in 2016.
βLocal buyers voted with their wallets to make HiLux the best-selling vehicle in Australia last year β and the majority clearly indicated their preference for upmarket features combined with HiLuxβs renowned go-anywhere capability,β he said.
βWe have responded to that demand by compiling premium components, including the respectedΒ TRDΒ brand, that will further distinguish HiLux from the competitors and from every other HiLux in our range.β
Toyota is offering theΒ TRDΒ edition with driveaway pricing, starting from $58,990 for the manual HiLux with white paint, while choosing black paint increases the price by $550 to $59,540.
Opting for an automatic transmission adds $2000 to either variant.
The HiLux enjoyed a strong sales year in 2016, boasting the title of Australiaβs best-selling vehicle for the year with 42,104 total units sold.
It beat out its Corolla stablemate with 40,330 sales, the Hyundai i30 (37,772) and rival Ford Ranger (36,934).
In the first two months of 2016 Toyota has sold 3386 examples of the HiLux, ahead of the 3261 units it had found homes for this time last year.
2017 Toyota HiLuxΒ TRDΒ driveaway pricing| Dual cab diesel w/ white paint |
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| Dual cab diesel w/ black paint |
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| Dual cab diesel w/ white paint (a) |
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| Dual cab diesel w/ black paint (a) |
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