![25 Polo Cup1](/imager/gallery/64102/25PoloCup1_ac4358fb135aa81dd484ffed19f8ae96.jpg)
Racing cars for Germany to be built by VW in Kariega
South Africa is exporting one of its most successful racing formulas to Germany.
- Industry News
- 7 February 2025
Building on its multiple Dakar Rally-winning heritage, the Hilux GR SPORT III has landed in South Africa and will be the most powerful Hilux yet available, perfect for spirited drivers.
What is it?
The double cab Hilux GR-S III delivers a powerful combination of enhanced handling and stability, with excellent towing (3 500kg) and payload (1 000kg) capacity allied to an assertive design evolution. It stands out from the crowd in terms of looks and performance.
Exterior:
The GR-S III features an increase in tread, the lateral distance between the 17-inch wheels, which is expanded by 140 mm at the front and 155 mm at the rear compared to the standard Toyota Hilux with new 17-inch wheels.
Maing the Hilux GR-S III stand out from the crowd are a variety of premium exterior design details, such as the black G mesh front grille featuring the classic Toyota name logo, black sidestep, mirrors and door handles. Silver-coloured protective front under guard, black rear bumper and distinctive GR logos complement an evocative appearance.
Interior:
A black, monochrome theme creates a stylish feel and is accompanied by bold red accents, such as the contrasting red seat belts, to emphasise the motorsport passion behind the GR identity. Paddle controls add the option of manual shift selection while the perforated sports leather steering wheel (with contrast stitching) and aluminium sport pedals complete the experience.
Black suede and leather sport seats, with silver stitching and perforation, elevate the interior appearance and provide exceptional comfort as well as a better grip, minimising sliding when the occupants experience higher lateral forces.
Completing the high-quality look and feel of the Hilux GR-S III cabin is a new hydrographic ornament on the door trim and dashboard, which also features GR details on the information display and instrumentation.
Engine:
Power comes from the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine delivering 165 kW and 550 Nm of torque and is matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Technical Changes:
An increase from 29 degrees to 30 degrees in the approach angle and enhanced ground clearance extend its off-road capabilities. That is achieved via a 20 mm increase in ride height combined with a tread increase in front and at the rear.
More powerful braking is provided by the front discs expanded from 16 to 17 inches, and new 15-inch discs on the rear which replace the previous drum brakes.
Pricing:
The Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 DC 4×4 GR Sport III costs R999 000. It also comes standard with 9-services/90 000km service plan (with intervals of 10 000 km) and a 3-year/100 000km warranty.
Volkswagen has added two new derivatives to its T-Cross line-up for the 2025 model year. The T-Cross has been the best-selling Volkswagen SUV with over 36 000 cars sold since its launch in 2019.
Volkswagen found a gap in it SUV line-up between the range-topping Touareg and the Tiguan and will fill it with its new Tayron set to arrive locally in the second half of 2025 when pricing and engine specifications will be announced. The Tayron will launch with two equipment lines - Life and R-Line.
If you think Golf in South Africa, you think GTI or even the quicker Golf R. Volkswagen, however, has just introduced a new entry-level Golf consisting of four models slotting in below its twin performance siblings.