Fresh-faced special edition
Toyota South Africa Motors will imminently release its Hilux Dakar special edition model, sporting the new nose treatment and grille seen on the facelifted eighth-generation model unveiled in Thailand late last year and recently introduced in Europe.
The Dakar Edition bear many similarities to the Special Edition in Europe, including a new Tacoma-style hexagonal grille, revised bumper and fog light design, integrated silver under-run (but no nudge-bar), and a new step at the rear.
The Dakar Edition is further hallmarked by a unique Metallic Orange (or Dark Grey) paint finish and a bespoke 18-inch alloy wheel design. The new face will (for now) only be used on this special-edition model, and not the rest of the range.
The Dakar Edition has special badges on the blacked-out grille and “Dakar” decals at the bottom of the front doors and on the tailgate, with the side-mirror caps and door handles finished in black.
On board, it features a black interior with chrome instrument panel trim and piano black inserts on the dashboard and door trim, a new instrument dial design with white background, and leather upholstery. Five Dakar Edition models will be available, four with the 2.8-litre GD-6 (130 kW) turbodiesel engine with manual and auto transmissions in rear-wheel drive and 4×4 configurations, and one with the 4.0-litre (175kW) V6 petrol engine with auto transmission and 4×4 drive – the 2.8 GD-6 Dakar MT (R535 000), 2.8 GD-6 Dakar AT (R553 400), the 2.8 GD-6 4X4 Dakar MT (R601 100), the 2.8 GD-6 4X4 Dakar AT (R621 000) and the 4.0 V6 4X4 Dakar AT (R662 700).
