Toyota Hilux Legend 50 & GR Sport Review

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I'm in Panda town, Pandamatenga specifically - at the border crossing from Botswana (currently) into Zimbabwe. I'm calling it Panda Town because well, I like pandas - this is probably why I've selected the Gazoo Racing Hilux in white with a black roof and bonnet. I'm also calling it Panda Town because I've spotted a Panda Bar, Panda Cafe and Panda kiosk on our drive through. I've also scoped out a Panda Suggestion Box at customs.

I decided against dropping a punny note into it, and instead focused on my paperwork, so that we could make the journey into Zimbabwe as smooth as possible for the Hilux GR Sport and I. I'm also taking turns driving Toyota's new Legend 50 - the once every five-year iteration that essentially replaces the Raider at the top of the Hilux range.

We'll talk about this one later - for now I'm going to concentrate on the car I started in, yours in three Gazoon inspired colours. That's Crimson Red, Glacier White and Attitude Black. The internet told me I wouldn't like them in the flesh, especially when decked to the maximum with decals as these have but there's something about that bold Toyota badge on the grille that ties it all together. The black version in particular reminds me of the retro Toyota trucks that surely contributed to what makes Hilux bakkies so damn likeable.

Ah, the Toyota Hilux GR Sport!

This one pays tribute to Dakar, the second largest motorsport event after F1. As such, it has to have a bit more than a sticker kit. Enter a revised suspension now featuring monotube shocks with revised damping, plus uprated spring rates for a stiffer front end.

Add some geometry tweaks, and the retention of the Hilux's rear leaf springs at the rear and you get a marginally improved steering response and slightly firmer ride. Is it super noticable? Not particularly - but then we weren't pedalling at ten tenths. This was Zimbabwe after all. They have rules here and we had tarmac, dirt and gravel to traverse so weren't taking too many chances.

All aboard…

What else goes into a Gazoo bakkie? Well besides the aforementioned new grille - plenty of badges, plus if you clamber aboard the dark cabin, you'll encounter red detailing and accents plus tech and multimedia on par with what comes in the new Legend 50. Also, a bespoke GR item are the new 16-inch black alloy wheels.

Finally, there's a rubberized load bin and lastly, production plates within the cabin denoting which one of 600 units you've gotten yourself. I'm in GR number 14. Overall, it's a sumptuous cabin featuring black leather trim with stitching and perforation, plus Push to Start and Smart Entry. Predictably, it ate up the dirt and asphalt infrastructure with ease as we skirted around Victoria Falls and arrived at our lodgings the next day.

But does it (have extra) go?

The drive and powertrain is quite familiar by now, the 2.8 GD-6 turbodiesel mated to an automatic six speed transmission, equipped with a rocker dial for on the fly 4WD. This four cylinder is good for 130kW and 450Nm, with a demeanour you can adjust thanks to Sport and Eco modes in addition to its default setting.

Result?

If you're looking at these numbers and thinking, surely this isn't enough to take on the Ford Ranger Raptor, you'd be right. But in truth that is a ground-up dirt jumper for a fair amount more bucks, and this isn't meant to fully compete with it. Although at R707,400 you might have a few questions…

Who knows, maybe one day instead of just a GR-Sport, we'll get a full Gazoo race truck positioned above it. But for now, this will have to do, and judging by the rubbernecking onlookers on both sides of that border, it's doing plenty.

Then there was the Toyota Hilux Legend 50

But first an English lesson in the word Legend. It is either a noun or and means;
1 a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated.
2. an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field.

Or else it's an adjective

3. very well known.
For example, "Its speed and ferocity in attack were legend"

To which I say, pick one.

Yes, the Legend 50 replaces the Raider from June 2019, but it also marks half a century of existence in Mzansi, much of that dominating its segment.

Like the GR Sport, there's a raft of updates to its aesthetic such as blacked-out grilles, silver accents and daytime running lights incorporated into the headlamp clusters. Each wheel arch enjoys Legend 50-specific two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 265-60-R18 all-terrain rubber, while the rear receives a styling bar and Legend 50 badging. The tonneau cover feels heavy duty, while more silver accents can be found in the roof rails.

The end result is an exterior that looks special, and the cabin won't disappoint either. Ours came with black leather with blue perforation and stitching, plus a chrome accent line across the dash. Multimedia and connectivity options are extensive, accessed via a flush fitting 8-inch touch screen.

The moment of truth

The GR Sport is a great car and if you're a Hilux enthusiast I imagine having one is a no-brainer. I however would opt for a Legend 50 with its somewhat softer suspension and slightly lower price point.

Regardless of which Hilux you ultimately park in your garage, both have seen a great amount of upgrades and are in my mind worth the sticker price. Millions and millions of buyers can't and won’t be wrong.

Legend 50 pricing:

A 3-year/100 000 km warranty and 9-services/90 000 km service plan is standard on all models.