The wild Toyota with NO wait list?! Toyota says it anticipates more than enough supply of 2024 HiLux GR Sport as its supply chain improves

Speaking to media at the launch of the new flagship HiLux varant, Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, said the off-road-ready ute would have no supply shortages unlike the brand’s popular range of hybrid models.

Mr Hanley said despite 1600 pre-orders for the truck, the anticipated yearly supply of 3500 units would mean customers wouldn’t be left waiting, at least, not for long.

“We’re talking 3500 units, annual volume,” he said. “It’s highly incremental, we can adjust from there, depending on demand.”

While initial orders would still attract a four-to-six month wait “depending on grade, model, dealer” thanks to the pre-orders and production just kicking off, Mr Hanley was confident the truck wouldn’t attract waitlists in 2024.

The HiLux GR Sport costs from $73,990 before on-roads, and upgrades include bigger shocks all round, a wider track, a Dakar-inspired bodykit and an ECU re-map for the 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel boosting outputs to 165kW/550Nm to make it “the most powerful diesel HiLux to date”. It was designed and tested in Australia.

While the HiLux is due another update in 2024, this GR Sport version will not receive the updated 48-volt system which will appear in the rest of the range.

The HiLux update will come alongside the launch of the deeply upgraded LandCruiser 70 Series, which will receive an alternate powertrain option, alongside an exterior and interior upgrade, and the same 48-volt-tweaked 2.8-litre four-cylinder unit from the HiLux. Following that will be the arrival of the highly-anticipated LandCruiser Prado (known as the LandCruise 250 Series overseas) in mid-2024.

“We’re no longer locked into these product cycles of yesteryear,” proclaimed Hanley. “We’re nimble, we’re quick.”

Mr Hanley was also confident that Toyota’s production problems would be behind it in the coming months, with an August result of 22,321 vehicles being a record-breaker for the brand.

“We expect to average 20,000 vehicles a month for the rest of 2023. We’ll deliver more vehicles in the second half of the year than in the first seven months,” Hanley said, noting the total for the brand over the course of 2023, should deliveries stay on track, amount to roughly 225,000 vehicles, eclipsing its 2021 total, but falling just short of its 2022 total of 231,050 units.

Next year will also see the release of Toyota’s first battery electric in Australia - the long-awaited bZ4X mid-size SUV, which Hanley also says will have “stronger than anticipated supply”.