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The 2026 Toyota HiLux GR Sport won't just feature key upgrades to improve its capability, comfort and cabin technology, but could also feature the thumping 2.4-litre i-Force Max hybrid powertrain from the Toyota Tacoma as an engine option, according to new reports.
That's the word from US outlet CarScoops (which also cooked up this story's lead image), though the site admittedly lists the 240kW and 630Nm petrol-electric hybrid set-up as a "long-shot option" for the HiLux GR Sport.
The site's reasoning is that the engine would finally give the hardcore HiLux a fighting chance against the Ford Ranger Raptor, with the rest of the revised range to persevere with the carryover 2.8-litre diesel engine, with 48-volt assist.
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Elsewhere, the site is claiming the scoop on what to expect from the 2026 HiLux GR Sport, promising increased capability, better cabin technology, and a sharper exterior design – improvements that, even without the hybrid engine, would make the GR Sport far more formidable.
We already expect the revised HiLux to carryover its platform, but the reports now point to the model scoring revised versions of its sidestep-replacing rock rails, which will contribute to increased ground clearance.
On the design front, the reports are predicting new LED headlight designs, a revised front grille, new-look bash plates and a tougher, chunkier overall look. Retuned suspension better suited to off-road speed is also expected.
But the biggest changes might be felt in the cabin, where reports predict a 12.3-inch central screen that will house an off-road camera display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a wireless charge pad. The site also predicts shock-absorbing seats could appear, as they do in US-bound Toyota product.
The reports are just rumour for now, with Toyota yet to confirm details surrounding the updates coming for its icon. But Toyota has previously promised the brand isn't "giving up on HiLux" in Australia.
"We're certainly not giving up on HiLux, I can tell you that," Toyota Australia's VP of Sales Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide last year.
"We've got a lot happening. But nothing I can announce today."
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