Toyota Gives the New Hilux a Rally Makeover for 2026 Dakar

Adrian Padeanu

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Well, that didn’t take long. Toyota pulled the covers off the new Hilux last week, and it’s already introducing the rally version. As you can imagine, it has been quietly working on the DKR GR Hilux for a while to have it ready for the upcoming 2026 Dakar Rally. Based on the ninth-generation truck, the DKR GR Hilux brings several major upgrades over its predecessor.

Toyota collaborated with Belgium-based Overdrive Racing to bring the project to fruition ahead of the 2026 Dakar Rally’s start in Saudi Arabia on January 3. The new DKR GR Hilux features a newly developed tubular chassis that reduces weight and increases torsional stiffness. It also makes the rally-ready pickup easier to service, saving precious time during the grueling race.

Additionally, the revamped rally truck receives a reinforced transmission designed to better withstand the abuse of the 15-day Dakar event, during which it will cover more than 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) of timed stages. Before the first race day, the 2026 DKR GR Hilux is completing a test program to allow for any necessary last-minute tweaks.

Details about the engine have not been disclosed, but the 2025 GR DKR Hilux Evo borrowed the Land Cruiser’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 with 354 horsepower and 457 pound-feet (620 Newton-meters) of torque. Output was sent to all four wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox.

The TGR W2RC team will field the new rally truck before Toyota makes it available to private teams in the second half of next year. The DKR GR Hilux is obviously not going to be road legal, but a performance version with a license plate and wider tracks is likely coming. When asked by CarExpert magazine whether a GR Sport is planned, Toyota Australia chief designer Nicolas Hogios strongly suggested it’s a real possibility:

'That’s, I guess, in the future. But yeah, we’ll get to that – at the moment, there’s enough news here with this one. It can only get better from here. So, we’re constantly evolving our product.'

However, GR Sport is a step below a full-fat Gazoo Racing model, meaning there aren’t any engine upgrades. The old Hilux GR Sport II did receive a wide array of mechanical changes, from a suspension lift and monotube dampers to bigger brakes and lighter wheels with all-terrain tires.

But with the next-generation Hilux only just arriving, Toyota is in no hurry to launch the new GR Sport.

Discover The New Hilux:

2026 Toyota Hilux Base Model Still Has a Manual Gearbox

Gallery: 2026 Toyota Hilux

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