Do you love your HiLux so much you would sleep with it? Meet the campervan version of the HiLux GR Sport, which has just gone on sale in Japan.
A Japanese company has unveiled a Toyota HiLux for people who prefer to go ‘glamping’ rather than camping – but it comes at a price.
Based on the Toyota HiLux GR Sport, the BR75 SUV Adventure Camper, is listed at 12,450,000 Japanese Yen – equivalent to $135,000 in Australian currency.
The firm – Direct Cars – also offers a cheaper, less-equipped version which is based on the luxury-focused, Japan-only Toyota HiLux ‘Z’ variant, starting from 10,980,000 Yen ($AU119,000).
The most expensive Toyota HiLux currently on sale in Australia – the Rogue – is priced from $70,200 plus on-road costs. When the Toyota HiLux GR Sport arrives later this year, it is expected to be similarly priced.
In the Toyota HiLux GR Sport-based camper, the dual-cab’s ute tub is replaced with a camper with a bathroom, sitting room, a pull-out bed and an air-conditioning unit.
The split-system air-conditioning system – similar to those found in small homes – is controlled by a wall-mounted touch panel, while the external unit is located underneath the ute’s rear bumper.
Roof-mounted 200-watt solar panels top up the BR75’s 200-amp battery, which supplies power to the air-conditioner as well as 1500 watts to a pair of interior and exterior power outlets.
Rather than using the relatively limited space to store essential items such as water, the camper includes an 85-litre water tank for the shower, an additional 20 litres of storage for clean drinking water and a 45-litre drain tank.
The back of the Toyota HiLux camper houses a small bathroom complete with a shower and waterproof floor, accessible either through the side entrance or a second door at the rear.
The Japanese firm that sells the kit doesn’t say how much the camper conversion weighs, though it is likely to leave little of the Toyota HiLux’s payload capacity – 854kg in the Rogue.
As previously reported, the Australian-bound Toyota HiLux GR Sport will differ from versions already introduced in Europe, Japan, Thailand and South Africa – instead building on the ute’s proven recipe in local showrooms.
The Toyota HiLux’s 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine is set to receive a 10 per cent boost in power and torque – up to 165kW and 550Nm – while featuring a new nose to aid cooling.
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