The 2023 Safari Rally in Kenya not only was a good run for Toyota as they swept the whole podium with their Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid Rally car but performed a demo of the new Hilux GR-S MHEV Concept. The Hilux GR-S MHEV Concept aims to support carbon neutrality for Africa. This makes sense as the Hilux in general a top seller in many We have many reviews of the Toyota Hilux which you can check out here.
Related: Everything you need to know about the Toyota Hilux RS
The Hilux GR-S MHEV Concept was sampled by four-time World Rally Champion and former Toyota world title winner Juha Kankkunen from Finland. Needless to say, he is a legend in the rally scene. Juha was joined by well-known Kenyan media personality and actor Jimmi Gathu.
"I’m 100% sure that this type of car will fit in Africa very well because there are still long-distance drives and it's very difficult to charge electric cars. You can save fuel, which means less CO2. Africa is a good market for this kind of car, and you can make CO2 less with hybrid cars. That is the future."
- Juha Kankkunen after the demo drive.
Similarly, Jimmi Gathu had this to say,
"It was an amazing experience. It’s fantastic that Kenya’s most popular, most reliable, toughest car is being tested as a concept car for hybrid especially in addressing the issue around carbon emissions, beginning with small steps as you seek to achieve carbon neutrality - I think it's perfect."
It goes without saying that the Toyota Hilux is a popular choice of vehicle across the African continent. The Hilux is a Swiss Army knife with a blade that never seems to dull with use. With the shift to new energy vehicles, it makes to experiment with one of the most robust bakkies out there. The concept of a Hilux GR-S MHEV is quite realistic and a versatile option to not only have a robust and dependable vehicle, but something that uses minimal fuel and emits lower CO2 emissions. Toyota's global direction seeks to change the future of the automobile with a multi-pathway approach with various options fit for each region and market to accommodate everyone and seek to achieve carbon neutrality. We don't have details on the drivetrain setup as of publishing this article yet but we can't wait to see how this develops!
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