Barely a week after the ninth-generation Toyota Hilux road truck graced the world, its fearsome racing cousin has appeared. Meet the refreshed Toyota GR DKR Hilux, the brand’s latest bespoke contender for the notoriously brutal Dakar Rally.
For Toyota, this race is more than just a competition; it’s practically tradition. Since committing as a constructor in 2016, racing versions of the legendary Hilux have clinched four overall victories and secured the manufacturers’ title in the last four World Rally-Raid Championships.
The updated GR DKR Hilux adopts the sharp, angular front-end styling of the new production Hilux, but fans should know that is precisely where the similarities end. This is a highly sophisticated off-road prototype for the 2026 season. It rides on an updated tubular chassis that has been engineered to be both lighter and stiffer, offering much easier access to critical mechanical components for those frantic mid-stage repairs.
Toyota specifically mentioned reinforcing the driveline to withstand “extreme loads”, which means surviving the inevitable, dizzying leap off a sand dune the size of a medium-sized office building.
While Toyota remains coy on the specifics of the engine, it is widely assumed to be the same unit from the outgoing DKR Hilux. A robust 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 pushing out 354 HP and 650 Nm of torque to all four wheels via a sequential six-speed gearbox. This is a starkly different proposition from the tame, road-going version of the Hilux, which offers a choice between a four-cylinder diesel and an electric powertrain.
The updated race truck is set for its competitive debut at the Dakar 2026, which kicks off the new year in Saudi Arabia on January 3rd. Toyota Gazoo Racing will field three cars, piloted by Henk Lategan, Seth Quintero, and Toby Price, squaring off against stiff official competition from Ford and Dacia.
