For too long, the Hilux has not been able to match the Ford Ranger Raptor’s prowess.
In the pick-up game, the Toyota Hilux is the king of the hill. Toyota has spent decades refining the product, making it tougher and more capable. However, as of late, the competition has been trying out new things to break through their dominance. The Ford Ranger Raptor comes to mind. This vehicle is jacked way up, given Fox Shocks, an aggressive bodykit and loads of special appointments to help it stand out like a true off-road racer. So far, Toyota has yet to respond.
But the Thai automotive industry is a vibrant one. And recently, a tuning outfit in Thailand called Rad Bumper came up with a set of modifications for the current generation Toyota Hilux that finally gives it the fangs it needs to do battle with the Raptor.
The key modifications that help their 2021 Toyota Hilux 4X4 twin cab model look more like the Ranger Raptor are the wide-body kit and the increased ride height. With those two changes, the Hilux looks a lot more muscular and capable. While the Ford Ranger Raptor goes with Fox Shocks, this Hilux has been fitted with suspension parts from Old Man Emu, an Australian 4X4 suspension brand. Of course, you can’t just lift the vehicle to achieve the aggressive look and Rad Bumper have accounted for that by giving the vehicle much larger rims and heavy-duty mud tyres.
But they haven’t stopped there. The Rad Bumper Toyota Hilux has a specially redesigned tailgate. It looks as if the also fabricated their own bumper, grille, hood and roof-mounted LED light bar to make the whole thing look a lot more menacing. They’ve also got a winch on the front to make it a little more capable off the beaten path.
Under the hood, this modded Hilux still has the same 2.8-litre turbo diesel found on the original Hilux Revo GR Sport that’s found in Thailand. It’s unlikely that Toyota Motor Thailand will actually come up with a product like this on their own, especially when you consider the fact that this generation of Hilux has already gone through its facelift. Most likely, we’ll have to wait another 2-3 years for a factory developed GR Hilux to take the fight to the Ranger Raptor, and by then, who knows how far forward Ford would have moved the game.
In Thailand, customers will be able to contact Rad Bumper to see what they can do about spicing up existing Hilux models. They’ve actually got a local presence, but their facebook page looks abadoned since 2019, so we’re not sure if they can help local customers out.
