2026 bakkie preview — new Hilux vs D-Max facelift vs Ranger, what to expect
Running the Toyota Fortuner for 11 months now, 79539km on the clock including 12 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the ride quality on corrugations is noticeably better than the Hilux — Isuzu did something right with that suspension tune. I have done Sani Pass, Swartberg and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 3.0L turbodiesel is 11L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: parts availability outside major centres is still behind Toyota. In the Richtersveld, a Hilux owner will always find a part before a D-Max owner. Also the dealer here in Pretoria could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: Ironman bull bar (R11k fitted), Dobinsons shocks (R15k fitted), MaxTrax recovery boards, and a Engel MR040 fridge. Total spend on mods: around R67k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Pretoria dealer was R698,500 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
5 Replies
On the mod budget — R72k sounds like a lot but if you are amortising it over 6 years of serious use, it works out to less than R1,000 per month. And the safety improvement in a real recovery situation is not something you can put a price on.
The fuel consumption figures you mention match what I see. The V6 Raptor is better than the official spec suggests in real conditions. The issue for me is long-range touring — I fitted a Brown Davis 125L long-range tank to solve the range anxiety completely.
Good honest review. My experience with the AT35 has been similar — the factory setup is a solid base to build from. The tyres are always the first thing that needs changing regardless of which bakkie you buy.
On the mod budget — R84k sounds like a lot but if you are amortising it over 10 years of serious use, it works out to less than R1,000 per month. And the safety improvement in a real recovery situation is not something you can put a price on.
On the mod budget — R72k sounds like a lot but if you are amortising it over 6 years of serious use, it works out to less than R1,000 per month. And the safety improvement in a real recovery situation is not something you can put a price on.
— marco_joubert
What suspension are you running now? I have the same setup and am looking at Ironman 4x4 lift kit — around R10k fitted at my local workshop. Keen to know if the ride quality improvement on corrugated gravel roads is as significant as people claim.