This modified Toyota Hilux Extreme Off-Road Concept from India has a menacing stance and various off-road add-ons.

While there are multiple reasons why the Toyota Hilux is not on sale in the US, there’s no denying that its presence is what everyone wants. While the US gets an equally competent Tacoma as its replacement, the rest of the world continues getting the Toyota Hilux for sale, with the most recent one being the 2023 Hilux GR Sport. We have come across one such off-road oriented derivative – a heavily-modified Toyota Hilux, which again makes us wonder what is forcing Toyota not to bring the Hilux into the US.

At the Auto Expo 2023 held in India in January 2023, Toyota showcased the Hilux Xtreme, a full-blown off-road version of the 2021 Toyota Hilux still on sale in many parts of the world. While Toyota’s arena at the Auto Expo 2023 had all the likes of hybrids and EVs on display, this modified Hilux truck caught the attention of adventurous minds. We took a closer look at the heavily-modified Toyota Hilux and came out pretty impressed.

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Talk of a beast on wheels and the red-colored modified Hilux Extreme Toyota had on display at the Auto Expo 2023 in India is all game. This full-blown, off-road version of the 2021 Hilux gets no changes to its headlamps and the front grille with chrome surrounds. However, the front fascia of this Hilux truck looks menacing with the huge-looking bull bar it gets. This bull bar is spread across the width of the front fascia, providing additional protection with its metallic tubular construction.

With a pair of auxiliary LED lamps and an LED light bar in the middle, the bull bar on the Toyota Hilux Extreme Off-Road concept is mounted on an off-road-specific bumper. With tapered edges on the sides and integrated large fog lamps and auxiliary LED lights, this front bumper also gets a wide air dam and a winch in the middle.

Under this bumper, this modified Hilux gets a huge bash plate for added underbody protection. The stock 2021 Hilux claims 29 degrees of approach angle and 27.56-inch water wading capacity, and this modified version of Hilux can better these figures easily with all these tweaks. The world has seen Toyota Hilux evolve all these years as an indestructible pickup truck, and this off-road version redefines that title to a whole new level.

Move over the bullish front fascia of the all-red and rugged Toyota Hilux Extreme Off-Road Concept, and you will feel more intimidation in your nerves with its heightened stance. This Hilux looks mammoth even when viewed from the side, getting several mechanical and visual tweaks. All these changes and add-ons redefine the versatility of the Hilux as a go-anywhere vehicle.

One needs to climb to enter the cabin of this modified Hilux, as its suspension setup has been customized with a six-inch lift kit, long-travel off-road-spec suspension forks, and specially designed control arms. And if these changes were not enough to give it an uplifted look, this customized Hilux also features monstrous 37-inch Radar Renegade R/T off-road tires. With all these tweaks and add-ons, the already high-ground clearance of the stock Hilux increased even more in this off-road concept vehicle.

There are more changes to the side profile of this modified Hilux over its stock version, which makes this an even more accomplished vehicle as a whole. It also gets a custom-made footstep, a right-hand-side mounted snorkel, custom rearview mirrors with wide extended arms, and bold-looking decals. At the top, this Hilux gets a roof rack equipped with a pair of jerry cans and a series of LED lights mounted on its frontal part.

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The changes to the rear profile of the Toyota Hilux Extreme Off-Road concept are not as extensive as those on the front and side profiles. However, they enhance the off-road worthiness of this version of the Hilux pickup truck, which is not much behind the 2022 GR Hilux for Dakar rally in terms of outright off-road appeal.

The flatbed at the back of this modified Hilux has been occupied by the two monstrous spare tires, which can serve in an emergency when the going gets tough for this Hilux. The flat bed is also customized with custom-made sidebars as mounting points for additional luggage. The stock rear bumper of the Hilux goes out for an off-road rear bumper, which comes armed with a towing hitch on either side of the license plate housing. An additional towing hitch sits in the middle below the license plate housing.

While the spare tires fully occupy the flatbed at the back, one can use the roof rack for carrying additional luggage. Under the hood, this modified Hilux gets the same 2.8-liter four-cylinder 201 hp diesel engine from the stock version of the 2021 Toyota Hilux. This Hilux retains the standard four-wheel drive system, a limited-slip differential, an electronic differential lock, and active traction control from the stock version.

Hailing from India, Jeo has grown up dreaming about a red-colored Porsche 911. This fascination led him to study more about cars and their functionality in his automotive engineering days from the past. His passion for writing about cars directed him towards blogging, which he has been doing for almost a decade.