Toyota may bring Gladiator to the public

The Hilux Gladiator concept ute unveiled at Fieldays last month proved so popular, Toyota New Zealand is considering developing a version for the public. “We built it as a show case vehicle for the Toyota display at the 2017 Mystery Creek Fieldays demonstrating a broad spectrum of customisation,” said Spencer Morris, Toyota New Zealand’s general manager of product. “We were thrilled at the response.” The Gladiator concept, which began as a standard 4WD Hilux SR5 model, was built with the assistance of Retro Vehicle Enhancements, and included a suspension lift kit with offset 20-inch alloy wheels and tyres. A specially-designed bull bar and winch, sump guard, snorkel, bolt-on flares, LED roof rack lights and sports bar with custom mounts for spare tyre and tools all matched the suspension, and the design was finished with custom Gladiator graphics. Inside the cabin, a full red leather interior with carbon fibre trim and Gladiator branded mats finished off the look. “Any commercially available Gladiator model will be slightly more practical” said Morris, who added that “some of the parts on the concept would need a special low volume certification.” A previous accessorised Hilux Gladiator was a hit for Toyota, Morris said, with over 100 utes sold in 18 months, and he was confident the new model would also be a success.