TOYOTA is marking its success in the gruelling Dakar rally by launching a sports version of the Hilux pick-up.

Priced from £44,995 the Hilux GR Sport is scheduled for release in the summer.

It is powered by 2.8-litre diesel engine boosted to 201bhp and comes with an uprated suspension, an automatic limited-slip differential and active traction control.

Developed in conjunction with Toyota's Gazoo Racing team the company says the GR Sport will sit at the top of the Hilux range and is designed ‘to capture the imagination of customers whose active lifestyles go well beyond the everyday'.

The Hilux GR Sport also features some special body design elements including a G-pattern mesh grille with the Toyota name replacing the regular badge - a nod to the badging used on the fourth generation Hilux of the 1980s..

Other features include larger front fog light surrounds and a black theme for the door mirror casings, bumpers, side steps and tailgate handle plus red finishes for the shock absorbers and springs.

Inside, the cabin has black leather and suede effect sports seats with carbon-fibre trim inserts and aluminium pedals.

There are also paddle shifters for the automatic gearbox while a JBL sound system is fitted alongside a sat nav system, heated front seats and a surround-view camera system.

Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Nassar Al-Attiyah, a three-time Dakar winner and multiple World Cross-Country Rally Champion, said: "The Toyota Hilux has a legendary reputation for toughness and reliability.

"This is true not only for our race car, but also for the production models, including the new GR Sport. This new model, inspired by our Dakar race cars, takes the driving experience to another level both on and off-road."