What started out as a budget single cab bakkie, has now morphed into a custom 3-row SUV that is backed by Toyota.

Albeit a model that has existed for over a year now, the Hilux Champ is still not confirmed for South Africa but its home markets in South East Asia have already begun tweaking the chassis-cab for a spectrum of applications.

Known as the Rangga in some regions and the Tamaraw in others, this custom three-row SUV adaption from Indonesia is exactly what the platform was envisioned to do since the chassis-cab layout allows for a plethora of customisation.

Set to launch in Indonesia under the Hilux Rangga name, this 7-seat SUV conversion adds two additional rows of seating behind the standard cab. New Armada is the Indonesian company responsible for this and with over 50 years in bus coachbuilding in their portfolio, the final iteration looks ready to roll off of the production line as an authentic Toyota product from the image material shared.

What distinguishes this from the chassis cab Hilux Champ we are familiar with is extensive work from the B pillar onwards. New Armada has created a passenger hold with two additional doors and a boot which mimics the design language prevalent in the front-end bodywork. The result is a bulky and boxy-looking SUV that bears significant custom fabrication for the final outcome.

Inside, the cabin layout features a middle row that seats three passengers, while the rear accommodates two more. Space appears limited, particularly for those in the far back, which isn’t surprising given the Hilux Rangga’s compact dimensions. Another consideration is its safety since the base vehicle has limited testing conducted.

Like the Hilux Champ, the underpinnings will employ either a petrol or a diesel powertrain with the more powerful diesel being the logical choice for all the added weight. The power is sent to the rear wheels via either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

New Armada will handle the SUV conversions, but Toyota plans to sell the Hilux Rangga SUV directly through its dealership network in Indonesia with sales scheduled for next year.

Further away from its land of origin, the newcomer bears striking similarity to Toyota’s versatile Stallion and Condor people movers from yesteryear which begs the question of whether the SUV would find success in the local market. Of course, Toyota South Africa Motors has confirmed that the vehicle is being studied for the local market, however, was unable to commit and divulge its future product plan.

The article Toyota Indonesia spawns 3-row Hilux Champ as budget SUV appeared first on Car Magazine.