• SVI completes B6 discreet kit for new Hilux
• 360-degree protection against assault rifles
• Solution includes various ballistic overlaps
• B2 LITE and B4 discreet kits also available

SVI Engineering, leading specialist manufacturer of armoured products in South Africa, has equipped the new Toyota Hilux with a bespoke 360-degree B6 discreet armouring package, offering the highest grade of civilian protection available without a special permit.

The 9th-generation Hilux – which is manufactured at Toyota's Prospecton factory in KwaZulu-Natal – launched to the local market earlier this year. SVI quickly secured a double cab in flagship Hilux 2.8GD-6 Legend 4x4 guise, before tasking its engineers with developing a comprehensive solution to protect against assault rifles (including AK47, R1 and R5).

"Though we've already delivered several units of the new Hilux fitted with our popular Stopgun V2.0 and V3.0 security kits, this is the first to feature our meticulously engineered 360-degree B6 discreet armouring package – and it's likely also the first such example in South Africa," said SVI Business Development Director, Nicol Louw.

B6 DISCREET ARMOUR FOR NEW HILUX

The Bashewa-based firm's field-proven B6 discreet formula includes the extensive use of custom-fabricated armoured steel plates, composite materials and high-grade 38 mm ballistic glass, with the latter curved to OEM specification. SVI's solution for SA's best-selling bakkie crucially also incorporates ballistic overlaps not just around all door apertures and all side windows but around the windscreen, too.

Since the high-grade ballistic steel panels are precisely cut and bonded to the inside of the passenger cell's sheet-metal areas, the bakkie's appearance remains virtually indistinguishable from that of a standard model. The driver's window can be lowered by around 150 mm, with high-durability, purpose-manufactured actuators replacing the original winding system. A suspension upgrade and uprated door hinges are also included as standard.

As is the case with all of SVI's discreet armouring packages, any driver-assistance safety systems fitted to the bakkie – including those that rely on sensors positioned behind the windscreen – remain fully operational after the armouring conversion. Critical powertrain components are protected as well.

Of course, the Hilux's durable body-on-frame construction and generous payload capacity mean this bakkie comfortably handles the extra mass of the various armouring components, while the standard 150 kW/500 Nm 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine is likewise more than up to the task.

COST AND BUILD TIME

The 360-degree B6 discreet armouring solution for the new Toyota Hilux double cab is priced from R945,239 (excluding VAT) and includes a complimentary full-day driver-training course. The list of options, meanwhile, includes items such as roof armour, floor armour and imported heavy-duty runflat rings for the tyres.

SVI also offers a B4 discreet package (protecting against handguns, up to .44 Magnum) and a B2 "SVI LITE" partial-armouring kit (covering selected closures only and rated to stop 9 mm, 124-grain rounds fired from a handgun) for the latest-generation Hilux double cab. The project build time for the B4 discreet and B6 discreet packages is set at approximately three months, while B2 LITE fitment takes around 2 weeks.

• Hilux Double Cab B2 LITE partial armour – R74,950 (ex VAT) per closure
• Hilux Double Cab B4 discreet armour – R624,054 (ex VAT)
• Hilux Double Cab B6 discreet armour – R945,239 (ex VAT)

*figures exclude VAT and the purchase price of the base vehicle

THE COMPANY

SVI is an original equipment manufacturer that has specialised in armoured vehicles since 2004. The company is a market leader in Africa, serving the private, corporate, security, mining and governmental segments. SVI holds a Level 2 B-BBEE certification and its quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by TÜV Rheinland.