If you’ve ever thought Toyota’s famed reliability just wasn’t enough, the carmaker now offers bulletproof models – provided you live in Brazil.
Available for the HiLux, Corolla, Corolla Cross, and Fortuner (sold as the SW4 in Brazil) from 2020 onwards, the South American division of the Japanese car giant has partnered with armouring companies to better protect the occupants of its vehicles.
Rather than send customers to a third party, Toyota has brought the process in-house, which comes with added benefits of warranties for the armouring as well as the ability to finance the upgrades through its own firm.
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Unfortunately Toyota doesn’t provide much outward information about the upgrades such as the cost of the process, though it does detail that customers are given the choice of two shielding technologies.
The ‘Traditional’ armour is made from woven steel and kevlar, while the higher-strength Udura protection uses a unidirectional layered pattern for better protection.
Toyota also notes due to the extra weight of the armour, the life of some consumable items such as brakes, tyres and suspension will be reduced and require more frequent servicing.
If you have to go down the drastic path of bulletproofing your car, it’s unlikely that servicing your car slightly more often will be a major concern.
MORE: Everything Toyota