SVI’s new Stopgun V2.0 Lite armouring kit for Toyota Hilux
SVI Engineering, leading specialist manufacturer of armoured products, has developed a new B4+ Stopgun V2.0 Lite package for the strong-selling Toyota Hilux range.
Article by: SVI on QuickPic
Slotting in just below the immensely popular B6 Stopgun V2.0 kit, the Lite package provides Southern Africa’s security forces with an even more cost-effective solution. The B4+ armouring components offer protection against handguns and rifles up to 7.62×39 mm (including AK47).
The semi-discreet kit is available for single-, extended- and double-cab variants of the Hilux bakkie (with equivalent kits for the Ford Ranger on the horizon), which is a well-proven base vehicle for such applications. The cabin armour takes about four weeks to prepare and just three weeks to install, with the vehicle remaining entirely serviceable at the agent.
The Stopgun Lite kit.
There are two major advantages to SVI’s new Stopgun V2.0 Lite package: the lower purchase cost (see pricing below) and the addition of less weight to the vehicle. While the B6 Stopgun V2.0 kit adds around 400 kg to a single-cab bakkie, the components that comprise the equivalent Lite package tip the scales at only 260 kg. As a result, the donor Hilux does not require any suspension upgrades.
The lower overall mass is achieved primarily through the use of special armoured steel plating that measures 3.5 mm thick (compared to the 5 mm plates used in the B6 version). Likewise, the flat ballistic glass bolted into each window frame is thinner, coming in at 32 mm (rather than up to 40 mm in the case of B6).
Like the B6 Stopgun V2.0 solution, the Lite package features unobtrusive integrated door armour supported by heavy-duty door hinges rather than the widely used but comparatively ungainly double-door system. Gunports are a standard item but can be deleted at no extra cost should a slightly more discreet appearance be required. Finally, the Hilux’s curtain airbag – where fitted as standard – remains fully functional.
According to Nicol Louw, Business Development Manager at SVI, the Stopgun V2.0 Lite kit provides the country’s security industry with a fresh option for tasks such as escorting valuables in transit, responding to emergencies or patrolling high-risk areas such as mines.
“Though the B6 Stopgun V2.0 package offers the ultimate ballistic protection, our new B4+ Lite kit is an ideal alternative for companies operating in areas dealing with a slightly lower ballistic threat level.
“The latest package is not only lighter – ultimately rendering the vehicle even nimbler and placing less stress on the powertrain – but also even more cost-effective. There’s now no excuse to take unnecessary risks with unarmoured security vehicles,” concluded Louw.
Cost.
Single Cab: from R231 110 (ex VAT)
Extended Cab: from R268 910 (ex VAT)
Double Cab: from R334 779 (ex VAT)
The company.
SVI was formed in 2004 as an innovative mechanical engineering firm specialising in armoured vehicles and products. The company is a market leader in Africa serving the individual, corporate, security, mining and governmental markets. SVI has a Level 2 B-BBEE certification and its quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by TÜV Rheinland.
