The Toyota HiLux Rogue is the beefed-up version in the legendary HiLux ute range with 140mm added to Rogue’s track width, front and rear height up 20mm for improved stability and a visibly tougher stance. Added to this is an upgraded brake system with 17” front disc brakes and new rear ventilated disc brakes.
The Rogue is powered by a 4-Cylinder, 2.8 litre turbo diesel engine with a maximum of 150kW of power and 500Nm of torque paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Rogue has Eco and Power modes for the engine, but this is not a performance ute so I did not feel the need to press the Power button and spent my week in the Normal drive mode. The official combined fuel consumption is 8.4L/100km and for my week with this Oxide Bronze beast I used 10.0L/100km.
Driving the Rogue feels similar to what you would expect for many utes, that is jiggly and not comfortable for long drives. I imagine this would be only be exacerbated if you went off-roading, but the Rogue does feature rear differential lock, low range 4WD and Downhill Assist Control.
The black leather accented front seats are heated, but do not offer much support. At least the driver’s seat has power adjustment for recline, forward/back and cushion height front and rear although without any memory positions. The passenger seat only has manual adjustment for recline and forward/back.
Much of the Rogue’s cabin is of an older style with many hard plastic surfaces, an analogue taco and speedo, rigid cup holders in the centre console, a small 8” colour touchscreen display and no vanity mirrors on the sun visors. You do get wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as keyless smart entry and smart start though. The button on the steering wheel with the masculine looking silhouette on it provides access to voice control for the infotainment system. The voice control worked well for me to make a phone call, change the radio station and set a destination on the sat nav.
Cabin storage in relatively plentiful with an upper and lower glovebox, the former is cooled as well. There are pull out cup holders on either side of the dash and the drink bottle storage in the front and rear boor cubbies is suitable for large drink bottle storage. The phone storage cubby at the front of the centre console is hard plastic so if your phone was stored here, it would slide around. Above the cubby there is one USB-A port and two 12V outlets and under the arm rest there is a 220V, 100W three-pronged plug.
The rear seats have enough head and leg room for me, but taller individuals may find it a bit tight. The centre seat can be folded down as an arm rest with two rigid cup holders at the front of it. There are two ISOFIX/rear tether child seat restraint points and ANCAP recommends that a child seat not be fitted in the centre seat location. The Rogue has a webbing strap behind the two outer seats, which you need to feed the rear tether strap through and then you clip on the metal location point behind the centre seat. I find this system a little confusing and I think it is open to mistakes being made when you are fitting car seats. It is recommended that you refer to the vehicle owners’ manual for correct attachment and use of child restraint anchorages.
Rear passengers have two central air vents with individual direction control and one dial for turning the air on and off. There are no rear USB/12V outlets, but you do get a mat over the entire rear floor to protect the carpet from those muddy feet. I also liked that the rear seats can be folded up to create a large storage space, but there are no storage cubbies under the rear seats.
A significant feature of the HiLux Rogue is the tub that is lined with marine carpet and has a powered, lockable roller cover over it. The roller cover in opened/closed using push buttons on either side of the tub. I think having a lockable cover is a must for any ute that is going to be used as a family vehicle because it provides a dry and secure location for your shopping and pram. The downside of the cover is it takes up room at the front of the tub and you only get two tie down points at the rear of the tub. The marine carpet is secured into place on the base of the tub with Velcro, so it can be easily removed for cleaning and there is padding on the tub floor so it doesn’t hurt your knees when you kneel in the tub.
The tub is 110cm between the wheel arches and 150cm deep with a payload of approximately 800kg, Toyota does not provide an official payload figure. There are two LED lights in the tub and one 12V outlet on the passenger side of the tub at the rear. The maximum braked towing capacity for 4×4 HiLux vehicles is 3,500kg.
All current HiLux models have a 5-star ANCAP (2019) safety rating with dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags (curtains) and a driver knee airbag are standard. The Adults Protection score of 36.66 points out of 38 (96%) and a Child Occupant Protection score of 42.64 points out of 49 (87%), which allies to dual-cab utes only.
Toyota Safety Sense comes as standard across the HiLux range and includes Pre-Collision Safety system with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, Road Sign Assist (speed signs only) and Active Cruise Control (high-speed). The cruise control is slightly older technology and is activated by pressing a stalk behind the steering wheel. ANCAP tests of the autonomous emergency braking system showed GOOD performance at highway speeds with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios. Tests of the lane support system functionality showed some GOOD performance; however, the system does not intervene in more critical emergency lane keeping scenarios and overall performance was classified as ADEQUATE. Overall, the Safety Assist systems on the HiLux have an ANCAP score of 78%.
All new Toyota vehicles are backed by a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty. If your vehicle is properly serviced and maintained per its Warranty and Service Book, Toyota will extend your engine and driveline warranty for an additional two years. The service interval for the HiLux Rogue is 6 months or 10,000kms, whichever occurs first and the price is capped at $290 per service for the first six services.
The Toyota HiLux Rogue is priced at $70,200 excluding dealer delivery and on-road costs and as tested with premium paint ($675) this Oxide Bronze Rogue is $70,875 excluding dealer delivery and on-road costs. Due to the unprecedented global demand, some Toyota models are currently experiencing extended wait times. Visit your preferred Toyota dealer for the most up-to-date advice.
| Pros | Cons |
| Lockable roller cover for tub | Engine needs more power |
| Additional safety features | Cabin design is looking dated |
| Voice control worked well | The rear tether location/ease of use |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.