Hilux in in its 8th incarnation, with this particular one beginning life in 2015. MY2020 saw the old girl get a facelift, but to be honest, she is still looking a bit jowly.

Rogue is a princely $70,000, and comes with a garage door-like device rolling its way out over the rear tray. Beyond that, Rogue and Rugged X sit at the top of a very big pile of manly, butch, models.

You can have 2 or 4-wheel drive, a 5 or 6 speed manual, or a 6-speed auto. There are “chassis” models with an option of a tray of your choice, but the 4-door Rogue Pick-Up offers spacious accommodation for 5 lofty lads.

The 2021 version is the latest of what is now a 6yo model, and despite a visit to the re-fitters, manages to feel a little old. If the previous generation is anything to go by, we can expect another 5 years at least. By then, Hilux will be old hat.

Here’s the problem: Hilux is big in the “fleet” community. That is, business buyers love ‘em. They feast at the Toyota table like pensioners at an all-you-can-eat. Buyers of all types have very specific criteria apart from the obvious. A tradie, for example, needs a tool-carrying ute that will take a beating. A miner needs to go far away from the oft-travelled, and all those grey nomads wanting to tow 500 metre long, 700-ton caravans to clog every highway in the country.

Most punters can be flexible on safety ratings but fleet buyers need a 5-star ANCAP rating that is 3 years old or less. Hilux will run out again in 2022, so unless Hilux is re-fitted then retested, fleet buyers will no longer be able to tick the Hilux box.

This leaves Toyota a couple of options. Either they abandon Hilux to private buyers, or they update it again with new safety tech.

And, there’s more. Hilux has hydraulic steering, so there is no hope of any of the active steering aids being installed unless they fit electric power steering too. There is no blind spot monitoring either, and Toyota would need to fit centre airbags between the front seats.

There is only so much a car maker can do with older architecture, and it would be very expensive.

Above: This Week – 2021 Toyota Hilux Rogue Full Review

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ABOVE: 2020 Toyota HiLux Range

So how does the 2021 Hilux hold up under closer inspection?

The exterior looks fine.

Hilux is quite handsome, but not as handsome as Amarok or Navara.

Rogue has a hard, electrically retractable, rear tray roller cover. Once the car is locked, the tray is secure. Buttons either side of the tray sit on the top edge, but the wiring underneath it runs through a flexible conduit visible inside the tray. The 12-volt socket is similarly vulnerable, with both looking like afterthoughts. I worry about the long-term viability of upward facing electric controls which are just asking for water ingress sooner or later.

Do be careful when loading your stuff in.

The tray is lined in scrumptious all-weather carpet, a fabulous idea for keeping your things from banging about.  Just as an aside, there are some great cargo solutions with dividers and crates that Velcro to the carpet. You could then whack your Coles bags in the back without your oranges looking like escapees from a pin-ball game.

Our Rogue’s army-esque green paint job looked rather good too.

Headlights are LED on the top models but will need high beam assist on all Hilux’s for a future ANCAP gong.

The Cabin and Technology:

Not a lot has changed inside.

An 8” centre tablet now has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB, and navigation as standard.

Front seats have single mode seat heating, and the climate control has only one zone. That is unforgivable in a car costing 70k regardless of its alleged capability. 2 zones please!

One thing that gives me the irrits is tacky plakky bits, and Hilux has lots. Is it there under the guise of being hard-wearing? I think not. Tapping like a demented woodpecker leaves one with the impression that the only soft surfaces are the seats and the floor. This has the effect of making the cabin feel a trifle low-rent.

Having said all that, the seating is comfortable, and the switches are all easy to find and use. The except I the smart cruise control. When Toyota added the radar controls to the steering wheel, they left the rest of the cruise control on that god-awful 3rd stalk. You activate the cruise using the stalk behind the steering wheel, but control the distance to the car in front using the button next to the lane control.

While we’re on the subject of lane control, as previously mentioned, most cars have electric steering. It allows a computer to accept data from sensors, then apply pressure to the steering column keeping the car centred, thus from departing the lane. Hilux can’t do that, so brakes the front wheel opposite to the side departing the lane. If you’re not expecting it, it can be quite a shock. One assumes if you’re departing a lane without indicating, you’ll be surprised when your trusty steed chucks out an anchor on one of the wheels you use to steer.

The Drive:

The top Pick-Up Hilux’s comes in 4X4 (aka 4WD), with a 2.8L turbo diesel and a 6-speed automatic. The gearbox falls short of expectation. Navara has a 7 speed, Amarok has an 8-speed, and Ranger has a 10-speed automatic. For good measure, Ranger will park itself.

Rear suspension is leaf spring, and rear brakes are drums. Some of Hilux’s competitors have multilink rear ends, making on-road handling more comfortable.

150kw/500Nm is about right for the segment, but performance would get a much-needed boost the extra cogs we spoke about earlier. Big off-roading tyres make for slightly floaty handling, and steering can be a handful with fast directional changes.

Towing increased to 3500kg braked, and I can hear retirees everywhere dialling the number for Larger Caravans Inc.

Off-road, Hilux is simply splendid. The experience is surprisingly simple and a lot of fun, but let’s not kid ourselves, most drivers will not leave the tarmac.

Parking is easy with a decent 360° camera setup.

Toyota claims 8.1L/100k and with judicious care taken, that is achievable. As you see in the video, city driving is as easy as any similar sized SUV.

Conclusion:

If it seems like we’ve OD’d on the negative, it is only because Hilux is a genuinely good ute, but it needs to do better. Hilux has coasted along on the coattails of its own reputation, and now has Ranger nipping at its heels.

We loved the carpeted cargo area and hard cover. The cabin is fairly comfortable and the drive experience is on a par with expectation. Toyota has done good work in the area of safety and driver aids, but the lane departure control is horrid. If this Hilux is to last another 5 or 6 years, it needs electric steering and computer-controlled aids. It will also need that centre airbag we spoke about.

Buyers have a choice. Write a list of what you want, then compare the specs of different models yourself. Don’t rely on someone else telling you what is best for you.

Price: Hilux Rogue $70,200

  • Engine: 2.8 turbo diesel
  • Power: 150kw/500Nm
  • Trans: 6 Sp Auto
  • Econ: 8.1L/100k

Tags:

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