For serious Hiluxers.
Did you know that on average, Australians spend an average of $2000 on accessories for their Toyota Hilux, the most popular ute on the market? Armed with that data, Toyota has developed three special editions of the much-loved 1-tonner, aimed at simplifying the lives of their customers by offering all the usual kit they’d add-on, as standard.
The Hilux Rugged, Rugged X, and Rogue are, to be fair, more than just kitted-out models. These cars were specially developed in Australia for our market, and maintain their standard factory warranties despite the plethora of items that have been swapped-out/upgraded. As a result, you enjoy the peace of mind of Toyota’s development processes as well as the security of a factory-backed warranty, which are never bad things.
What hasn’t changed is the motivation under the bonnet, as all the three new variants utilise the same 2.8-litre turbodiesel mill from the SR and SR5 models on which they’re all based. As such, they make a decent 130kW and substantial 450Nm, though a manual gearbox knocks the torque down a bit to just 420Nm.
The trio of special editions begin with the Hilux Rugged, which is built off a mid-range SR model. It earns its $54,990 price tag by tacking on things like a snorkel, a sharper grille, a sports bar, side rock-rails, a heavy-duty steel rear bar, and exposed towing points. It comes as standard with a six-speed manual transmission, but for an additional $2000, you can have a six-speed automatic instead. The Hilux Rugged also rides on snazzy 17-inch dual-tone alloys, finished mostly in black, which is cool.
While stepping up to the Hilux Rugged X ($61,690) might lose you the prominent front bullbar of the lower model, don’t for a second think that it’s any less rough and ready. The Rugged X was designed from the outset to be a properly serious off-roader, with a heavy-duty steel front bar that features an integrated LED lightbar, a bash plate, a new grille, and is winch-ready. And that’s just at the front.
At the rear, you’ll find a four-piece steel sports bar that’s mounted to the floor, and is capable of handling loads of up to 75kg, perfect for mounting additional driving lights. The tub also features a myriad of tie-down points, each rated for 200kg to keep things from sliding about when you’re going over some serious terrain.
Inside, you’ll find more niceties than you might expect. There’s leather upholstery for the seats, black metallic trim, and black headlining. There’s also a revised instrument cluster with unique graphics, as well as the usual 4.2-inch driver supervision display nestled between the dials.
Above that sits the Hilux Rogue, which is designed to be a more urban-friendly variant for the substantial number of Hilux customers that feel they need a ute to handle potholes and stuff. As such, the changes have all circled around offering a bold aesthetic and greater comfort & convenience features.
Notably, the Rogue may have been developed in Australia, but the variant has more global aspirations. It’s already available in Thailand, sort of, in the form of the Hilux Revo Rocco, and it’s likely that Rogue-based derivatives will start popping up around the region.
The Hilux Rogue benefits from a totally-unique fascia, with a large hexagonal grille, upturned lower air intake, and redesigned foglight housings, which bear more than a passing resemblance to the larger Toyota Tacoma pickup. There are also things like gloss-black wing mirror caps and black 18-inch alloys, to help differentiate the Rogue from its lesser siblings. There’s also a bespoke hardcover for the tub, which is lockable too.
The Hilux Rugged, Rugged X, and Rogue will go on sale on April 28th. To recap:
• 2018 Toyota Hilux Rugged – $54,990 ($56,990 with automatic)
• 2018 Toyota Hilux Rugged X – $61,690 ($63,690 with automatic)
• 2018 Toyota Hilux Rogue – $61,690 (standard automatic)
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