No price change for enhanced Toyota HiLux Rogue

The heavily updated 2023 Toyota HiLux Rogue will arrive in Australian showrooms next month priced from an unchanged $70,200 plus on-road costs, despite featuring wider tracks, more ground clearance, revised suspension geometry and disc rear brakes.

Reimagined as something of a Ford Ranger Wildtrak fighter, the new Rogue will serve as the ultimate HiLux until the hotly anticipated Toyota HiLux GR Sport flagship arrives late in 2023, replacing the now defunct Rugged X.

Now a fair bit more than just a tarted up SR5, the new Rogue’s front and rear tracks have been widened by 140mm and the extra width is complemented by a 20mm increase in ground clearance and revised suspension architecture.

Specifically, the front suspension arms and sway bar have been extended, while the front dampers have been re-aligned accordingly.

Things are a little more drastic at the back-end, where the rear shock absorbers follow the wheels outward on a longer axle, and the left and right wheel assemblies are now linked by a sway bar – a first for any HiLux in Australia.

Toyota says the addition of the rear sway bar brings a 20 per cent improvement in roll rigidity and, combined with the revised front-end architecture and wider track, improves steering feel and stability.

That means the upgraded Rogue should not only be the most capable HiLux out of the box, but the most dynamic as well.

This enhanced dynamism is backed by new disc rear brakes – another HiLux first Down Under – and new 18-inch alloy wheels, which going by the press images will still be wrapped in highway-terrain tyres.

The wider footprint is alluded to by the drastically enlarged wheel-arches and matching mudguards, the former of which have been integrated into the front bumper design so they don’t look tacked-on.

No changes have been made to the HiLux’s familiar 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, which continues to pump out a competitive 150kW/500Nm and drive the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

As with all HiLux 4x4s, the four-wheel drive system is a selectable part-timer supported by a low-range transfer case and locking rear differential.

Standard equipment highlights on the new Toyota HiLux Rogue will continue to include a powered roller cover, carpeted tub-liner, resin sports bars, heated front seats, perforated leather accented upholstery, panoramic view monitor, integrated trailer wiring harness, tow bar and a nine-speaker premium audio system.

You can save $750 if you go without a premium audio system and opt for a plainer six-speaker set-up, which should also help keep the wait time down.

“Toyota Australia has implemented this temporary strategy to secure continued supply of Hilux Rogue for customers,” said Toyota Australia today.

“Toyota dealers are best placed to provide customers with wait time estimates for any specific vehicle orders.”

Fans of Toyota HiLux tough-trucks are likely licking their lips at the potential for all of these upgrades and more to be applied to next year’s new GR Sport ‘apex’ flagship, which should finally provide Toyota with a genuine rival to the locally developed Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, even if it still falls short of the circa-300kW, $85K-plus Ford Ranger Raptor.

How much does the 2023 Toyota HiLux dual-cab 4x4 pick-up cost?
SR – $51,895
SR (a) – $54,045
SR5 – $59,930
SR5 (a) – $61,930
SR5+ – $62,430
SR5+ (a) – $64,430
Rogue (a) – $70,200

* Prices exclude on-road costs