2024 Toyota HiLux Rogue V-Active review

Toyota has updated its lifestyle-focussed HiLux Rogue in what is quite likely to be the final refresh for the model ahead of an all-new HiLux, due in 2025.

This generation has been around since 2015, and in a segment that has taken huge strides in terms of technology, safety and comfort in recent years, the HiLux is beginning to show its age.

But in a bid to stem the tide, earlier this year, the HiLux range underwent the most significant updates it has received in over four years, likely to be the model’s final update ahead of the new model’s arrival next year.

For the HiLux Rogue that means the addition of the brand’s 48-volt ‘V-Active Technology’ as standard, which aims to improve performance and fuel efficiency. It also brings some minor interior updates designed to eke out the HiLux Rogue’s life cycle.

But is it enough to ensure the Rogue remains a contender in the hotly contested lifestyle dual-cab segment against an armada of newer, fresher, rivals? Let’s find out.

The 2024 Toyota HiLux Rogue is priced from $71,530 plus on-road costs, which is a slight tickle up (by $770) for the 2024 model year over its predecessor.

But that extra spend brings with it Toyota’s V-Active 48-volt ‘mild-hybrid’ system and the brand’s Multi Terrain Select (MTS), the latter offering six selectable driving modes for a variety of conditions.

Rogue models also score a wireless smartphone charging pad for the first time, as well as two USB Type-C outlets in the second row.

Toyota is at pains to point out the Rogue’s 48-volt system isn’t a hybrid system in the true sense of the word. Instead, the system uses a small electric motor and 48-volt battery to run the HiLux’s idle stop-start, switching off the engine at traffic lights to save fuel, as well as providing a small boost under acceleration and lowering engine idle speed, from 720rpm to 600rpm. Toyota says the system reduces fuel consumption by around 10 per cent. We’ll put that claim to the test later in this review.

The rest of the Rogue’s standard equipment is carried over from the pre-updated model.

Inside, those features run to an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with inbuilt satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, dual-zone climate control, push-button start, proximity key, leather seats with seat heating up front, and a premium nine-speaker JBL sound system.

Exterior highlights run to a powered roller shutter for the tray, a tray lined with durable and pretty spiffy-looking marine grade carpet, 18-inch alloy wheels, a sports bar, LED head and tail-lights, and a towbar with a trailer wiring harness.

Other goodies that help set the Rogue apart from the broader range include a bespoke front bumper and grille design, those tough-looking wheel-arch claddings, gloss black side mirrors, a chunky tailgate handle specific to the Rogue, and central-locking for the tailgate.

The Rogue is available in a choice of nine colours, eight of which, including the Graphite metallic of our test car, command a $675 premium. The only no-cost colour is Glacier White.

All up, our Rogue HiLux runs to $72,205 before on-road costs, or around $78,000 drive-away (in NSW). Final drive-away price may vary depending on which state or territory you live in.

The Rogue’s most obvious rivals come from the usual suspects in the popular dual-cab arena. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak in 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder trim asks for $76,627 drive-away (in NSW), while the newest addition the Ranger line-up, the Tremor, is just 50 bucks more at $76,677 drive-away.

The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior brings its rugged A-game to the party with a price tag of around $77,830 drive-away, while the new Mitsubishi Triton in range-topping GSR trim represents the more affordable end of the segment with its $65,990 drive-away price.

The HiLux Rogue has grown a bit since it first graced our roads back in 2018. Then, it was pitched as the range-topper of the HiLux range, and generally looked like a regular HiLux with some nice wheels and a flashier interior.

The Rogue didn’t sprout its distinctive body enhancements until the 2021 model year, and when it did, its dimensions grew compared against regular HiLuxes.

That remains true with this update, the Rogue at once longer (by 5mm) and taller (5mm) than the entry-level dual-cab Workmate grade. The biggest difference is in width, the Rogue – thanks to those wheel arches and wider track both front (by 135mm) and rear (155mm) – some 165mm wider than regular HiLuxes. For the record, the Rogue’s critical dimensions are 5325mm long, 2020mm wide and 1870mm high.

Inside, it’s easy to see Toyota has made an effort in lifting the cabin ambience, albeit while still remaining true to its utilitarian roots. There are plenty of hard plastic surfaces on show, augmented by lashings of leather on the seats.

The front seats feature seat heating, although Toyota has cheaped out a little with the only two settings available either ‘on’ or ‘off’ and not the two- or three-stage settings we’ve become accustomed to in other brands.

The seats themselves, what Toyota calls ‘premium bucket seats’, are comfortable enough and power adjustable for the driver. Finding the right seating position isn’t a stretch.

Storage is generous. As well as a small central bin, there are the obligatory pair of cupholders, good-sized door pockets and two gloveboxes, the top ’box cooled to help keep your drink chilled and your sandwich fresh.

The second row is comfortable enough, although we’d suggest three adults across the back row might not the the last word in comfort. Still, in terms of foot, knee, leg and head room, there’s ample space back there. The outboard seats feel comfy, although the middle position is compromised by a small transmission tunnel that eats into available foot space and a higher, and firmer, seating position. It’s best saved for occasional use.

Amenities in row two include some air vents embedded into the back of the centre console, a pair of cupholders in a fold-down armrest, map pockets and a handy pair of bag hooks located in the backs of the front seats, ideal for keeping your takeaway lunch nice and secure.

For those with little ones, there are ISOFIX child seat anchors on the outboard seats along with two top-tether points. There is no child seat restraint for the middle seat.

The rear seat bases fold up to reveal the jack and tyre changing tools as well as a very slim storage area.

Out back, the tub is lined with what Toyota calls marine-grade carpet. It certainly looks good and no doubt serves a practical purpose too, protecting both your gear and the tub itself from scratches. And a powered tray cover is just the icing on the cake.

Nice touches include the central-locking tailgate that unlocks – and locks – via the key fob, a hydraulically damped tailgate, and that chunky HiLux-branded handle specific to the Rogue. There’s also a 12V power socket and LED lighting to help you find your gear in the dark.

Toyota doesn’t provide official dimensions for the tub but the payload is rated at 854kg.

An 8.0-inch touchscreen hosts Toyota’s infotainment system, which is getting a bit long in the tooth. Everything works well enough, and it’s enough to use, but lacks that finesse modern systems are delivering by the tub load.

Apple CarPlay is standard, along with wired Android Auto. We used CarPlay exclusively, and it proved faultless over our week with the car, and quick to connect via a USB-A cable.

The full gamut of radio bandwidths (AM/FM/DAB+) is standard as is inbuilt satellite navigation, although we found using Google Maps via CarPlay a more satisfying experience.

A nine-speaker JBL sound system offers good audio clarity.

The Toyota smartphone app offers some connected services, remotely accessing the Rogue to provide information on fuel levels, as well as the status of the lights and locks. It can also contact emergency services in the event of an accident. It’s complimentary for three years but attracts a subscription fee after that.

New for this update are a wireless charging pad and two USB-C outlets in the second row, the latter remedying a common complaint of the previous-generation Rogue.

The Hilux range comes with three years of complimentary access to Toyota Connected services. In car functions like SOS emergency call and collision notification are available, while owners can link to a smartphone app to remotely lock and unlock doors, check service and trip info, check the fuel level, and more.

The instrument binnacle remains exactly that, hosting analogue dials with only a small digital screen nestled between that displays driving data. It’s an analogue reminder that the game has moved digital.

The Toyota HiLux range, except for the GR Sport, was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2019. This rating is valid until December 2025.

It scored impressively across all four key metrics – 96 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent child occupant, 88 per cent vulnerable road user, and 78 per cent for its safety assist systems.

A comprehensive suite of active safety systems are bundled into the Rogue.

Standard are autonomous emergency braking, both low- and high-speed with pedestrian and cyclist detection. There’s lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, the latter two only available in Rogue and range-topping GR trim levels.

A 360-degree camera is standard as well, along with front and rear parking sensors and speed sign recognition.

Adaptive cruise control is also included, but while it’s good at maintaining set speed and distance while on the move, it doesn't feature stop-start technology, meaning you’ll have to take over as you approach traffic lights or traffic. The airbag count runs to seven covering both rows of occupants.

Toyota covers the HiLux with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is par for the course these days.

Service intervals are a bit skinny, though, due every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. That means your HiLux will spend way more time in the workshop than utes with the more standard 12 months or 15,000km service intervals.

But, Toyota, as it does across its entire range, offers very reasonable capped-price servicing plans. The first six trips to the workshop, covering three years or 60,000km, are priced at just $290 a pop.

Things can get a bit dearer after that, with the seventh visit (70,000km) asking for $361.82, followed by $781.56, $547.50, and $457.92 for a five-year/100,000km total of $3888.80.

For context, the HiLux’s biggest rival, the Ford Ranger, will set you back $1936 for five years or 75,000km to keep it well maintained and factory fresh.

Comprehensive insurance for the HiLux Rogue runs to $1874 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The same coverage for the Ford Ranger Wildtrak asks for $2045, while the Nissan Navara Pro-4X will set you back $1947.

Toyota claims the HiLux Rogue with its V-Active 48-volt mild-hybrid system sips diesel at the rate of 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, which is 0.6L/100km better than the equivalent model without V-Active.

Our week with the Rogue saw an indicated 9.9L/100km over a variety of conditions including city traffic, urban commuting and long, loping highway runs. Our week precluded us going off-road.

That represents a 0.7L/100km improvement compared against the last time we reviewed a HiLux Rogue sans V-Active. They’re not huge consumption gains, but every bit helps, right?

The Rogue’s fuel tank measures in at 80L, giving the Rogue a theoretical range of around 1025km per tank against Toyota’s claim. But based on our real-world experience, you could expect closer to around 810km per tank.

Toyota’s venerable 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, does the heavy lifting in the HiLux Rogue. It’s good for 150kW and 500Nm, which is on par for the dual-cab segment.

Performance around town is decent thanks to the 2.8-litre’s peak torque coming on song at a very friendly 1600rpm.

Moving through traffic presents little in the way of challenge to the Rogue, eager enough to move away from standstill, and happy enough to move with the flow without feeling overly fussy.

Some engine noise does permeate the cabin, but that’s to be expected from a dual-cab running diesel grunt.

Out on the highway, the Rogue is a willing and able companion, getting up to cruising speed nice and easily, and settling into 100km/h rhythm without too much fuss.

The six-speed auto does feel a little underdone in this era of eight- or even 10-speed transmissions, holding onto gears a little longer and meaning the engine is working just that little bit harder.

The 48-volt V-Active mild-hybrid makes no discernible difference to performance, despite Toyota’s claim that it adds a little spring into the step of the Rogue. If it does, it’s not noticeable, by any stretch.

The suspension set-up is passable and par for the course for the segment. It can feel light and fidgety when unladen, especially over roughshod roads pockmarked with the holes and imperfections endemic to our road system.

On smoother surfaces, such as freeways and motorways, the Rogue feels a lot more solid and planted, undistracted by the detritus that blights our suburban road network. If anything, it can feel a little stiff under wheel.

The steering remains light, despite the Rogue’s undeniable size and heft, making for an easy time of it when navigating city streets and suburban enclaves.

Our time with the Rogue didn’t align with us being able to take it off-road, an environment where we know from past experience over many years the HiLux excels.

The Toyota HiLux Rogue is capable of towing up to 3500kg with a braked trailer or up to 750kg without. That’s pretty standard for the dual-cab segment, with only the bigger US-style pick-up trucks rated to haul more weight.

In real terms, with a gross combined mass (GCM) of 5850kg, the HiLux isn’t realistically going to tow anywhere near its maximum quoted capacity, with GCM needing to account not only for the ute itself (in this case 2286kg), but also any and all people on board, plus their things (like camping gear) as well as the downball weight of the trailer itself.

We didn't tow a trailer on this test, but past testing has shown the HiLux is capable as a tow vehicle as long as the trailer, caravan or boat comes in well under the maximum permissible weight, arguably at its most comfortable hauling around 2500–3000kg.

The Rogue’s payload is rated at 854kg.

The HiLux might be an ageing warrior, but there’s still plenty to like about what was, and remains, one of the favourite choices of buyers in the dual-cab segment.

But this mild update to its unapologetically lifestyle-focussed Rogue variant highlights exactly how far the segment has moved on. The cabin is starting to feel a little dated and the Rogue’s on-road manners aren’t up to some of its newer rivals.

But, that’s not to say the HiLux Rogue isn’t a worthy addition to any buyer’s short list of consideration. Certainly, as a family hauler, the Rogue does enough, both inside and under the skin, to earn a place on any buyer’s consideration list.

If, like so many Aussie buyers have done over the decades, you are wanting to park a HiLux Rogue in your driveway, your next step on the purchase journey is to check the Toyota Australia website for stock of your preferred HiLux variant.

If the idea of spending circa $78,000 on a HiLux seems daunting, then Toyota’s comprehensive range of dual-cabs should see you find something well within your budget. You can also find a range of Toyotas for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ, especially in this highly competitive dual-cab segment. Find your nearest Toyota dealer via this link.

We’d also recommend test-driving the Ford Ranger Wildtrak or even the new Ranger Tremor variant, as well as the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior and for those with slightly less coin to spend, the Mitsubishi Triton GSR. And for those who want most of the goodies a ‘lifestyle’ ute can bring but are on a strict budget, the LDV T60 Max Pro presents as a more affordable option.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.