2018 Toyota HiLux Rugged X road test review
- Tough looks
- Locally developed accessories
- Go-anywhere promise
- Same engine as regular HiLux
- Reduced payload, increased consumption
- Premium price
Jealous of the success held by Ford’s Ranger Wildtrak and aware both the blue oval and Holden’s HSV were working on even tougher versions of their respective utes, Toyota set about beefing up its dual-cab HiLux years ago.
Developed locally through a painstaking test program, the Toyota HiLux Rugged X stands as the toughest, most expensive ute you can buy from the biggest-selling marque on the road.
Toyota is the number one brand in the Australian sales race, the HiLux is its top model and the well-equipped, four-wheel-drive SR5 its most popular variant.
Historically, many customers have pushed further than Toyota was prepared to go with the pickup by spending thousands on aftermarket accessories such as bull bars, snorkels and tough-looking wheels to set their machine apart from the crowd.
The new Rugged X is a double-edged answer to lucrative third-party accessories and rival manufacturers threatening to steal customers away from the Japanese giant.
What you get
Based on the HiLux SR5, the Rugged X treatment brings smaller 17-inch alloys with chunky tyres ready to handle off-road duties, along with heavy-duty steel front and rear bumpers, outstanding additional front lighting, a protective front bash plate and side rock rails, air snorkel, towing kit and functional sports bar behind the cabin. Cosmetic touches include black wheel arch and side mouldings, black mirror caps, tail lamp surrounds, HiLux badges and decorative decals.
It looks properly purposeful, deleting the SR5’s shiny chrome in favour of a black-ops aesthetic sure to sit well with a no-doubt blokey clientele.
Customers might not be bothered by the somewhat naff name, as some will look back fondly on former flames with an affinity for the outdoors.
On the inside, the Rugged X gets black perforated leather seats, metallic black cabin trim, a black roofliner and subtly revised instruments.
Other elements such as sat nav, a reversing camera and smart keys come straight from the SR5.
As does its mechanical hardware, which is identical to lesser models.
Priced from $61,690 plus on-road costs in six-speed manual form (and other $2000 for an automatic transmission) the Rugged X costs around $7500 more than an SR5 when current promotions are taken into account. While that’s not exactly cheap, you do get a reasonable amount of extra kit for the money, and it’s important to remember that the gear meets Australian Design Rules and is covered by Toyota’s three-year, 100,000 kilometre warranty.
A capped-price servicing scheme for the HiLux costs $240 per service for the first three years or 60,000 kilometres at six month, 10,000 kilometre intervals.
What’s inside
Darkened headliner and perforated leather lends a more purposeful tone to the HiLux’s cabin, helped by new instrument gauges with white elements.
Positive factors include a steering wheel with reach adjustment, reasonably comfortable seats and a good amount of storage space including a cooled glove box.
Rear air vents help keep rear passengers cool, though the back row isn’t exactly plush.
That said, the HiLux’s low-rent infotainment system wins few points at this end of the market.
Looking (and feeling) cheap and poorly-integrated compared with the best in class, the Toyota’s navigation system lacks modern features such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. It could also use more than one USB point to keep gadgets powered up.
The wish list for future upgrades also includes a digital speedo, active cruise control and autonomous emergency braking likely to be included on next-gen models.
Under the bonnet
Like key rivals from Ford and HSV, the HiLux features the same engine as regular variants in the ute range. In this case, that amounts to a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel with 130kW of power. Six-speed automatic variants get 450Nm of torque, while manual models make do with 420Nm - intriguingly, the less grunty manual is rated to tow 3.5 tonnes, while the auto falls slightly short at 3200kg.
While 130kW isn’t a big number, the HiLux often seems stronger than its relatively low power figure suggests, feeling just as capable as rival machines with closer to 150kW - particularly when towing.
But Toyota’s engine isn’t the smoothest on the market, bringing a slightly agricultural chatter sure to be phased out as the ute market goes from strength to strength.
Claimed 8.6L/100km fuel economy works out closer to 12L/100km in the real world, and back-to-back testing with key rivals reveals the HiLux has a shorter useable range than the likes of VW’s Amarok.
Until recently, we would have said that the engine’s proven reliability was a point in its favour, but a couple of glitches in test examples have us querying that claim.
In any case, the HiLux’s drivetrain is a user-friendly, under-stressed arrangement backed by the most compressive dealer network in the nation.
How it drives
Unsurprisingly, the Rugged X drives just like a regular HiLux. Stiffer front springs are the only difference between this and lesser models, but they are the same springs you get when fitting a bull bar to a HiLux SR5, so it’s not exactly night-and-day stuff.
We’ve driven the Rugged X on tarmac and dirt, on rocky outcrops and smooth highways and can report it will do just about anything you can expect from a new ute. Easy enough on the highway, the Toyota’s slightly heavy steering and work-ready suspension elicit predictable responses on the road.
On the whole, the HiLux is one of the better-resolved utes you can buy - either when tackling suburban duties or putting it to work.
The switchable low-range four-wheel-drive system and rear diff locker lend immense off-road capability to the HiLux platform, which is only improved by more aggressive approach and departure angles made possible by new bodywork. We've put the new model's additional front lights to work in the bush, and were blown away by their ability to make night driving a more relaxing experience.
Dry weather in central Australia made it difficult to test the water-wading ability made possible by Toyota’s air intake snorkel.
Then again, we can’t help but feel most customers won’t test the outer extremes of the HiLux’s adventurous capability. While it’s nice to know the high-mounted air intake can help you cross rivers, in reality it seems more like the enormous spoiler which contributes high-speed downforce to the back of Subaru’s rally-bred WRX STI, serving as a fashion item and statement of intent for 90 per cent of users.
There’s a good amount of pose-factor to the Rugged X, which is noticeably slower than more affordable models thanks to the extra weight of its accessories.
Another sore point is that the added heft of its hardware reduces the model’s load capacity to around 750 kilos.
Verdict
We’ve said it before and we will say it again; you can argue the Rugged X represents style over substance, and that Toyota missed an opportunity to push technical boundaries with re-engineered suspension and drivetrain elements.
Then again, Toyota knows a thing or two about selling cars in enormous numbers and giving customers what they want.
Recognising the demand for premium utes with more aggressive looks, a dash of exclusivity and the promise of adventure, Toyota no doubt has another hit on its hands with the HiLux Rugged X.
2018 Toyota HiLux Rugged X pricing and specifications:
Price: From $61,690 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 130kW at 3400rpm
Torque: 420Nm (manual), 450Nm (auto)
Transmission: Six-speed manual, four-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 7.9L/100km (manual), 8.6L/100km (auto
Road test rivals:
Ford Ranger Wildtrak
Price: $61,790 (plus options and on-road costs)
Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 147kW at 3000rpm
Torque: 470Nm at 1750-2500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto, 4WD
Fuel use: 8.9L/100km
HSV Colorado SportsCat+
Price: $68,990 (plus options and on-road costs)
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 147kW at 3600rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 2000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto, 4WD
Fuel use: 8.7L/100km
2018 Volkswagen Amarok Ultimate Price and Specifications
Price: from $68,490 (plus on-roads)
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel
Power: 165kW at 2500-3500rpm
Torque: 550Nm at 1500-2500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, AWD
Fuel use: 7.8L/100km