UTE WITH ALL THE FRUIT
The HiLux with bright, shiny add-ons is a Rogue by name. As for its nature ...
the suspension rates, or perhaps the Rogue’s extra 100kg kerb weight — which comes off the maximum payload capacity, now down to 825kg — has taken the edge off the springs’ lack of initial compliance.
A broad, generously padded driver’s seat is good for a long day but the shallow footwell, low seating position and insufficient reach adjustment for the wheel mean that longlegged drivers can be quite cramped. Rear legroom is fine. You get seven airbags and a camera. That’s it. There is not one piece of driver assist safety technology (autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring etc) in this $60,000-plus vehicle. Unbelievable! as the Donald would say. Yet it still scores five stars from ANCAP. Crazy. The HiLux’s 130kW 2.8-litre turbo diesel is matched with six-speed automatic/part-time, dual-range 4WD as standard in Rogue.
It isn’t the punchiest engine in ute world but it’s a lovely thing to drive, with the ability to run all day, in any situation, ticking over at minimal revs with just a faint oiler grumble as soothing background noise.
Peak torque of 450Nm kicks in at 1600rpm, and when muscle is required, the transmission taps it quickly and smoothly, though under acceleration the engine vibration is quite pronounced.
Expect 10L-12L/100km in town and 6L-7L on the highway. Maximum towing capacity is as per SR5 auto: 3200kg.
One-tonners, no matter how much they cost, how pretty they look or how many bolt-on go-fast bits they carry, are and always will be bottom feeders in the handling food chain. No amount of wishful thinking or marketing spin will ever change the basics of their tall, heavy, primitive chassis engineering.
If you want to drive a ute that handles, get a used Holden SSV Redline.
That said, HiLux is perfectly safe and predictable when driven within its limits, which are comparable with its rivals. VW’s Amarok V6 is the best. Even it won’t see which way a Corolla went on a tight, winding road. At long last, a ute with a bit of design panache. It’s not too butch and not too pretty. Just like “urban adventurer” me. I know I’m paying more than $10, 000 over the odds for an SR5 in a party dress but HiLux is still the most bankable badge in the ute business. The donor is the 140kW/450Nm 2.3-litre turbo diesel/seven-speed auto/dual range 4WD Nissan Navara STX. Mercedes adds its own interior, similar to a C-Class, and better brakes, suspension and safety. And that badge. Class-leading value, performance, refinement, handling and comfort. Big tub too. It runs a 165kW/550Nm 3.0-litre V6/eight-speed auto with permanent AWD in high-range only.