The Toyota Hilux Rogue is the preview to the hardcore Raptor fighter that’s rumoured to debut in 2023.

What you see here is a creation by Toyota Australia. It’s quite the enhancement, with the official claim being ‘a significant performance and capability upgrade’ for the Toyota Hilux.

Under the skin, the Toyota Hilux Rogue gets a track increase of around 140 mm at the front and rear, while the ride heigh has been raised by 20 mm. The claim is enhanced offroad capability and on-road performance. The suspension has also been tweaked with an extension to the front suspension arm and front stabiliser bar. The shock absorber angle has also been tweaked to enhance cornering stability and ride comfort.

The rear drum brakes have been swopped out for ventilated disk units and the front brakes are now bigger in size. Thanks to these changes, roll rigidity is said to be enhanced by 20% and there’s improved steering feel.

Visually, this model gains wide track over fenders and mudguards to accommodate the increased track and there’s a front body extension too. There’s no engine upgrade, but the release from Toyota Australia makes mention of the intention to launch a brand-new ‘apex offroad variant’ which we suspect is the Toyota answer to the Ford Ranger Raptor.

The Blue Oval’s offroad monster has been well received, despite packing 4-cylinder diesel power, but that’s set to change with the arrival of the brand-new Ranger Raptor that comes with a fire-breathing turbocharged V6.

Where does this news leave South African Toyota Hilux fans? Well, the Rogue is set to go on sale in Australia towards the end of 2022, with the performance derivative likely revealed in 2023. Toyota South Africa is hard at work restoring its Prospecton plant which was heavily damaged due to floods earlier this year. We already know that Toyota SA has a performance Hilux in the works, dubbed GR Sport.

The Toyota Hilux GR Sport breaks the traditional GR hierarchy by offering an engine upgrade and we’re expecting to see that hit showrooms in the next few months, once the factory is back to running at capacity. We suspect there could be delays as the plant will have to clear a backlog of orders. This plant also assembles the Toyota Corolla Cross, a vehicle that has proven popular in SA since its launch.

With outputs of 165 kW and 550 Nm, this GR Sport will be the most powerful Hilux offered locally. As it stands, the current flagship model puts out 150 kW and 500 Nm.

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Further Reading

Don’t expect a wild GR Hilux anytime soon!

Best bakkies for offroad driving