The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Which HiLux variant is a better buy; the cheaper more off-road biased Rugged or the town-oriented Rogue?
Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | On the surface, it might appear as if these two vehicles are aimed at different buyers. At least that’s what Toyota would like for you to think but the truth is they’re both HiLuxes! And that means, if you’re interested in one then you’ll be interested in the other.
Okay, justification out of the way, let’s get into this.
What’s the price and what do you get?
The Rogue adds accessories that bump the price higher than the Rugged. They include a revised front bumper and grille, grey rear bumper with wider step, tow bar, load-rated sports bar, hard tonneau cover with integrated light, tailgate dust-sealing kit, marine-grade carpet tub liner, 18-inch ‘Rogue’ alloy wheels, and the same interior features and trim as the Rugged X. The Rogue is an automatic-only model, the other variants offer both manual and automatic transmission options.
While the Rogue is based on the SR5, as is the Rugged X, the Rugged is based on the SR and, so, is quite a bit cheaper than the Rogue even when accounting for the ‘practical’ extras it gets.
The Rugged, claims Toyota, is aimed at buyers who need the protection of a more traditional steel bull bar, with six-speed manual gearbox (the auto adds to cost), which is a premium over the HiLux SR Double-Cab Pick-Up on which it’s based.
What about safety features?
The HiLux carries a five-star rating from when it was tested back in 2015. But because the HiLux lacks active safety, if it was tested today by ANCAP it would fail to achieve a five-star rating. Standard safety features include seven air bags, vehicle stability control, active traction control, hill-start assist control, trailer sway control and reversing camera.
What’s the interior and practicality like?
The interior is one of the areas where there are a handful of differences between the Rogue and the Rugged. The Rogue’s interior mirrors that of the Rugged X and offers more extensive use of gloss black trim panels, gets a larger information screen set between the analogue dials and has leather seats and a more modern climate control interface.
The HilUx variants are mechanically identical to their donor vehicles and that means they run a 2.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine making 130kW at 3400rpm and 450Nm of torque from 1600-2400rpm.
What are they like on the road?
The Rogue’s ride is firm and that’s in part due to the fact it’s a ute with a cart-spring rear end and because the thing rides on 18-inch alloys with less ‘give’ in the tyre sidewall. The Rugged, however, rides on 17s with a higher sidewall and thus a little more ‘give’ across bumps. It’s also had its suspension tuned to handle the additional weight of the accessories it carries. The Rugged is more comfortable both on- and off-road.
Which one wins and why?
This is an interesting-ish question. If you’re a poser who doesn’t care for driving off-road at all, then the more expensive Rogue is for you. But, if you’re looking for a cheaper HiLux variant with a whole heap of legwork already done in terms of practical accessories then the Rugged is the much better buy.
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Source: Internet
