Family CAR REVIEW: 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute
A Beast of a Dual Cab Ute
By Tace Clifford
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The 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue is a beasty-looking five-seater dual cab ute, that attracted a lot of attention and admiring looks. We know once kids come along we can’t pick our cars on looks alone, we need them to function for our family. So let’s take a look at how it gets on with our BabyDrive testing…
Like most dual-cab utes installing child seats in the back of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Ute is no easy feat.
There are ISOFix in the two outer rear seats. They are not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to attach to.
The top tether anchorages for the two outer rear seats are particularly difficult to use in the Toyota Hilux.
Unlike top tether anchorages you will find in your car, in the Toyota Hilux they consist of a woven loop behind the outer headrests and a metal loop behind the central headrest. A lot of new utes have moved to these fabric loops for top tether anchorages, situated behind the rear headrests which are not as easy and questionably robust in the long term. You can read more about this here. The Mitsubishi Triton and Ford Ranger are two of the remaining dual cab utes with metal top tether anchorages and easier child seat installation but the new Triton is moving to a fabric loop for the new generation out next year. Others with metal anchors include the GWM Cannon and Jeep Gladiator.
You thread the top tether strap through the woven loop and across to clip onto the metal loop. Unfortunately this is particularly difficult to do with most child seats.
Because of the top tether anchorages you can only install two child seats in the back seats of the Toyota Hilux. Hardly and dual-cab utes have three anchorages now, since the Holden Colorado was discontinued and the new VW Amarok (now based on the Ranger rather than uniquely Volkswagen) was released.
I installed the Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule. This is the best Infant capsule for utes because the base and top tether anchorage stay fixed into the vehicle due to its patented design. Because the top tether anchorages are so difficult to attach in most dual-cab utes, the Infasecure Adapt More bypasses this problem because once you have installed it you don’t have to adjust the top tether anchor it every you take Bub in and out of the vehicle (a big advantage over all other infant capsules in Australia)!
In the other outer seat, I installed a forward-facing Infasecure Attain More 0-4 child seat which fits really nicely.
You can’t put a tethered child seat in the central seat but you can put an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat because its lightweight design means doesn’t require a top tether strap.
Head and legroom is really good in the 2023 Toyota Hilux dual-cab ute; a 180cm passenger can fit in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More infant capsule.
Storage throughout the 2023 Toyota Hilux dual-cab ute is good; there are two cup holders in the back will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
Door bins in the back will hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad…
… and map pockets in both the front seat backs will hold an iPad and have hooks above them which are good for holding school bags or shopping so they don't roll around the footwell.
In the front, the door bins are larger and will hold an iPad lying down in them too.
The 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue has my favourite features… dashboard cup holders at either end of the main dashboard. YAY!
The Hilux has two generous glove boxes. The lower one is large and will hold a wallet and iPad with the manual and the top one is large enough for a wallet and phone.
The central console box has a regular household plug socket so you can plug in a powered Eskys and other devices while travelling.
Two cup holders and a phone charging tray in front of the gear lever make the front of the cabin an enjoyable place for passengers.
There are rear aircon vents in the back of the central console box so parents can keep rear passengers at a comfortable temperature all year round while driving.
The model I tested previously had a tray cover that lifted, the current model I am testing has an electronically retractable tray cover that makes using the tray with my family much more practical and easy. The tray is also carpeted which prevents prams etc getting scratched when taking them in and out and is more comfortable for dogs and nappy changes!
You can carry as many prams, shopping, bikes and dogs as your family need and it's great for a family camping trip. The tailgate is heavy and it's just at child height so you need to watch they don't walk into it!
A twin, side-by-side pram fits in the tray of the 2023 Toyota Hilux dual-cab ute with eighteen shopping bags around it.
A single pram fits in the tray of the Hilux Rogue with twenty shopping bags.
The 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue dual-cab ute is a beast of a ute to drive. Visibility is good because you sit so high up and rear passengers get a good view out too. With two child seats installed in the back, the visibility out of the rear is great too.
The media system in the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue is quite basic still, the media screen is small and it does have built-in sat-nav.
The 2023 Toyota Hilux does have Apple CarPlay so you can access your phone's listening, navigation and communication apps while driving which is great.
The reversing camera image is quite small and a little blurry…
…you can choose full-screen view as well.
The Hilux does have a camera you can turn on while driving which is great for increased visibility…
…and it has side views too.
The 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue shares a five-star ANCAP safety rating with the rest of the HiLux range and has seven airbags as standard; dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the tray of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute?
The tray of the 2023 Toyota HiLux Rogue I tested was really practical for family life. It has a fantastic electric retractable tray cover and it is fully carpet lined, so you can easily slide prams etc in and out of the tray without scratching them or the tray. It's also more comfortable for dogs and emergency nappy changes!
The tray of the Toyota Hilux Rogue has not changed since this previous model I tested where the tray will hold 29 shopping bags! That's an ENORMOUS family shop! That's comparable to the GWM Cannon, Isuzu D-Max and the Mazda BT-50 that also hold 29 shopping bags. The Ford Ranger holds 30, the Mitsubishi Triton 28 and the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon 27 shopping bags.
I found a twin side-by-side pram easily slid intro the tray of the Hilux with eighteen shopping bags around it.
Or a double pram will fit with 21 shopping bags beside it.
Or a single pram will fit with twenty shopping bags beside it.
Or a compact stroller with 27 shopping bags beside it.
You could fit any size or number of dogs you wanted in the tray of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue.
How good is the storage inside the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute?
There are four cup holders in the front of the 2023 Toyota HiLux Rogue. Two in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup…
… and one cup holder pops out of each end of the dashboard. These are my FAVOURITE cup holders as they are so easy to access your drink while driving and the aircon can keep cold drinks cool or take the edge off a super-hot takeaway tea!
The door pockets in the front of the Hilux will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad has plenty of room too.
In front of the central console cup holders is a phone tray with USB and 12V charging sockets.
The central console box is a fair size and contains a household plug socket which is perfect for plugging in an powered Esky for family camping trips.
There were two glove boxes in the passenger side dash of the 2023 Toyota HiLux Rogue, one in the usual position and another directly above it. They are both a good size. An iPad and wallet fit in the lower one with the manual and a wallet and phone fit in the top.
There is a lined glasses case in the ceiling and the front passenger visor has a mirror only.
Back seat passengers have two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seat back. This will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
The rear door bins will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad fits too.
There are small map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but conceal an iPad and there are hooks above them which are great for hanging school backpacks so they don't roll around in the back.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute? How good is the media system in the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute?
The 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute media system feels a little basic compared to the majority of other brands.
The Hilux does have built-in Sat-nav which is good and it's easy to use.
There is Apple CarPlay in the Toyota Hilux so you can access your phone's navigation, messaging and music apps while driving.
The reversing camera image is a little blurry and small on the screen…
… you can change the image to full screen but it is still quite small.
You can turn the parking sensors off with a button by the driver's right knee.
There is also a camera view button here you can press at any time while driving to have a rear camera view…
… and there is a view down the sides of the Hilux as well.
The doors and windows of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute close quite gently for a ute, I didn't notice them to be
With Bub asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!Â
Road and wind noise are to be expected in the Toyota Hilux Ute, it's a really loud vehicle and when idling it does sound agricultural.
You can lock the doors and windows in the driver's door control panel, so little fingers in the back can't fiddle with their controls and open them!
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute?
Like most Utes installing child seats in the back of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue is no easy feat. Read more about this here.
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides and are nice and easy to attach to.
There are top tether anchorages for the two outer rear seats only in the Toyota Hilux, they are particularly difficult to use unfortunately.
Unlike top tether anchorages you will find in your car, in the Toyota Hilux they consist of a woven fabric loop behind the outer headrests and a metal loop behind the central headrest. A lot of new utes have moved to these fabric loops for top tether anchorages, which are not as easy or robust to use. You can read more about this here. The GWM Cannon and Ford Ranger are two of the remaining dual cab utes with metal top tether anchorages and easier child seat installation.
In this Hilux, you thread the top tether strap through the woven loop and across to clip onto the metal loop.
Unfortunately, this is particularly difficult to do with most child seats.
Because of the top tether anchorages you can only install two child seats in the back seats of the Toyota Hilux.
I installed the Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule behind the driver. This is the best Infant capsule for Utes because the base and top tether anchorage stays fixed into the vehicle. Because the top tether anchorages are so difficult to attach in most dual-cab utes the Infasecure Adapt More bypasses this problem because once you have installed it you don’t have to reattach and readjust the top tether strap every you take Bub in and out of the vehicle (making it easier than all other infant capsules in Australia)!
In the other outer seat, I installed a forward-facing Infasecure Attain More 0-4 child seat which fits really nicely.
You can’t put a tethered child seat in the central seat of the Hilux Dual Cab but you can put an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat because its super lightweight design means it doesn’t require a top tether strap.
Head and legroom is really good in the 2023 Toyota Hilux dual-cab ute; a 180cm passenger can fit in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule.
Posting Bub into their child seat from outside the Hilux Dual Cab was easy, the doorways are high and wide also you don't have to bend down into the vehicle which is nice for your back! With the high ceiling inside it is easy to post them in from inside too.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute if you only have one child seat installed. There is enough room for an adult to sit between two child seats also.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual-Cab Ute? And How good is the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual-Cab Ute to drive?
For the latest HiLux Rogue, Toyota has made a lot of improvements to the suspension, which have helped it drive better in pretty much every environment, and less jarringly bumpy and rough riding.
The seats in the front of the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual-Cab Ute are comfortable and easily adjustable.
The headrests are not adjustable so I could not wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are quite comfortable too, the central seat has a firm backrest where the fold-down armrest is.
Legroom is good in the back and I had plenty of legroom behind a 186cm driver and I'm 162cm.
For the first year of my Bub's life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down in the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue.
Across the front dashboard, there are four air conditioning vents, two in the centre above the media screening one at each end of the dashboard.
In the second row, there are air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box, I could reach the vents to adjust them for my children while driving.
The climate can be easily controlled with dials just below the media screen.
Visibility in the Toyota Hilux is good, you sit nice and high so all passengers get a good view out.
Being only able to install child seats in the outer two rear seats you have a view out of the centre of the rear windscreen.
If the view isn't clear enough for you then you can put the rearview camera on at any time with a button by the driver's right knee.
There is a full rear view…
…as well as views down the side of the vehicle.
The Toyota Hilux has a surprisingly small turning circle, which makes driving around town and doing the school run nice and easy.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. The 2023 Toyota Hilux ute is a BIG vehicle, it was relatively easy to park in our tight apartment block carpark.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute?
The new 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue Dual Cab Ute inherits a five-star ANCAP rating from 2019. It scored 87% for child occupancy protection and 96% for adult occupancy protection.
Seven airbags come as standard in the Toyota Hilux Rogue; Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag.
As standard, the 2023 Toyota Hilux Rogue comes with anti-lock braking system (ABS), adaptive cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), automatic emergency call (eCall), automatic headlights, daytime running lights (DRL), electronic data recorder (EDR), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), emergency stop signal (ESS), fatigue detection, forward collision warning (FCW), hill launch assist, lane-departure warning (LDW), lane-keep assist (LKA), pre-crash systems, reversing collision avoidance camera, second/multi collision brake, speed assistance – manual speed limiter and speed assistance – speed sign recognition and warning.
Blind spot monitor (BSM) and rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA) are not available on the base model but standard on all other variants.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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