BEEFED-UP dual-cab pick-ups are all the rage at the moment. Just when you thought the Ford Ranger Raptor and HSV Colorado SportsCat would have the emerging segment to themselves, Toyota has kicked the door down with its new HiLux flagship trio.

Dubbed the Rogue, Rugged and Rugged X, the latest HiLux variants have burst onto the scene with a focus on lifestyle and off-road ability. However, just like the Raptor and SportsCat before them, high-performance powertrains are not part of the equation.

Power-hungry Australians will have to look towards the incoming Mercedes-Benz X350d and Volkswagen Amarok TDI580 instead, or should they? We put Toyota’s hard-hitting trio to test on and off the beaten track to find out.