As happened in 2007 with the previous generation, Toyota Hilux was not able to successfully carry out one of the most important tests of active safety: the “moose test”.
The latest generation of the Toyota Hilux was introduced in 2015, and despite the new stringer chassis that reinforces the characteristics of strength and reliability – as we were able to prove a few months ago in Tróia – the popular “moose test” continues to be the heel of Achilles from the Japanese pick-up, this according to the Swedish publication Teknikens Varld.For those unfamiliar, the “moose test” – moose test – is nothing more than an evasive maneuver in order to monitor the behavior of the vehicle when it deviates from an obstacle, at a speed of around 60 km/h . With regard to pick-ups, the exercise is normally carried out with the maximum load advertised by the brand, and with 1 002 kg of capacity, the Toyota Hilux has the highest value among all models tested by the Swedish publication. In this case, the test was carried out with only 830 kg of cargo, including the driver and passengers, but still the pick-up was not able to overcome the challenge:
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The response from the brand did not wait. Bengt Dalström, managing director of Toyota Sweden AB, guarantees that the new Hilux is a safe vehicle, taking into account the panoply of tests carried out by the brand during the development phase. However, Dalström showed openness to discuss the results published by the Swedish magazine:
“We are surprised by the result of the test, and we take this assessment seriously, just as we do with our tests in Toyota vehicle development. There are several technical parameters that can influence the result of these maneuvers, and that is why we want to better understand the exact parameters in this test”.