If you own a new Hilux, you should avoid sudden changes of direction, unless you are a professional stunt or rally driver.
Swedish publication Teknikens Värld conducted the ‘moose test’ and found that at 60kph the new Toyota Hilux fails, unlike some of the bakkie’s competitors.
The publication mentioned that the moose test is usually performed with the bakkie’s maximum load, according to manufacturer specifications. The Hilux had the highest load capacity of all the tested pickups, at 1 002 kg. But in this test, Teknikens Värld says it was “loaded with only 830 kg, including the driver and four passengers, because our weights were not enough”.
“In other words, is not likely that the load is the causing problem here. If that would be the case, the suspension should have bottomed out, but it didn’t,” the report read.
Teknikens Värld approached Toyota for comment, and this is what the Swedish arm of the Japanese automaker had to say:
“Based on all the tests carried out during development, we are confident that the Toyota Hilux is a safe vehicle. As we understand, you have performed an evasive manoeuvre tests in your newspaper testing protocols on a series pickups, including the Toyota Hilux,” the statement read.
“You have informed us that the Toyota Hilux is not living up to your expectations. We were surprised by the test results, and we will take your assessment very seriously, just as we take the capacity for evasive manoeuvres as serious in the development of our vehicles.
“Hilux has been repeatedly tested according to ISO 3888 standard for evasive action test during the development of the model and then have passed the tests successfully.
“Several technical parameters have an impact on the outcome of an evasive manoeuvre, so we want to better understand the exact parameters for your test,” the automaker added.
The video above shows a demonstration of how the new Hilux copes with swift changes of direction at just 60kph. The Hilux almost tips over, in almost the same manner as an older Hilux that was tested in 2007 (shown in the video too). Competitors in the bakkie segment such as the Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok can make a swift change of direction at 67kph without tipping and the Ford Ranger can handle this manoeuver at 64kph.