The Hilux might be one of Toyota’s toughest models, but it only takes a moose to bring it down. We’re talking about the moose test, obviously.
The eighth-gen Hilux is the result of Toyota’s pick-up building expertise, 48 years in the making. Even so, the car reportedly has a major flaw.
According to Swedish publication Teknikens Värld – known for almost flipping the 1997 A-Class and the 2012 Grand Cherokee in the moose test – the new Hilux exhibits a similar, dangerous behavior during evasive maneuvers under load.
After subjecting the pick-up to the test, the Hilux under-performed dramatically at only 60 km/h (37 mph), as opposed to its direct competitors which didn’t have problems even at higher speeds.
As required by the law, the Hilux comes as standard with electronic stability control, but the absence of an anti-rollover system, in conjunction with too much tire grip, can cause the vehicle to (almost) flip, as Ruben Börjesson, Teknikens Värld’s test driver explained.
The conclusion is worrying, and, as Teknikens Värld said, there’s “something seriously wrong with the Toyota’s dynamic safety system”. However, if equipped with bigger wheels, the Hilux’s effect diminishes, although the truck still lifts the inside wheel.