Teknikens Värld
Teknikens Värld concludes that nine years of engineering updates and smaller wheels fail to resolve the Toyota Hilux's fundamental rollover risk during emergency evasive maneuvers.
AI-assisted summary of The new Toyota Hilux 2016 fails moose test — original source. Check the original for full context.
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Key ideas
- The 2016 Toyota Hilux demonstrated severe rollover risk during Teknikens Värld's evasive maneuver test, lifting its inside wheels off the pavement at just 37 mph. (0:00)
- The dangerous handling replicates an identical near-rollover issue documented by the publication on the previous-generation Hilux nine years earlier. (0:00)
- Segment competitors including the Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara passed the moose test cleanly at 42 mph without hazardous instability. (0:00)
- Retesting the Hilux on 17-inch wheels lowered tire grip and slightly reduced tipping behavior, but failed to remedy the fundamental chassis defect. (0:50)
Detailed notes
## Background Published on YouTube by Swedish automotive publication Teknikens Värld on October 26, 2016, this video highlights dynamic testing of the then-new pickup truck. The accompanying description notes that the new Toyota Hilux came close to tipping over during an evasive maneuver, directing viewers to their website for Toyota's official response and further details.
## TL;DR Teknikens Värld evaluates the 2016 Toyota Hilux in their standard moose evasive maneuver test, finding that it exhibits severe, dangerous tipping behavior at just 37 mph, mirroring a nearly identical rollover failure from nine years earlier. In comparison, direct market rivals like the Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara cleanly negotiate the course at a higher speed of 42 mph without instability. A follow-up retest of the Hilux equipped with smaller 17-inch wheels shows only marginal improvement due to lower grip, leading the testers to issue an unsparing verdict that Toyota's engineering remains entirely inadequate.
## Atmosphere & style The video carries an alarming, starkly critical, and professional tone driven by blunt disappointment. The presenter speaks with straightforward, no-nonsense gravity, contrasting dramatic footage of the truck violently lifting onto two wheels with calm, controlled runs from rival vehicles. Watching the test unfold feels tense and eye-opening, culminating in an uncompromising, sharp conclusion that leaves no room for excuses.
## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) The 2016 Toyota Hilux demonstrated severe rollover risk during Teknikens Värld's evasive maneuver test, lifting its inside wheels off the pavement at just 37 mph. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) The dangerous handling replicates an identical near-rollover issue documented by the publication on the previous-generation Hilux nine years earlier. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) Segment competitors including the Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara passed the moose test cleanly at 42 mph without hazardous instability. - [00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=50s) Retesting the Hilux on 17-inch wheels lowered tire grip and slightly reduced tipping behavior, but failed to remedy the fundamental chassis defect.
## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) Teknikens Värld revisited the Toyota Hilux in the moose test nine years after evaluating the previous-generation model. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) The previous-generation Hilux had exhibited severe instability and nearly flipped over during testing nine years prior. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) Testing the 2016 Hilux revealed that Toyota had made no meaningful engineering progress regarding evasive stability over nearly a decade. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) The 2016 Hilux began tipping and lifted its inside wheels dramatically at an evasive speed of only 37 mph (approx. 60 km/h). - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) Direct market rivals performed significantly better than the Hilux without exhibiting dangerous rollover characteristics. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) The Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara both successfully cleared the evasive course at 42 mph (approx. 67 km/h). - [00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=50s) Testers conducted a retest of the Hilux using smaller 17-inch wheels to check if wheel setup altered vehicle dynamics. - [00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=50s) The 17-inch wheel setup decreased cornering grip, yielding only a slight improvement in dynamic behavior. - [00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=50s) Altering wheel and tire specifications failed to fix the Hilux platform's baseline tendency to roll over during sudden evasive maneuvers. - [00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=50s) Teknikens Värld concluded with a harsh verdict against Toyota's chassis tuning, stating the performance was not even close to acceptable.
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=0s) The Toyota Hilux Moose Test Failure and Competitor Comparison
Nine years after Teknikens Värld first tested the previous generation of the pickup truck, the testing team revisits the vehicle's dynamics, recalling that almost rolling over was the troubling reality back then. Returning to evaluate the new 2016 model in the evasive maneuver test reveals that time has not resolved the underlying stability issues. The narrator expresses deep disappointment over the lack of engineering progress, stating bluntly: “9 years ago, this was the reality for Toyota Hilux when we tested in the moose test. Uh almost flipping over and uh now 9 years has passed, nothing has evolved.”
The pickup exhibits this severe instability at a relatively low speed, lifting its inside wheels dramatically off the pavement. The narrator emphasizes the severity of the handling defect: “This extremely dangerous behavior shows itself at 37 mph.” By contrast, rival pickup trucks on the market handle the evasive maneuver without threatening to roll over. Direct competitors such as the Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara successfully navigate the test course at 42 mph without exhibiting any handling traits remotely resembling the dangerous behavior seen in the Hilux.
- **Hilux Failure Speed**: Demonstrates severe tipping behavior at 37 mph (approx. 60 km/h). - **Competitor Performance**: The Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara clear the course cleanly at 42 mph (approx. 67 km/h) without hazardous instability. - **Historical Context**: The previous generation tested 9 years earlier suffered from the identical issue of nearly rolling over during the evasive maneuver.
[00:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ&t=50s) Retest with 17-Inch Wheels and the Final Verdict
In an attempt to see if tire specification altered the truck's dynamics, the test team conducted a follow-up evaluation using a Hilux fitted with smaller 17-inch wheels. While the reduction in tire grip kept the vehicle slightly more planted, it failed to remedy the fundamental chassis instability. As the narrator explains, “When we conducted the retest of the Hilux, we used uh a car with 17in wheels and could see that the lower grip level just made the behavior slightly better.”
Ultimately, swapping wheel setups does not excuse or resolve the broader design flaw. Nearly a decade after the initial controversy, the truck still exhibits the exact same dangerous rollover tendency in sudden steering maneuvers. The presenter closes the evaluation with an unsparing final judgment on Toyota's engineering response: “Ain't good enough. Not even close.”
- **Wheel Modification**: Switching to 17-inch wheels reduced cornering grip, resulting in only a minor improvement in maneuver stability. - **Conclusion**: The underlying rollover hazard remains the baseline dynamic behavior of the Toyota Hilux platform across nine years of production.
## Mentioned Teknikens Värld, Toyota, Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Amarok, Nissan Navara
## Video description The new Toyota Hilux close to tipping over in the evasive meneuver. Toyota's answer and more at http://teknikensvarld.se/the-new-toyota-hilux-close-to-tipping-over-338223/
[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHbn8-ROiQ)