Toyota Hilux now handles the moose test
By Linus Pröjtz
This article and video are also available in Swedish.
When the Toyota Hilux went up on two wheels and was about to tip over in the avoidance maneuver test (moose test) last fall, we were frankly surprised. We believed this kind of behaviour was a thing of the past, but we were wrong. This is, if nothing else, a clear signal that the avoidance maneuver test, no matter how many electronic stability control or anti-rollover systems today’s car have, plays an important role in today’s automotive world as an independent test.
What is happening right now is a testament to just that. We are here at the test area IDIADA just south of Barcelona in Spain – a facility commonly used by the automotive industry and the suppliers. At a meeting in Stockholm this February Toyota presented to us the package of measures designed to address the Hilux’s tendency to tip over in the moose test.
The Toyota delegation greeting us in IDIADA a sunny Sunday morning in late March is a big one. In total we count to a crew of ten people from Toyota were the majority comes from the company’s department of development. We start the day with a short briefing where Toyota people with Takenari Yamaguchi (Technical General Manager Vehicle Performance Engineering) at the forefront, once again go through what has been done with the car and what we are about to do today. In summary, the package of measures consists of a reprogrammed electronic stability control and elevetad tire pressure (+0,3 bar cold pressure) in the front tires at full load. Then – we are off to the track.
The test is performed entirely according to the standards we use back home in Sweden. On site is also a Ford Ranger as a reference vehicle, a choice Toyota …
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