After the moose test failure: Toyota updates the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

This article is also available in Swedish.

In our latest SUV test, the Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid showed a dangerous side, it performed poorly in the moose test. Now Toyota Sweden's PR manager Erik Gustafsson announces that the model will be fixed, and much faster than last time when the RAV4 Hybrid showed similar dangerous behavior in the moose test.

What is Toyota doing about the problem this time?
– We have acted fast and developed an upgrade that will we available from January 2021. It will make the car cope the Teknikens Värld's moose test better.

Will this new upgrade be implemented in the production of all new RAV4 Plug-in Hybrids?
– Yes, it will be implemented in the production of all RAV4 Plug-in Hybrids for the European market.

What will happen to cars that are already delivered to customers?
– Customers who wish will have their cars upgraded free of charge.

What does the new update contain?
– It's a software upgrade for the VSC system, and a recommendation to have higher tyre pressure in the rear wheels when driving fully loaded.

And finally, what we all want to know: How could this happen… again?
– During the development work a great number of tests are done. Amongst them an avoidance maneuver test that is meant to be like Teknikens Värld's moose test. However, some discrepances can occur, but we always strive to make our testing procedures better.

Note: ESP system is the same as ESC, DSC or – as in the case of Toyota – VSC.