2024 Grand Highlander vs. Rigid Pole at 75° — What the Data Shows

The latest side pole test puts the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander 4WD Limited under a sharp spotlight, and it handles the hit with calm, calculated control. At 75 degrees and 32.29 km/h, the driver’s side meets a rigid pole while the safety systems go to work exactly as they should. The head curtain and the side torso and pelvis airbags deploy, the seat belt pretensioner tightens, and the structure does its job of managing energy so the cabin stays a place you can trust.

From the dummy’s perspective, the story is equally steady. Head Injury Criterion sits at 343.521, well below the threshold used in this program, while the lower spine sees 47.784 g. Pelvic forces peak at 3,662.454 N, and rib deflections stay comfortably inside the proposed limits, with thorax at 15.905 mm and abdomen at 24.974 mm. It is the kind of data that tells you the restraint tuning, airbag timing, and belt strategy are synchronized rather than scrambling.

On the body side, you can see the energy path written into the metal. Maximum static crush at the sill top reaches 440 mm at the primary level, tapering as you move up the door and window band. That is what you want: deformation that happens in the outer layers to spare the inner space. Doors on the struck side jam shut from the hit—expected for this configuration—but nothing pops off hinges or latches, and the opposite doors remain closed. The windshield cracks and even separates from the A-pillar edge, but the occupant cell stays ordered, measured, and predictable in its response.

There is a quiet confidence in the background details, too. Trap speeds are on target, the 75-degree angle is held tight to spec, and the post-impact rollover fluid check records zero spillage. Even the test temperature and seat, belt, and steering setups read like a checklist written by people who know how much little things matter. It is not flashy, but it is the kind of competence families rely on without ever needing to think about it.