The Chevrolet Equinox EV has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
The Chevrolet Equinox EV offers an optional HD Surround Vision and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Equinox EV has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Rear Cross Traffic Braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid XSE, and isn't offered on other Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid models.
The Equinox EV’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Equinox EV and the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
The Chevrolet Equinox EV weighs 623 to 806 pounds more than the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox EV is safer than the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Equinox EV |
Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
199 |
221 |
Neck Injury Risk |
19.4% |
34.5% |
Neck Stress |
154 lbs. |
303 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
19 lbs. |
23 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
118/172 lbs. |
349/594 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
336 |
360 |
Neck Stress |
174 lbs. |
195 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
39 lbs. |
99 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
194/177 lbs. |
509/328 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Equinox EV is safer than the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Equinox EV |
Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
38 G’s |
46 G’s |
Hip Force |
355 lbs. |
457 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
7 inches |
14 inches |
HIC |
249 |
360 |
Spine Acceleration |
38 G’s |
45 G’s |
Hip Force |
773 lbs. |
970 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Equinox EV, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 3.4% to 3.6% less likely to roll over than the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid, which received a four-star rating.