With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volvo XC60, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
|   
  | 
     Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid  | 
     XC60  | 
  
|   Overall Evaluation  | 
     GOOD  | 
     ACCEPTABLE  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Crossing Child - DAY  | 
  |
|   12 MPH  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Crossing Adult - NIGHT  | 
  |
|   12 MPH Brights  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
  
|   12 MPH Low beams  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
  
|   25 MPH Brights  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
  
|   25 MPH Low beams  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Parallel Adult - NIGHT  | 
  |
|   25 MPH Brights  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     -24 MPH  | 
  
|   25 MPH Low beams  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
  
|   37 MPH Brights  | 
     AVOIDED  | 
     -23 MPH  | 
  
|   37 MPH Low beams  | 
     -20 MPH  | 
     -11 MPH  | 
  
|   Warning Issued-Low beams  | 
     1 sec  | 
     .6 sec  | 
  
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volvo XC60 has not been tested.
Both the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid and the XC60 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
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, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Volvo XC60:
|   
  | 
     Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid  | 
     XC60  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Front Seat  | 
  |
|   STARS  | 
     5 Stars  | 
     5 Stars  | 
  
|   HIC  | 
     69  | 
     73  | 
  
|   Chest Movement  | 
     .5 inches  | 
     .7 inches  | 
  
|   Abdominal Force  | 
     76 lbs.  | 
     126 lbs.  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Rear Seat  | 
  |
|   STARS  | 
     5 Stars  | 
     5 Stars  | 
  
|   HIC  | 
     103  | 
     185  | 
  
|   Hip Force  | 
     457 lbs.  | 
     906 lbs.  | 
  
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the XC60:
|   
  | 
     Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid  | 
     XC60  | 
  
|   Overall Evaluation  | 
     ACCEPTABLE  | 
     ACCEPTABLE  | 
  
|   Structure  | 
     GOOD  | 
     GOOD  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Driver Injury Measures  | 
  |
|   Head/Neck  | 
     GOOD  | 
     GOOD  | 
  
|   Neck Tension  | 
     134 lbs.  | 
     201 lbs.  | 
  
|   Torso  | 
     GOOD  | 
     ACCEPTABLE  | 
  
|   Shoulder Deflection  | 
     .47 in  | 
     .59 in  | 
  
|   Torso Max Deflection  | 
     1.34 in  | 
     1.42 in  | 
  
|   Torso Deflection Rate  | 
     7 MPH  | 
     8 MPH  | 
  
|   Pelvis  | 
     ACCEPTABLE  | 
     MARGINAL  | 
  
|   Pelvis Force  | 
     1093 lbs.  | 
     1205 lbs.  | 
  
|   Head Protection  | 
     GOOD  | 
     GOOD  | 
  
|   
  | 
     Passenger Injury Measures  | 
  |
|   Head/Neck  | 
     GOOD  | 
     GOOD  | 
  
|   Torso  | 
     GOOD  | 
     GOOD  | 
  
|   Shoulder Deflection  | 
     .94 in  | 
     1.22 in  | 
  
|   Shoulder Force  | 
     290 lbs.  | 
     357 lbs.  | 
  
|   Torso Max Deflection  | 
     .83 in  | 
     1.26 in  | 
  
|   Pelvis  | 
     GOOD  | 
     MARGINAL  | 
  
|   Pelvis Force  | 
     692 lbs.  | 
     1316 lbs.  | 
  
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid is 1.4% less likely to roll over than the XC60.

