The European-spec Volkswagen Passat Variant has spectacularly failed the ‘moose test’ while being evaluated by KM77.
The moose test, designed to determine how a vehicle performs should an obstacle (e.g. a moose) pop up in front of a car in motion, essentially replicates an emergency lane change and is world renowned. A number of SUVs, crossovers, and pickups have failed the moost test over the years but, ordinarily, cars perform better thanks to their lower center of gravity. Not the case with the Passat Variant, though.
In the first test, the publication drove the wagon at 76 km/h (47 mph) and discovered that it would dramatically oversteer and be extremely difficult to control and unable to remain between the cones.
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In subsequent tests, at 73 km/h (45.3 mph) and 74 km/h (45.9 mph), the Passat Variant performed better but was still a little unstable. In the final test it entered the course at 75 km/h (46.6 mph) and much like at 76 km/h, violently swung out its tail and hit a number of cones.
It’s difficult to say why the Passat Variant performed the way it did, but it likely has something to do with the stability control system and could possibly be rectified with some minor calibration changes.
Volkswagen only sells the Passat Variant in select markets. Earlier this year, it was presented in R-Line Edition form at the Geneva Motor Show, with production capped at 2,000 units across Europe.