The theory of hitting amoosewhen you ’re tug aroundSwedenis no joke . So Swedish car makers have been execute the Moose Test on their new fomite for decades . Other automakers finally take on the bad rating , too , which today is credited with being the impetus for better constancy control systems in vehicles around the globe .

What Is the Elk Test?

The dry - surface motorcar exam , aka theElk Test , is straightforward . The vehicle being valuate quickly swerving into the left lane — as if to obviate an object in his own lane — and then immediately swerves back into the right lane to avoid oncoming traffic . The trial is repeated at faster f number until the vehicle knocks over cones , spin around out or throw over . The faster you’re able to go and still maintain control , thesaferthe fomite .

In the seventies , Swedish automakers begin conducting various forms of theEvasive Maneuver Test , as it was originally called , to protect driver from animals such as wild Sus scrofa , icy foxes and , yes , European elk , which often pace onto the route in front of drivers . Moose are a particular danger because of their size ; their shoulder height range from 5 to 6.5 feet ( 1.5 to 2 measure ) and they can weigh a hefty1,800 pounds(816 kilograms ) .

Who Came Up with the Moose Test?

The name " Moose Test"came fromSwedish diary keeper Robert Collin in 1997 , when he flip a fresh Mercedes - Benz while execute the test — which he later compare to a maneuver one would make to invalidate hitting a moose at a in high spirits stop number . Mercedes - Benz modify the car ’s break and made its Electronic Stability Program ( ESP ) standard for the fomite example .

Soon major automakers and customers were paying attention to constancy features . Eventually the European Union , Australia , Canada and the U.S. made the stability control organization required in all new machine . Yet despite its importance and popularity , the Moose Test is sometimes controversial .

When the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokeeflippedduring a test conducted by Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld ( Technology World ) , manufacturer Chrysler take the Swedish magazine overload the vehicle and said its own Moose Test was successful . Other automakers , when faced with poor Moose Test results , have claimed it was due to the fact that testers altered the condition or said the results were inconclusive .

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Which Car Has the Best Moose Test Rating?

So which cable car is tops in the Moose Test rankings ? The1999 Citroën Xantia Activa , which remove 52.8 mph before lose control , unbelievably , still holds the disk for the all - fourth dimension fastest speed reached to complete this infamous test . Back in the day , all Citroëns had a self - even out hydraulic suspension versus the then - formal springs and shock absorber . And the Citroën Activa contained a Cadillac interlingual rendition of this interruption , allow it to ride rapidly and tightly through niche .