The Audi A3 Sportback fared worse than expected on the moose test, exhibiting a lot of understeer, even at lower-than-usual speeds.
The Moose test, or evasive maneuver test, was first introduced in Sweden in the early 1970s. It was designed to evaluate how well a vehicle can avoid a sudden obstacle, specifically, a moose, which is pretty common in the country.
The moose test doesn’t have a very good reputation among carmakers since it’s not easy to pass. That’s especially true for crossovers and SUVs, which struggle due to the higher center of gravity.
Thus, you might think that a compact car would pass this test quite easily. However, it appears that’s not always the case.
For example, the all-new Audi A3 Sportback fell victim to KM77 in their latest video, a Swedish team that ashamed many great cars already. Surprisingly, the hatchback wasn’t able to make it through the test with flying colors.
The testers drove the A3 Sportback at 46 mph (75 km/h) in the first attempt. For reference, that’s slightly lower than the 47.8 mph or 77 km/h speed limit required to pass the moose test. However, even at that velocity, the A3 Sportback did not do great. The hatchback appears to understeer significantly and took out some cones in the process.
The second attempt was much better since the A3 could steer past the course. However, it did that at low-ish 44 mph (72 km/h).
Now, understeer is not something unexpected. Actually, most amateur drivers react better to understeer. More importantly, at least for daily driving, the A3 Sportback rear end was always stable. Overall, Audi A3 appears to be a pretty solid car still.
The new A3 Sportback has received an upgraded 40 TFSI plug-in hybrid variant recently. Under the bonnet, a 1.4-liter TFSI engine produces 148 bhp and 250 Nm (185 lb-ft) of torque, alongside an electric motor producing 107 bhp and 330 Nm of 243 lb-ft of torque. Together, they provide the all-new A3 Sportback with enough oomph to reach a 227 km/h (141 mph) top speed. Also, the hatchback can reach 100 km/h (62 mph) under 7.6 seconds.
