Suzuki Swift Aces the ‘Moose Test’

The evasive manoeuvre test, popularly known as Moose Test or Elk Test, is a popular way of determining a car’s handling stability at speed. It originated in Sweden in the 70s, and was meant to simulate a driver’s reaction in case an obstacle (like a moose) suddenly dove into a car’s path. The test comprises of a quick left swerve into the oncoming lane and then a right swerve back into the correct lane. Over the years, plenty of cars have been subjected to the moose test. Some passed with flying colours, while others had unfortunate tumbles. Ever wondered how a Maruti Swift hatchback would perform in the test?

Suzuki Swift performs the moose test

Well, the moose test isn’t performed in India, and Maruti Swift isn’t sold in Sweden, so we can’t really determine that. That said, we found something that’s close enough- a video of a Euro-spec Suzuki Swift subjected to a moose test. The little hatchback was also subjected to a slalom test, wherein a car is subjected to a zigzag driving pattern, through the traffic cones laid out in the centre of the path.

Suzuki Swift moose test | km77.com

The video begins with the Swift performing the moose test at 77 kmph, which was determined to be the maximum speed at which the car can perform the manoeuvre. The speed is then increased to 80 kmph, at which the Suzuki understeers wildly and fails. Still, a maximum entry speed of 77 kmph for the moose test is quite high, and even when the car understeers, there are no sudden or unexpected movement thanks to its electronic stability control (ESC). Even the slalom is negotiated with quite finesse. It should be pointed out that ESC is not available in the Maruti Swift, not even as an option, so the results would be drastically different for the India-spec car.