Mercedes EQS Undergoes The Dreaded Moose Test

The moose test is unquestionably the most difficult evasive maneuver test a car can go through and has been performed since the 1970s. Essentially, a vehicle enters a designated area where the traffic cones are laid out in an S shape to mimic obstacles that would appear on the road all of a sudden. It was the Mercedes EQS’ turn to undergo the difficult test, and while it didn’t disappoint, it didn’t impress either.

For a vehicle that has rear-wheel steering with a 10-degree angle, some of us would have expected the flagship electric sedan to ace the moose test. However, the vehicle’s massive weight reared its ugly head as the EQS was not as nimble as some would’ve expected. The 580 4Matic version tested here tips the scales at a whopping 2,585 kilograms (5,700 pounds), and that’s without including the driver and any possible options.

It’s worth noting the fullsize luxury sedan tested by Spanis’ km77.com came equipped with 21-inch wheels wrapped around in Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 tires. With the car in Comfort mode, the journalists managed a successful run at an entrance speed of 72 km/h (45 mph), which they say was rather poor. They went on to mention the EQS had moderate body roll during the slalom and was registered with a considerably high exit speed of 52 km/h (32 mph).

Because it’s a far lighter car, the S-Class tested had a slightly higher entrance speed of 74 km/h (46 mph) even though it lacked the EQS’ fancy four-wheel steering setup. Subsequent moose tests with higher entrance speeds conducted with the Mercedes EQS ended up hitting a few cones. In these evaluations and in Sport mode, the test driver noticed quite a bit of understeer from the electric luxobarge.

Interestingly, the driver says he didn’t notice any major differences between Comfort and Sport. Chances are the EQS AMG 53 version will fare better since it has a stiffer suspension setup and sharper steering, but that remains to be seen.

Source: km77.com / YouTube