2020 VW Passat Shows Shocking Oversteer in Moose Test, Fails

The Passat is one of the few mid-size sedans left in Europe, certainly the main one that's making money. So to see it failing at anything is bad for the reputation of the segment and can only spur the rise of crossovers.

Earlier this year, the Germans introduced a mid-life facelift which isn't too drastic. It takes a real VW fan to spot the changes they've made to its design, while the engines are just revised versions of the old ones.

So what's going on with this moose stuff? The test is designed to simulate a large animal suddenly appearing in the middle of your lane. You're supposed to avoid it and get back as soon as possible. The Passat was only able to do this at 73 km/h.

On the first attempt, carried out at 76 km/h, the Passat slides its tail way out there and almost spins out, catching the driver off guard. We've heard rumors that the R-Line version now feels more playful than the standard one thanks to ESP settings.

We can't find out if the pre-facelift Passat also had these strange driving characteristics because it wasn't tested by km. But two years ago, the Arteon also showed some instability, and it's based on the same MQB architecture.

People like to joke that Volkswagens are boring and like to understeer, but the handling of the Passat seems typical of the class, not the brand. You've got the heavy 2-liter diesel engine and DSG gearbox shifting the weight balance to the front.