Here’s How an Old Car Handles the Moose Test Under the Modern Standards

But how would the Citroen Xantia handle the moose test in 2021? With this question on their mind, Km77 set out to test it under the modern standards, which include, among others, narrower lanes, making the challenge more demanding.

The Spanish YouTube channel had no less than three Xantias to play with on that day, which may look the same, save for the exterior colors, but are quite different. The green one is a 155 PS (153 HP / 114 kW), 1993 VSX, with electronically controlled suspension, the red car is an Activa Turbo from 1997, with 150 PS (148 HP / 110 kW), and the grey one is a 1999 Activa HDi diesel, with 110 PS (108 HP / 81 kW).

As they didn’t know how the vehicles would react, they started the test at 60 kph (37 mph), noting that the steering feels completely different than that of a modern car. For the next run, they increased the entry speed to 70 kph (43 mph), and since there was no ESC to kick in, the back end developed a mind of its own.

After more prepping and with grippier tires on its feet, the red example managed to stay within the cones at 73 kph (45 mph). This was the maximum entry speed achieved on that day, which may be 4 kph (2.5 mph) below the new norm, but it is, nonetheless, impressive for a car that’s more than 20 years old.

The result is comparable to the latest Mercedes-Benz CLS executive four-door coupe, Volkswagen Arteon mid-size model, Renault Scenic MPV, and Ford Ka+ city car.

The Tesla Model 3 and Ford Focus Mk4 both did it at 83 kph (52 mph), and the Kia Stinger at 82 kph (51 mph).