Porsche Macan Fails Moose Test Because Rollover Prevention Locks a Wheel

In the video below, which we've watched multiple times, the Macan locks one of its front wheels. Test driver Linus Pröjtz says the test was carried out multiple times in a Macan S Diesel with the same results. Were this maneuver to be carried out in the real world and not on an empty track, this German SUV would have spent too much time in the oncoming lane, thus putting other motorists at risk as well.

What's the moose test?

The moose test mirrors the maneuver a driver might have to perform in real life if a wild animal suddenly appears in the middle of the road. Because the moose or elk weighs even more than a horse and has long legs, the impact with an automobile can cause life-threatening injuries to the passengers, so it's best to swerve and avoid it. The benchmark test involves aggressively swerving to the left and then back to the right again at a speed of 70 km/h (43.5 mph).

Teknikens Värld is famous for its independent moose tests. A few years back, Jeep launched the Grand Cherokee in Europe, another SUV that was grilled for its dangerous handling characteristics. In May 2014, the same Swedes experiences total loss of power steering in the Hyundai i30 hatchback. This resulted in a global recall to perform a software update.

Porsche's response

Porsche has issued an official response which has been published in the Swedish magazine's article. They say the front left wheel was locked on purpose by the Active Rollover Protection (ARP) system.

It doesn't sound totally convincing, does it? Just like in the early days of the 911 GT3 fires, the marketing talk has a distinct aroma of "major coverup". But knowing the Germans, they will take this criticism constructively find fine-tune the system so that it cuts in for shorter amounts of time.

The major irony

Porsche did a great job turning an SUV into a sportscar of sorts, but it's kind of ironic how people often buy these types of vehicles expecting them to be the safest on the road. A tall, heavy 4x4 will always exhibit bad handling characteristics and will be at a disadvantage compared to a regular sedan or estate. We've seen similar handling with other large SUV tests carried out by EuroNCAP, where rollover prevention reveals their top-heavy nature. Were this to be done using a Panamera, no rollover prevention system would have kicked in.