The Ford Focus has failed the “moose test” performed by Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld.
The test simulates what might happen when a large animal appears in the middle of an undivided road, requiring a quick swerve into oncoming traffic and then another quick correction to get back into the proper lane.
The magazine suggests the Focus behaves “downright dangerous” when fully laden with passengers and cargo, within Ford’s own specifications and Sweden’s Transport Agency guidelines. The driver failed to reach the expected benchmark of 70 kmh (43 mph), as the suspension bottomed out and the chassis skidded into several cones.
After removing 287 lbs, the driver was able to reach 47 mph and reported that it handled “like a dream.” Two competing vehicles, the Seat Toledo and Nissan Pulsar, also performed well in the test.
The same test previously raised concerns over the stability control system of the Porsche Macan and the rollover potential for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
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