The new Moza KS Formula-Style Steering Wheel is the newest addition to Moza’s range of formula wheels which includes the GS and FSR Steering Wheels, both of which we have reviewed previously.
This review comes alongside our review of the Moza R12 Wheelbase, both of which were shipped to us by the manufacturer.
A new option in the Moza family of products, just how does it compare to their own existing products?
That wheel feel
The KS Formula-Style Steering Wheel has a butterfly shape, which is reminiscent of the early 2010s Red Bull Racing Formula 1 wheels, or even the current Williams Racing Formula 1 wheels. I love this look.
The grips are slightly different to all previous Moza wheels. Previous wheels featured Alcantara or perforated leather on the grip, but this wheel features what’s known as TPE, or ThermoPlastic Elastomer for the fellow materials nerds.
Sure, it’s not quite got that premium feeling sponginess that something like the Grid Engineering MPX wheel might have, but that example costs over £1000 where this costs much less.
The plus side of this new material is that it provides improved grip with gloves, however, it might get a bit sweatier with bare hands. The grips themselves are well sculpted, have a nice soft but grippy feel and provide an excellent driving position.
They provide more hand space than the GS and FSR, which is good if you have larger hands. As for the diameter of each grip, it’s actually slightly smaller than Moza’s previous wheels. A couple of the radii are a little tight for my liking, but I prefer a chunkier grip anyway.
Above all, this is still one of the most ergonomic wheels I have used. It just feels natural to hold.
We like your input(s)
This 300mm Steering Wheel features 10 RGB lit buttons, two joysticks, two thumb rotaries, three rotary encoders, built in RGB addressable rev lights and anodised aluminium shifter and clutch paddles.
All of those buttons are colour programmable on the fly, just like their previous offerings. They’re also more ergonomically placed than most other wheels.
These are not the keyboard-style buttons that we are accustomed to in the industry, rather it now features a set of short 0.25mm throw buttons that have a much more pronounced and stiffer click.
Sure, like the grip, they feel a little less premium. However, these are actually much more practical for a race situation, in my opinion, as they have a shorter travel and have to be pressed much harder to activate.
This fact, combined with the little shrouds around each button means less chance for an accidental press of the pit limiter in a high stakes moment. I may be speaking from personal experience…
Furthermore, Moza includes some semi-transparent button stickers and a handy pair of tweezers to apply them, so you can remember your button mappings at a glance.
The rotaries on the front are exactly the same as their other models. That also goes for the joysticks, but that’s not a bad thing by any stretch. We love these.
New additions on this wheel are the embedded thumb rotaries, which are encased above the grips. These are not pressable like the GS and FSR wheels, but are again more user friendly, perfect for changing Heads Up Displays or brake bias settings as you drive.
Moving to the back, these new aluminium shifter paddles are much quieter, softer and easier to use than the GS and FSR wheels. I prefer them personally. The positioning is perfect for me, however you cannot adjust the throw or position of these paddles like you can on those other models.
As for the clutch paddles, they actually seem to be more precise than those that are included on the GS and FSR wheels. They can still be programmed as either single or double paddles, or buttons within the Pit House software.
Back on the front, we’ve got colour programmable shift lights, as is customary for Moza products. However, due to the butterfly shape of the wheel, these are smaller and more out of your line of sight, more than the FSR wheel most especially.
You may remember that I was excited about the fact that the FSR was the first wheel from Moza that could be used on any brand of wheelbase if you use the Moza Universal Hub, and many of you will be glad to hear that the KS wheel also has this capability.
A good type of weight loss
One of the most noticeable features of this wheel, both on and off the wheelbase, is the weight. Weighing just 1220g, the KS Formula-Style Steering Wheel is noticeably lighter than both the GS and FSR wheels.
This means that the finer details of the force feedback are much more noticeable and less damped due to the lower moment of inertia, the same philosophy that Thrustmaster went for in the design of the T818. It’s definitely a contributing factor as to why this wheel feels so good.
The KS wheel feels hollow and less dense, but that doesn’t compromise it’s structural integrity in the slightest. It is still solid. I can’t make it flex, no matter how hard I try.
Overall, the feeling is slightly less premium than the GS and FSR, however the driving experience is just as good, if not better in some ways.
Pricing
The Moza KS Formula Style Steering Wheel will cost $279 / €309 / £279 at release, and that’s quite a bargain. You’d be unlikely to find a better wheel at this price right now.
Together with the new Moza R12 Wheelbase, the total cost is approximately £1040.
Conclusion
Ultimately, there are many subjective reasons why you may choose one brand or manufacturer over the others. Moza has really stepped up its game with both the R12 and the KS Wheel, staking its claim as a real contender at this critical point in the market, where price and performance are balanced.
The KS wheel is a break from Moza’s previous mould in terms of its Formula-Style wheels. It uses new materials, different buttons and arrangements, with improved grips and new paddles that benefit from more precise hall sensors.
Moza’s new Steering Wheel is packaged in a lightweight body that means the forces and detail from the base are more pronounced. It provides a budget-friendly wheel option that is still worthy of even the most premium wheelbase with the strongest feedback.
I am continually impressed by Moza, its constant improvements and strides forward are noticeable and the results are excellent products that are becoming the standard in terms of quality and price. Bravo.
The Moza KS Steering Wheel is available from the Moza Racing website now, priced at $279 / €309 / £279 / AUD459 / JPY42900.
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