VW: Have fun drifting in the snow
WINTER DRIVING TRAINING Frolicking in the snow to your heart's content while testing your skills - this is what winter driving training enables. At the Ambri airfield, AutoSprintCH convinced itself in this way of the qualities of some of VW Switzerland's all-wheel drive models. Experienced instructors, cars suitable for winter driving, enough snow on the track - driver's heart, what more do you want. For once it [...]
Experienced instructors, cars suitable for winter, enough snow on the slope - driver's heart, what more do you want. For once, the instructors from Eventcenter Seelisberg are not dealing with everyday drivers, but with journalists who deal with the subject of automobiles on a daily basis - and who now get to prove what they can do behind the wheel.
Volkswagen Switzerland provides the appropriate winter sports equipment on wheels. The share of 4Motion vehicles of the Swiss market leader is 41 %, last year clearly led by the Tiguan with 6388 units and followed by the Golf (sedan) with 1157 and the Passat Variant with 1086.
Logically, we therefore put the Tiguan to the test (or it did us), as well as the Golf R and the T-Roc (6th place with 224 units). In the braking test from up to 80 km/h with subsequent driving around downed pylons, it's not so much the different weights that make the difference as the reaction capabilities of the drivers...
Without ESC, the accelerator foot takes control
It's the same with slalom driving - all three models are fun. However, if the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is activated, as it should be in everyday life for safety reasons, the fun is significantly less. The cars stay nicely on track despite slippery surfaces and can hardly be lost from control.
With ESC deactivated in Sport mode, the driver's throttle foot takes control of the VW all-wheel-drive car's handling. A short push of the throttle and you get the car to oversteer. Lateral is more - but only on a closed track. We enjoy the lateral driving in a brisk convoy behind the instructor and would probably still be at the wheel if the schedule hadn't put a stop to it.
As the co-driver of VW brand ambassador Florian Thoma, we then experience how fast things really go when the track is open. Reassuringly, even the young racing driver quickly reaches the physical limits in these conditions, which would be different on a dry circuit with his VW Golf GTI TCR. Regardless, riding along with Florian is fun.
If you would like to experience this for yourself on ice and snow: Volkswagen Switzerland offers ongoing half-day courses with its Driving Experience. Unfortunately, these are already over in Ambri, but there are still two dates (February 10 and 11) in Bourg-St-Pierre at the foot of the Great Saint Bernard for those who decide at short notice.
The next winter is coming for sure!
