Auto news on Youtube May 2 2018

Hi there! It's Kasia Frendl from Motocaina.pl.

I'm at Lapland Driving in Finland.

It's a special training centre utilized by various brands for training purposes

to help drivers improve their driving skills in such extreme weather conditions –

when there's lots of snow and ice underneath.

There are 10 Skoda cars standing behind me.

I've been invited here by Skoda Poland to practice my skills.

We've got here Octavia Scout Combi, Karoq, Skoda's new hit – SUV, a big Kodiaq,

there are petrol engines and diesels, automatic and manual transmissions

to choose from, so it's going to be fun.

Apart from flat lanes, there's also a stretch of bumpy forest road.

I hope our coaches will allow us to turn off safety systems

because, as you know, skidding is what we love most.

It's all about practicing in such conditions in order to drive more safely on the road.

Levi is one of the biggest skiing centres in Finland.

So far, it's been declared the best ski resort in Finland four times.

Its location assures good conditions for skiing from October to June.

The lowest temperature recorded in Levi was -51°C.

All due to its location in the heart of Lapland,

a region which stretches over four countries –

Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Today's temperature is merely -9°C.

We're driving Skoda cars with 4WD "dressed" only in winter tyres in Levi Rally Center,

while instructors from Lapland Driving are taking care of our safety.

We're on our way to Octavia, Karoq and Kodiaq, all with 4WD.

There are more than enough models to test.

We're on a track in Lapland

and the weather conditions are "optimal" for such tests.

I'll let you know soon how each model performed in such great conditions.

Currently, Skoda offers 4WD in Octavia, Octavia Combi, Octavia Scout, Octavia RS,

Octavia Combi RS, Superb, Superb Combi, Kodiaq and, finally, Karoq.

Phew, that's a lot!

What sense does it make to install such drive in a car?

You can see it yourself, it's simply safer, even in purely winter conditions.

Of course we won't do much on ice,

especially if we dare to turn off safety systems.

But please, don't you ever do that on public road!

Getting back to safety, I'll explain how 4WD works in Skoda.

The thing responsible for smooth transfer of torque to the wheels

is an electro-hydraulically operated multi-plate clutch.

Sounds complicated but it's worth knowing

it's advantage is that it activates the rear drive axle if necessary.

If you add it to various systems and functions available in these cars,

you get the torque transferred to one of the wheels in as much as 85%!

Everything will work smoothly and without any involvement of the driver.

Depending on the situation on the road, the road surface, or the driver's intentions,

the torque will be split in such a way so as to provide optimal traction.

In this way it won't matter whether it's winter or summer –

the car will start off and accelerate dynamically, if needed.

It'll be appreciated by those drivers who like getting off the beaten paths,

who tow trailers, or travel on steep roads.

Activating off-road mode facilitates driving in difficult conditions.

It works between 0 and 30 km/h and makes the car even more manageable.

When this mode is turned on, the working of electronic systems,

engine, transmission and the reaction to gas all change.

With off-road on it's easier to start off uphill,

ASR and ESC enable losing traction even during starting off and braking.

Going downhill will also be easier

as the descending car is automatically kept at steady speed.

I'm after my rides at the training centre in Finland.

I've had the best time with Karoq with 4WD,

in fact, all vehicles here have this type of drive.

With all systems on the cars held to the road as if they were glued to it,

they penetrated snow effortlessly.

Even when the road surface was really skiddy,

at least one wheel was always catching traction.

It's really important in everyday driving,

I encourage you to brush up your skills before every winter season.

I'll feel a lot more confident now when driving across Poland

heavily covered with snow.

What's more, it's worth practicing in safe conditions,

so not on public roads, but at such tracks,

or, alternatively, at closed parking lots, or other dedicated facilities.

Warm greetings from Finland!

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Bye!