Land Rover in Finland
Land Rover in Finland Land Rover in Finland
In Russia today there are two such centers - not far from Moscow (here we were trained on the use of a winch) and the recently opened center in St. Petersburg.
In order to pass the winter SUV management program, we went to visit Yolupukki in Finland.
By and large, the Finnish training ground is not much different from the Moscow, however, there are several "road" stages on contra-driving. Before the trip, seeing in the program “contra-driving” I grinned. What sport, except for off-road, can we talk about, even if it is a Range Rover Sport. It turned out - was wrong, but more on that later.
Land Rover in Finland
Those who consider themselves to be experts in off-road electronic gadgets can skip this paragraph, and I will tell you a little more about Land Rover systems that increase safety and off-road capabilities.
Terrain Response. Manages startup programs. For example, in the "sand" mode - gas is damped, wheels are braked. The "stones" mode - rigidly blocks the center differential.
Traction control - takes control of the throttle when the wheels slip.
DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) controls the wheels when the car glides, slowing down or, conversely, releasing the pads.
HDC (Hill Descent Control) - an assistant during the descent from the mountain, works in tandem with the Gradient Release Control and an assistant at the start. It works both when moving forward and backward. Moreover, it works even on a stalled car, for activation it is enough to turn on the ignition. It is able to work at high speeds, when it reaches 80 km / h the system is deactivated, but when the speed drops to 60 km / h it turns on automatically.
The reduction gear allows you to move at speeds up to 40 km / h. When transferring the transfer to this mode, the suspension also automatically switches to off-road mode.
Descent from the mountain with HDC
Descent from the mountain with HDC Descent from the mountain with HDC
Air suspension The main plus of Land Rover is that even in the extreme (standard) position there is a compression stroke, and the car does not turn into a “stool”, but allows you to ride comfortably. The air suspension has three standard modes:
Standard
Access: -5cm from the standard, mode for boarding / alighting in the car.
Highway: -2cm to improve aerodynamics.
Off-road: + 5.5cm
Suspension moves
Demonstration of suspension moves Demonstration of suspension moves
Such information is limited to most of the operation. However, there are two more modes that allow you to get out of critical situations. In the case when the sensors determine that the wheels do not have enough load, and the car sat on its belly, the suspension adds another 3 cm. If this is not enough, then another 3 cm will be added! Why not choose the whole move at once, you ask? And so that the driver had the opportunity to cool down and retire on time. Despite the outstanding qualities, Land Rover has a limit, however, like any off-road equipment.
Therefore, before entering a steep slope, check with your feet the cover, the instructor advises you with good reason. In general, always follow the three pillars of Land Rover: safety, nature, car.
If you want to immediately transfer to the maximum "elevator", there is a trick. We call in deep snow or hang out the wheels and - put the suspension in road mode so that the car "sits" on the ground as much as possible. Immediately after this, the suspension itself will increase by additional centimeters. However, a ride on the road in this mode will not work, it is worth exceeding the speed or shifting to a higher gear, as you return to the previous ground clearance.
Land rover
Let's go back to the landfill. From off-road testing, it is possible to successfully practice climbing and descending from a slope. It is possible to try all Terrain Response modes and find out which gear is best to descend from the HDC. By the way, Land Rover storms a lateral slope of 35 degrees and a vertical slope of 45!
In addition - on the ground it is convenient to carry out orientation with a standard GPS and at the same time acquire skills in the use of wheel chains. It is worth noting that there was an embarrassment with the Finns. The instructors had previously explored impassable forest paths, along which they barely climbed the chains, and in the morning … In the morning, despite the fact that the paths were dead ends and away from busy directions, the road equipment cleared and compacted the snow! It turns out that at night the road workers noticed that someone had skidded and made their way into the forest, and did the work we did not need. This is the order in Finnish. I had to ride chains in the packed snow.
Driving a heavy all-wheel drive Range Rover in the side slip was surprisingly pleasant
Driving a heavy all-wheel drive Range Rover in the side slip was surprisingly pleasant Driving a heavy all-wheel drive Range Rover in the side slip was surprisingly nice
For dessert - sports tests: an ice ring, a small rally track and an impromptu speed track with cones. On the ring - the next task, you need to conduct a Range Rover in the lateral slip under a slight traction. It seems to be simple, but due to the heterogeneity of the coating (ice in the sun, rolled snow in the shade), it was not easy.
Rally section
Rally site Rally site
The rally section allows you to master the methods of entering the bend under the gas discharge and vice versa - the entrance under the draft. You can learn how to build the optimal trajectory for the hook.
High-speed section - the estate of "Sport"
High-speed site - the estate of "Sport" High-speed site - the estate of "Sport"
The most unusual thing is that such exercises are usually carried out on sports cars, and then an expensive SUV … At first, it was simply scary for the bumpers. However, the instructors inspire confidence and react philosophically to departures from the track. The instructors themselves are real gurus: Dmitry Igorevich Vereshchak, rally CCM, Evgeny Borisovich Speransky - leading research engineer at the Laboratory for Manageability of the NAMI Autopolygon Safety Research Department, and part-time - a test expert at NITSIAMT at FSUE NAMI. Sillankorva Minna is Finland’s ten-time women's rally champion and world women's rally champion.
Instructors at work
Instructors at work Instructors at work
Despite the fact that Sport and the usual Range are made on different platforms and even the body type is different (load-bearing and frame), it is not possible to feel the cardinal difference between them in the city and off-road.
Another thing is the final high-speed section, with timing and milestones. Sport here is revealed in all its superiority. More precise steering, a low center of gravity and responsive brakes justify the model index. But this does not detract from the merits of a conventional Range Rover. Whatever model you choose for outdoor fun and everyday use, disappointment certainly will not befall.
Learning from mistakes is better at the training ground
Learning from mistakes is better at the training ground Learning from mistakes is better at the training ground
