2 months ago
27
Track driving acquisition of the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo
All the participants and their respective paired instructors were handed helmets and erstwhile we were seated successful our cars, we made our mode done the pit lane to await our series of departing the pits onto the track. Here is simply a changeable of my assigned car - a Slavia Monte Carlo 1.5 TSi awaiting my crook to depart the pits:
The archetypal thigh was done successful recce mode with my teacher Dhruv astatine the instrumentality for maine to familiarize myself with the way layout, and nail my introduction and exit lines connected my blistery laps the adjacent fewer times around. I had attached my GoPro enactment camera connected the windshield to silently seizure each the way enactment successful the background, portion I could purely absorption connected having amusive trying to spell faster connected each successive thigh astir BIC:
After the archetypal recce lap, I was down the instrumentality and we did rather a fewer spirited laps with maine improving my gait connected each thigh acknowledgment to Dhruv's changeless inputs edging maine to spell faster and tackle the apex lines amended and amended each clip I deed the aforesaid corners connected successive laps.
The Slavia is simply a beauteous well-sorted bundle dynamics-wise. The handling was precise predictable astir corners and the high-speed composure was awesome and reassuring, to accidental the least. There was a wee spot of assemblage rotation erstwhile cornering aggressively, but bash enactment this was connected a way with precocious cornering speeds. Out connected nationalist roads, the assemblage rotation levels should beryllium overmuch little noticeable and well-controlled for metropolis and road usage. The thrust prime was rather awesome and the suspension soaked up bumps effortlessly. While this is not indicative of the real-world thrust prime (please cheque the main Slavia reappraisal for that), it was much from the constituent of presumption of the car riding implicit the curbs erstwhile cornering.
The steering was airy and precise casual to clasp and turn. It weighed up nicely arsenic the car started to summation speed, but the feedback was typically vague similar galore EPS setups today. It could person been overmuch better.
The peppy quality and beardown propulsion of the 1.5 TSi motor that powered my car, coupled with the speedy and intuitive cogwheel shifts of the 7-speed DSG transmission ensured speedy betterment of gait arsenic we decelerated and accelerated astir the high-speed curves arsenic good arsenic method sections of the Buddh circuit's twisties and chicanes. This (powertrain) is 1 of the strongest points of this car and remains among the champion successful the full segment.
The ergonomics and instrumentality levels are each precise nicely tuned to suit a wide array of assemblage preferences. I was surely rather blessed with the full ergonomics bundle for a gangly operator (I americium 6'1"). The mode each the controls and levers fell to manus effortlessly, made maine consciousness astatine location successful nary time.
Two aspects that could person been improved:
1. The brake consciousness and wound levels felt fantabulous connected the way successful the archetypal fewer laps, but aft 4-5 laps I felt the wound levels started dipping implicit consequent hard-driving laps, perchance owed to brake slice aft assertive driving. This mightiness not beryllium a origin successful regular metropolis oregon road usage, but retired connected the track, I felt the brake setup tin beryllium improved. What was besides not reassuring was the information that the Slavia inactive runs a drum brake setup astatine the rear successful lieu of discs.
2. The different facet is the sub-par grip levels with the Ceat SecuraDrive tyres which the Slavia comes shod with. The tyres felt a spot lackadaisical astir the way and grip levels were strictly mean erstwhile cornering aggressively. However, for roadworthy usage, these should past agelong and compensate (for the deficiency of outright grip) with amended beingness and ruggedness, which is what is much important successful real-world usage connected Indian roads.
Here are immoderate assorted shots from onboard the Slavia astir the Buddh International Circuit:
Post this way driving session, we headed to the adjacent portion of the thrust acquisition lawsuit - what Skoda called the 'Handling Test'. This portion of the lawsuit was acceptable connected a level tarmac spot adjacent to the BIC parking area, with 3 parts - a Slalom course, an Autocross and a Moose Test.
For those not aware, a slalom trial consists of accelerated zig-zag swerves astir cones placed connected a consecutive road, to show the vehicle's stableness and composure erstwhile making accelerated lane/direction changes.
The Slavia lining up for the Slalom course:
Post the slalom course, we entered the autocross circuit with highly choky turns carved retired by strategically placed cones. This was again done to amusement the Slavia's handling and dynamics bundle erstwhile subjected to a bid of accelerated absorption changes:
After the autocross course, the 3rd and last portion of the Handling Test people was the Moose Test (one tin telephone it the stray canine oregon cattle trial successful India 
). This people progressive needing to accelerate connected a 'centre lane' to a reasonably precocious velocity connected a straight, and determination was a bid of cones placed to bespeak the near and close lanes. A unpaid would randomly prime either near oregon close lane astatine the extremity of the accelerating straight, and the operator had to rapidly brake, steer and get retired of the mediate (existing) lane and onto the lane which the unpaid signaled towards, whilst ensuring not to topple immoderate of the cones. This was done to simulate a information wherever an obstacle (such arsenic a stray animal) appears abruptly successful the way and the operator is forced to marque an evasive maneuver and reactive absorption power rapidly towards the lane which is wide to go.
Illustrative image:
Image courtesy - Skoda
Onboard the Slavia taking the Moose Test. The cardinal way flanked by yellowish cones was the acceleration stretch, followed by a accelerated braking and absorption power to either near oregon close trails marked by the orangish trails:
