Sun Club
Road Test
lap-land

We put Skoda Kodiaq vRS through its paces at ‘Silverstone’ on ice and test tough motor in Sweden

Not strictly designed for drifting round icy racetracks, this Skoda is more of a big family bus majoring on space, practicality and excellent value

TWO cars with lots of horsepower playing cat and mouse on a frozen lake.

Guess what happened next?

Advertisement
 There were supercars on show at Arjeplog, but my laps in the Kodiaq were just as much fun
There were supercars on show at Arjeplog, but my laps in the Kodiaq were just as much fun

I might have tangled with the Lambo as it spun in front of me.

“You were too close! You were too close!” shouted Julien, my French instructor in the bruised Huracan.

I cannot see behind me. You were too close.”

I just sat there thinking: ‘You shouldn’t have binned it, mate. You’re the pro.’ But it was fine. Nothing a bit of T-Cut can’t fix.

Advertisement
You can expect plenty of thrills and no spills in the 2-litre diesel turbo (240hp) Kodiaq vRS

And so we shook hands and got back to the serious business of drifting. And drifting some more.
Welcome to Lapland Ice Driving school in Arjeplog, northern Sweden, my new favourite place on Earth. It has not one, not two, but FIVE famous race circuits carved into the ice at full 1:1 scale.

It’s a very big lake.

You can lap Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Yas Marina, the Nurburgring and Le Mans, all in a day, and all in somebody’s else’s car.

Advertisement
At the Lapland Ice Driving school, you're only likely to be pulled over if you're not drifting wildly enough

Take your pick from a Ferrari 458, Porsche GT3, Huracan, Audi R8, Subaru Impreza WRX and Ford Focus RS.

Or turn up in your own seven-seat Skoda and have just as much fun. I mean it.

Drifting is the art of controlling a car that is out of control. And on a frozen lake, 40 miles from the Arctic Circle, there are no barriers to hit, no walls, nothing but fresh snow.

Advertisement

You can nudge 125mph — but I’d rather be sideways.

There are an incredible FIVE full-size replica tracks - including Silverstone - cut into the ice in Arjeplog

Julien said: “Within 30 or 45 minutes we can make anyone drift, even your grandmother.

“We had a Red Bull Air Race pilot here last year and he said it was one of his top three life experiences.

Advertisement

The others were landing a plane on an aircraft carrier and pulling minus-ten and plus-ten G.”

Now, I must say the Skoda Kodiaq vRS is very good. No, sorry. Scratch that. It’s excellent. It’s not really meant for drifting on ice — or hooning around the real Silver-stone GP track back home.

A seven-speed DSG gearbox and a cracking chassis with six drive modes all come as standard in the Kodiaq vRS

It’s a big family bus majoring on space, practicality and value with umbrellas in the doors.

Advertisement

But it’s also fast, sure-footed and safe and many thousands of pounds cheaper than an Audi Q7.

If you’re a parent and still change shoes to play sport, I’d suggest this is all the car you need.

Under the hood is a 2-litre Biturbo diesel pro-ducing 240hp and 500Nm of torque.

It may be a tad chilly outside, but the big Skoda couldn't care less
Advertisement

Or in other words, it has lots of power on tap for overtaking and towing caravans and things.

Four-wheel drive, seven-speed DSG gearbox and a cracking chassis with six drive modes all come as standard.

As do 20in alloys, beefy brakes, Alcantara sports seats, vRS detailing, digital driver’s screen, 9.2in central touchscreen and all sorts of driver assistance tech. There is a lot to love here.

Except for three flaws. The artificial exhaust note, the dummy exhaust (on the right) and a cracked front numberplate with Lambo paint on it.

Advertisement
This beast has real beauty - and comfort - within

MOST READ IN MOTORS

NEVER KNOWN
9 ‘cars of the future’ which NEVER hit the road including Mazda lost in a FIRE
REAR VIEW
Iconic car firm unveils 'new era' of models with £100k EV that has no back window
STEER CLEAR
Motorway tunnel used by 150k drivers a day to SHUT this weekend for major works
RARE RIDE
Do YOU own Britain’s rarest car? From 70s Nissan driven by 8 people to 80s Lancia

I can’t think how that happened.

FOOTNOTE. The little prang happened during a photoshoot. Two cars don’t normally race each other.

A two-day experience at Lapland Ice Driving, including accommodation and five hours of tuition, starts at £4,300.

Advertisement
machibet777.com
Machibet
WEEKLY 77,777 BDT CASH LUCKY DRAW!
18+ | Play Responsibly | gamblingtherapy.org | T&Cs Apply
  • Huge variety of game types
  • Range of Valuable rewards 
  • Bangladesh’s most trusted online casino
Show More
Welcome to MachiBet and discover a huge range of games, from Baccarat to Roulette to Andar Bahar with live dealers, as well as tons of exciting slot games. MachiBet was founded by a group of passionate sports betting enthusiasts with the goal of providing users with the best gaming experience. Over the years, we have collected and analyzed decades of user feedback to create the ultimate gaming platform for our valued customers.