Richmond Review ·· Page Page 17 17
Friday, February 27, 2015
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Welcome to the driver’s seat
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Discovering Iceland and Land Rover’s new sport
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Reykjavik, Iceland. averages about six hours. We’re just about It’s as though we are driving over an hour and a half before sunrise. breakfast cereal. At that time, I’ll better be able to see these The “crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch” capable SUVs and their performance abilsound of the crisp snow below the ities. Right now, I’m feeling its four-wheel all-new 2015 Land Rover Discovery drive (4WD) system at work. The standard Sport’s cabin is both appetizing and Terrain Response system is set to snow/ice/ unnerving. gravel, and the seat warmers are on full As we traverse The studded tires bite into the slipblast. pery surface, which calms the nerves the topography, it’s I’m also feeling the comfort and hospitality almost as though but visibility is slim to none – save of its gracefully executed cabin and am that illuminated by our headlights enjoying the calm of the interior environone of the Norse – and traction changes after every ment. It might be frigid and rough outside, gods, or trolls, is rotation of the rubbers. Yet, I have but not from where I’m sitting. looking over us confidence in myself, the tires and The Discovery Sport will be available with from above and a vehicle whose DNA stems from one engine in Canada, and a great one at a lineage of predecessors born in that. It’s a 2.0L, turbocharged 4-cylinder shaking a sifter of environments devoid of traction. with 240 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of powdered sugar. Though it’s 9:08 a.m., the sun has yet torque. It’s then matched with a 9-speed Alexandra Straub to show itself and a blanket of pitch automatic transmission whose shifts black envelops the country. To add are as smooth as some of the ice we’re to the ambiance, Iceland is a place driving upon. It doesn’t feel underpowwhere mythical beings are embedded in its folklore! ered yet is relatively humble in power numbers. As we traverse the topography, it’s almost as though Regardless, for what most people will do with this, one of the Norse gods, or trolls, is looking over us from it’s plenty. above and shaking a sifter of powdered sugar. This There’s also room for up to seven passengers (there’s dusting of snow is a fanciful act of beauty in the dark a 5+2 configuration with stadium seating available) setting. and a wading depth of 600mm (24-inches), which I can’t see much around me. At all. But I know that we tested out as we crossed a river. Yes, a river. one side of the trail we’re navigating is a steep drop Just don’t open your doors for any reason in the off. While I’d love to drift the compact luxury SUV process. through some fantastic curves on these abandoned Other premium features include six USB outroads, now is not the time to try to be a hero. I’ll wait lets, 829L of cargo space behind the second for another opportunity and the absence of a cliff. row seats and an infotainment system that is In 100 metres, we will be turning left onto a street fairly intuitive to use. whose name I couldn’t pronounce correctly even if the Throughout the day, our travels took us over prize was a large sum of money. Streets in this part almost every imaginable surface in Iceland: of Iceland are not marked per se. We best follow the snow, ice, gravel, rocks, rivers, pavement, water GPS-based instruction if we want to stay on track. and more. Iceland’s sliver of sunlight per day during the winter When we ended our adventure in Reykjavik, the “tap,
In recent weeks, Driveway has featured a number of stories about winter driving. Given the early arrival here of warmer weather, have you removed your winter tires or will you wait a little longer?
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tap, tap, tap” of the studded tires resembled that of a mouse tap-dancing. The pitter-patter over the cobblestone streets meant our day was done, but not without being filled with everlasting memories. Iceland, a country that is hauntingly barren yet its winter beauty suggests a feeling of warmth (along with its geothermal baths and activity.) And the companionship of the Land Rover Discovery Sport only added to the magic of the world’s northernmost capital city. The Land Rover Discovery Sport is set to arrive this spring and has a starting MSRP of $41,490.
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Safety Tip: Hydroplaning happens when tires lose contact with the road surface and float on a film of water. If you find yourself hydroplaning, ease off the accelerator and keep steering in the direction you want to go. Avoid braking.
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