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-   -   Stuck in snowfall and returned | A 650 km day-trip with a Maruti Suzuki XL6 Automatic (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/217945-stuck-snowfall-returned-650-km-day-trip-maruti-suzuki-xl6-automatic-2.html)

Great TL SST, thanks for sharing. :)
Just a curious question: Does the Ertiga AT have a button to force it to start in 2nd gear? I've used that a few times to get out sticky situations while driving rentals in the US.

Besides using ropes as snowchains, floor mats placed under the driving wheels to can be used to get some traction in sticky ;) [rather, slippery] situations.

Thank you.
I haven't driven the XL6 with manual gearbox, but I don't expect it to be less than adequate.
Never mind winter tyres - there are enough cars with bald tyres out there, coping in the snow. And snow clearing is less of a priority than landslide clearing! Also, sometimes snow management happens like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITaC00Zz9lg
I hope he has support vehicles in case of a breakdown, but I suppose that would be too much to ask.
Thank you. No, it doesn't have a W button, but one can engage 2nd gear directly and hold it anyway.
Not using Kagu mats (which is what the car had) for traction, thanks! And traction mats/tracks like Maxtrax are for recovery, not prolonged driving.

While driving in snow can be tricky and fun at the same time, some tips like below do bring a lot of difference in making your day overall.

1. Drive slow
2. Accelerate and decelerate slowly
3. Increase your following distance to 5 to 6 seconds
4. Know your brakes
5. Dont come to a complete stop unless you have to
6. Don't power up hills
7. Don't stop while going up a hill
8. Have a good set of winter tyres
9. Always keep a snow chain or substitute in the boot

The video is taken on route to Charmonix from Gstaad in Switzerland in the last week of December 2019.

https://youtu.be/JZgwBNpaao8

The drive:

1. a RWD which is always trickier to drive on less traction surfaces, but more fun at the same time :D
2. on Continental Winter Contact snow tyres - 225/40R 18 92V
3. with Pewag Servo Matik Snow Chains in the boot
4. on Eco Pro mode most of the time on snow/icy conditions to keep power transmission to rear tyres as smooth as possible

sorry didn't mean to hijack, but this thread freshen some memories

driving or riding (or even walking!) over snow is very tricky. In May-2018, me with family went to Ladakh trip. As per our initial plan, we were to visit KhardungLa & Nubra from Leh, and from Nubra had to directly go Pangong. But due to heavy snow then, K.Top was blocked for 2 days. Later we changed plan to visit Pangong from Leh, and after crossing Zingral there was big traffic jam, due to ahead snowfall. We were stuck for almost 4-5 hours, and eventually managed to reach Tangtse for stay. During that time, I had to drive my Fortuner over ice, no snow-chains. It did stuck in a ditch, but LL (4wd low gear) came to rescue! It was truly an thrilling experience. At one point with some inclined way, the car going ahead lost traction and was sliding back, luckily it didn't slide all till my car! Another case wherein a tourist van was coming across a slight decline path, and that (dumb) guy brakes - making his van slide all over, luckily again missing to hit my car! We stayed at Tangtse for 2 nights, visited PangongTso, and from there took the Shyok-Agham route to Nubra, which was bad at sections (gravels), but careful driving was enough, without any 4wd gear engagement.

I did share that day's log in my video, allow me to share and relive the memories:


https://youtu.be/OjqqblZ12c8

regards,

What a fantastic thread to stumble upon, when you have so many questions on your mind after booking the car; Yes! Booked the White Zeta (Manual) expecting delivery first week of September. First of all what a brilliant experience it must have been for you with this car, quite exhilarating and satisfying to watch and read at the same time. Since my love for mountains are from my childhood, was equally speculative about the capability of XL 6 climbing through the hills, but after watching your video I know this can be driven clap:

Thanks again! Stay Safe from a fellow Bong. :thumbs up

Awesome adventure and pics! Thanks for sharing.
Those monkeys are really cute!! Also loved the rope for snow chain idea.

How does an Automatic feel compared to manual, on mountainous terrain, especially on descent? I always follow the rule of preferring gears over brakes. How does that work out in an automatic gearbox? As a driver does one feel fully in control?

Congratulations in advance!
This is a torque converter automatic, and like any other automatic transmission system, allows one to hold gear in first or second - which is just fine for sharp descents. The driver is in control, and there is no need to burn the brakes.

Unlike common perception, automatics do not act as if they are completely in neutral and freewheeling away when descending slopes.

Thank you. I wasn't aware of this.
I have personally never driven an automatic and have no idea how it works. I remember ages ago, some friends went to Sinhagad Fort (which is situated on a mountain), on a Kinetic Honda. As expected they heavily relied on the brakes during descent. The brakes got hot, lost their grip and my friends had a very close shave with death.
Good to know, technology seems to have advanced quite a lot since then.
Perhaps I should try out an automatic vehicle. The clutch on my 110PS Terrano is a bit on the heavier side and the stop go traffic in Pune has become a pain in the wrong place.