IT is not often that two completely different genres within a field are experienced together. It happened recently, however, when I was allowed to encounter two different vehicle auto training experiences: on-road (sports vehicles) and off-road (four-wheel-drives). Volkswagen (VW) Middle East organized a day of professional auto training at the Dubai Autodrome at the start of May, with close to fifty international journalists and media representatives in attendance. Part of the “Driven By Performance” campaign that lasted a complete week, the training day sought to bring together more than 200 automobile dealers, manufacturers and media representatives from around the Middle East to experience the ‘Volkswagen experience'. Participants from Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, Syria, the UAE and Saudi Arabia were given the opportunity to discover the two worlds of car driving within six sessions conducted by three international product trainers from VW as well as six professional driving instructors. We were allowed to test drive the six latest VW cars launched in the Middle East, including the sixth generation of the iconic Golf and the third generation of Scirrocco – VW's two-door sports car – often touted as VW's most successful creation and widely enjoyed by speed enthusiasts. VW deployed four models in the on-road category: Golf VI, Passat CC, Scirocco and Passat R36, while the off-road category included the Tiguan S&S (Sport and Style) and Touareg V6. Other models featured included the Passat CC (Comfortable Coupé) – a dynamic car combining the logic of saloons and the wow factor of sports cars. The incredible Scirocco I fell in love with the Scirocco – which derives its name from the warm, Mediterranean breeze originating over the Sahara Desert – once I squeezed into the ergonomically designed seat of the compact, sporty hatchback. The infatuation deepened when I heard the din the 147kW 2.0 liter Turbo TSI engine made as I tapped on the accelerator. Despite hugging the most rigid of curves using the lower levels of the six-speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) - at speeds touching 100 Km/hour - the car was amazingly stable and well-grounded. Additionally, the sleek coachwork – an eye-catching Viper Green metallic color – is capable of wooing the spectator as much as the driver. Though the Passat R36 lacks the sheer control the Scirocco offers, it is an incredibly powerful car. During the auto training, however, I came to the conclusion that it was riskier to speed it up over the stricter curves. Off-road fun Off-road driving has a status that is akin to the position Rock music holds in the field of music. Both the Tiguan S&S and the Touareg SUVs were equally matched, particularly with respect to the traction and throttle tests and ultimately, it was difficult to decide which provided a better ride. The Tiguan's competence, for instance, was demonstrated by its Traction Control System (TCS) and the Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) tests, where driving down a steep slope at a sharp angle was no problem at all. Reaching the top of a slope, one had only to press on the Electronic Stability Control button (ESC), release the break and control the steering to let the vehicle automatically descend the slope safely. The significantly larger Touareg SUV resembled a giant cockroach trundling up the slope but performed equally well. VW Middle East's Acting Managing Director Joerg Andrischock was present at the event and remarked that the purpose of the event was to provide participants with a chance to test their driving skills as well as test VW's latest range of vehicles and technologies, adding that it was such feedback that would allow VW to help meet future customers' needs.
