Mastering ice and snow: Hyundai’s Winter Experience in Sölden

• Hyundai’s Winter Experience allows car enthusiasts to drive on ice and snow in IONIQ 5, TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid, or SANTE FE Plug-in Hybrid
• The first-ever Winter Experience takes place in Sölden, Austria from 5 to 25 March
• Participants at Winter Experience Sölden perform safety and handling trainings on two mountain glaciers and the highest road in Europe

Hyundai Motor invited automotive journalists, lifestyle journalists, and influencers from across Europe to Sölden, Austria for Hyundai’s first-ever Winter Experience. Between 5 and 25 March, the media, customers, influencers, and car enthusiasts can practise a range of safety exercises and vehicle control drills, as well as off-road driving, in three Hyundai electrified models: IONIQ 5, TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid, and SANTA FE Plug-in Hybrid.

This Hyundai Driving Experience takes place in Sölden, an Alpine resort in the middle of alpine mountains and glaciers. While there, the participants receive the full hospitality package, residing in the exclusive five-star resort Das Central – complemented by an evening in a traditional hut.

Sölden is host to the world’s only winter training area situated between two mountain glaciers, Rettenbach and Tiefenbach. Due to the high altitude of more than 2,500 metres above sea level, snow is always guaranteed across the large area for driving. This training area is exclusive because standard training sessions cannot be held on frozen surfaces.

Winter Driving Experience with three models

After receiving a welcome and mandatory safety briefing on the first day, the participants are shuttled to the mountains on day two. Following a warm welcome considering the freezing temperatures, the media and influencers can embark on the Winter Experience.

At 2,798 metres above sea level, on the highest road in Europe, challenging winter driving conditions are transformed into pure fun. Under the supervision of experienced Hyundai’s Driving Experience instructors, the participants receive comprehensive driving and safety training, which focuses on controlling a vehicle in winter conditions. The participants then demonstrate what they learned by driving on snow and ice themselves.

In addition to obtaining general tips for driving in the wintertime and a better understanding of how a vehicle behaves on snowy roads, the participants also learn about Hyundai HTRAC AWD. This advanced all-wheel-drive system offers enhanced torque application, depending on wheel grip and speed. Whether in regular road conditions or snowy roads, HTRAC achieves optimal balance by actively adjusting how driving power is distributed to all four wheels. In slick conditions, the system aids drivers by automatically distributing power to all four wheels.

The briefing also covers how the anti-lock brake system (ABS) works to prevent drivers from locking up the brakes.

The instructors teach the participants the proper steering technique as well. They learn about understeer and oversteer. Describing a vehicle’s sensitivity to steering, oversteer turns a car more than the amount the driver commanded while understeer turns a car less than commanded.

IONIQ 5: redefining electric mobility lifestyles

For Winter Experience Sölden, five units of IONIQ 5 were brought on the glaciers for the driving sessions.

IONIQ 5 is the first model of Hyundai’s IONIQ line-up brand, proving that Hyundai’s decision to move beyond cars with traditional powertrains offers the potential to transform what a car can be. This shift benefits not only the driver but society.

IONIQ 5’s 800-volt battery technology offers ultra-fast charging and a driving range of up to 481 kilometres. The car’s Vehicle to Load (V2L) technology allows customers to power or charge any electronic equipment, e.g., a water boiler or coffee machine.

The all-wheel-drive version of IONIQ 5 runs with motors in the front and back, offering an extra amount of power and torque to take on challenging terrain. With the ability to immediately distribute a high amount of its torque to the rear wheels from a standstill, IONIQ 5 showcases its sporty side by highlighting how effortlessly it can transition seaming less into all-wheel-drive.

Customers can perform slalom and drifting exercises to understand how IONIQ 5’s dynamic and safety features culminate into a vehicle that is not only safe but also fun to drive.

TUCSON: an SUV for all terrains

The media and influencers also have five units of the TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid at their disposal.

The TUCSON PHEV is a true SUV, accommodating all lifestyles without compromises. Its plug-in hybrid system ensures driving fun with maximum fuel efficiency.

Available with Hyundai HTRAC AWD technology, the SUV can handle a variety of roads. Three additional Terrain Modes (mud, sand, snow) ensure safe driving on challenging terrain, making it optimal for Sölden’s snowy landscape.

The adaptive damping technology of TUCSON’s Electronic Controlled Suspension (ECS) offers drivers flexibility. ECS automatically and continuously controls the vehicle’s suspension to maximise driving comfort and performance, even on ice and snow.

Driving TUCSON in slalom exercises showcases the vehicle’s agility and stability on slippery surfaces, making the driver feel more confident and in control on slick roads. Without having to worry about slippery terrain, the drivers experience less stress behind the wheel.

SANTA FE: performance in the snow

The participants of Winter Experience Sölden can take advantage of five units of the SANTA FE Plug-in Hybrid.

Like the TUCSON PHEV, the SANTA FE PHEV also features Hyundai HTRAC AWD technology as well as a Terrain Mode selector. With a driving mode for snow, the SANTA FE PHEV proves it can handle the challenging terrain in Sölden.

Participants experience the benefits of these features while driving up the steep mountain pass covered in snow and ice to Europe’s highest road. Switching between snow, mud, and sand mode, drivers see first-hand how HTRAC AWD independently shifts power between the front and the rear axle and the traction control system in combination with the drive modes adapt accordingly for optimum traction and performance.

About Hyundai Driving Experience

Hyundai Driving Experience offers unique and unforgettable moments behind the wheel at Europe’s most iconic racetracks, such as Nürburgring, Bilster Berg, and Monza, as well as in exceptional locations like Sölden, Austria for the 2022 Winter Driving Experience.

With more than 1,500 participants per year, the programme provides a wide range of experiences led by certified Hyundai Instructors, combining performance driving, safety training, and scenic drives. Whether it’s driving high-performance Hyundai N vehicles on the racetrack, lifestyle experiences with all-electric cars, or driver training sessions in the majestic alpine setting at Europe’s highest altitudes, participants get a fair share of driving fun, always complemented by a premium hospitality package providing a once in a lifetime experience.

Hyundai Driving Experience is a brand of Hyundai Motor Company, which started in Korea for the domestic market in 2016. Since 2020, Innocean Worldwide Europe has been authorised to plan and operate Hyundai Driving Experience in European countries, such as Germany, Italy, and Austria – with plans to expand to the US and China in the near future.

For more information about Hyundai Driving Experience and its current and upcoming programs, please visit https://eu.drivingexperience.hyundai.com/

Disclaimer: CO2 and emissions data

• Fuel consumption combined for the Hyundai TUCSON 1.6 T-GDI Plug-in Hybrid with 6AT 4WD in l/100 km: 1.4; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 31 (WLTP)
• Fuel consumption combined for the Hyundai SANTA FE 1.6 T-GDI Plug-in Hybrid in l/100 km: 1.6; electricity consumption combined in kWh/100 km: 18.1; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 37 (WLTP)
• Electricity consumption combined for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 58 kWh with 2WD in kWh/100 km: 16.7; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 0 (WLTP)
• Electricity consumption combined for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 58 kWh with 4WD in kWh/100 km: 18.1; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 0 (WLTP)
• Electricity consumption combined for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 72.6 kWh (19” alloy rims) with 2WD in kWh/100 km: 16.8; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 0 (WLTP)
• Electricity consumption combined for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 72.6 kWh (20” alloy rims) with 2WD in kWh/100 km: 17.9; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 0 (WLTP)
• Electricity consumption combined for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 72.6 kWh (19” alloy rims) with 4WD in kWh/100 km: 17.7; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 0 (WLTP)
• Electricity consumption combined for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 72.6 kWh (20” alloy rims) with 4WD in kWh/100 km: 19.0; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 0 (WLTP)
• IONIQ 5 with the 77.4 kWh battery is not currently available for sale in Europe. Electricity consumption and CO2 values for this model have not yet been determined.