2015 Holden Insignia VXR Review: Hitting The Snow
What’s Hot: Surprisingly nimble on snow, very potent V6 turbo, more traction than we expected
What’s Not: Snowbound skidpans are disappointingly rare in Australia
X-FACTOR: Is this the hi-po sedan for Australian drivers once the SS and XR8 exit stage left? Maybe, it's fast, and, snow or not, the VXR has brilliant AWD grip
Vehicle Style: Medium performance sedan
Price: $51,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 239kW/435Nm
Fuel Economy claimed: 11.3 l/100km
It's brutally cold, the car is properly sideways and I've run out of opposite lock. A snowbank looms through the side glass, and is rapidly growing larger.
A voice crackles over the radio stashed in the cupholder: "Straighten the wheel, then power, power, power".
It seems counterintuitive. A misspent youth driving RWD cars with no traction control taught me to steer into a slide, while common sense dictates the brake pedal should bring an end to any unexpected vehicular behaviour, not the accelerator.