Toyota owners learn 4×4 driving skills

KANCHANABURI, 24 July 2011 — Back to school it was for Toyota 4×4 vehicle owners along with the other enthusiasts, novices and experts alike at the training programme of the Toyota Off Road Training session in Bo Phloi, Kanchanaburi. Toyota’s ever popular 4X4 Adventure programme for owners of the Hilux Vigo and Fortuner is back. The idea is to correctly makes use of available equipments and accessories of the vehicle given the circumstances, which may include many twists and turns.

A short course teaching 4×4 owners how to drive effectively off road. Power, agility and emotion were all evident in this year’s first round of the Toyota Off Road Training series. The 4×4 driving course, held in Kanchanaburi earlier last month, was attended by 21 participants. Held at the still under-construction Grand Prix Golf Club, the Toyota owners were taught steep slope driving, side slope driving, articulation and skid control testing. The skills learnt prepared them for the challenges when they drive into rough terrain. At the same time, during the training, they also get to fully understand their vehicles much better and appreciate their vehicles’ technology.

Most car companies selling off-road vehicles provide training for a wide variety of purposes. For example, allowing owners to manage and maintain their vehicles in awkward circumstances when off the beaten track. Safety is one of the most essential factors that one should look at while driving a vehicle. Rough terrain is where advanced automobile engineering will come face to face with mother Earth, as the Toyota Off Road Training to Bo Phloi takes off as the Toyota 4×4 vehicles were driven and tested by their owners on the training programme.

Training owners how to properly drive a 4×4 vehicle is part of owning the vehicle. For this particular weekend, the session starts off with experts briefing drivers on the basics of off-road driving before hitting the gravel for hands-on experience under the watchful eyes of the masters. With the basics clear, the instructors correcting mistakes as they go along, and then with a competition that gets under way before the free-for-all on-track sessions becomes popular. Instructors were on-hand to show the Toyota 4×4 owners how to navigate the off-road track. The 4×4 owners were given the opportunity to try the track out for themselves, initially with one of the new company vehicles and then with their own vehicles and if they wished to try out the advanced course too. Toyota provided five new Hilux Vigo CHAMPs and three new Fortuners for the event.

A dinner was held that night where door and lucky draw prizes were awarded to the participants as well as briefing on the next day’s convoy. The next day’s route takes drivers along a trip that concludes at the Forests Reserve for lunch and giving out the certificates to the participants. It starts getting very practical from a user-experience standpoint as to what people will encounter with natural terrain. The convoy group were also given a tour of the Vietnam War Museum in Kanchanaburi.

A future version set for sometime later in the year will be more advance and include a competition system aimed at giving Toyota customers and 4×4 vehicle owners greater incentive to participate.

One drawback to the Toyota Off Road Training is that directions are not provided within the course but participants having to convoy and tag along. The training would provide the Toyota owners with the opportunity to test out the vehicle’s capabilities not just on the road, but also on rough terrain like muddy areas. The idea is for the vehicle 4×4 owners to be confident with their vehicles, especially those who want to try out the new Toyota Hilux Vigo CHAMP and the new Fortuner.

The area of application for the 4×4 vehicle is literally anywhere meaning in the urban jungle and equally off-road, off the beaten track plus also the real jungle. For those who own a 4X4 and is semi-hard core enough to want to come along, the next family trip plan is around early fourth quarter. Off Road magazine organised the training as a loyalty programme to Toyota’s customers. They conducted these off-road excursions around five times a year.

The two-day training session specially for owners of Toyota’s 4×4 models such as the Hilux Vigo and Fortuner, was first run in Pathum Thani in June 2009 and has since been held in several provinces. The event aims to help Toyota 4×4 owners learn the skills of off-road driving while also allowing “seasoned off-roaders” to practice in a safe and controlled environment.

With this knowledge, owners can push their vehicles to the limit while retaining total control and also doing so safely. In fact, many of the trainees for the past 3 years have become ‘off-road gurus’ now and started their own smaller groups. With some tougher road conditions and higher interest in quality of life and adventures, Off Road magazine plans to cater to owners to spread the spirit of adventure, excitement, skills and pride in their vehicles.

The world where off-roaders play in has grown increasingly more demanding. Faster, better machines are needed to enjoy today’s environment – bringing new opportunities and better driving for vehicle owners. Take a look at what the experts have to teach!