I came around to appreciate the off-road usefulness of the HOLD feature on the new Defender pretty quickly. Not so with Low-Traction Launch. I tried it several times on my off-road 2020 P300 110 S and did not really see the value, until last week.

I was trying to use Low Traction Launch in situations where momentum / path clear-out was necessary (my misunderstanding) -- mud-ruts and deep snow and powdered sand. But, in these situations, the Defender needs to run at 3000 to 3500 rpms, spinning its wheels and digging down to traction and moving the power appropriately. This is not what Low Traction Launch is about.

I learned last week that the use case for Low Traction Launch is basically ice with dusted snow -- or something approximating it; hard, slippery surfaces of uneven traction at each wheel. It made the vehicle move effectively when manual driver inputs could not.

Here is the story (I took recreation pictures so you could follow the happenings):

I woke early to carry 5000 lbs of trailer and construction supplies across the mountain and found our driveway of fine gravel and top-bond (basically powdered concrete) had frozen solid and hard. As the driveway has a combined 12 degree down slope and and 6 degree off-camber curve, I was concerned that the Defender and trailer would both slide into the bank and I would need to use the winch to extract them.



At extremely slow speed (that of a new baby crawling); as the slopes increased, no matter what I tried with the hill descent control, the manual throttle and the manual brakes, the Defender slid decisively towards the bank.

The trailer worried me, first; so I turned my recovery boards upside down and they solved the trailer issue as the traction tips dug into the frozen gravel and the sideways slide lessened.

Then I turned on Low-traction launch and gave the computer throttle control -- but I tried to "help it" with manual braking -- MISTAKE. Every time I intervened the vehicle headed straight towards the bank.



So, after a few of these cycles of: a.) start, b.) manual brake (MISTAKE), c.) slide cycles; I JUST POINTED THE WHEELS away from the bank about 20 degrees and gave complete control over to Low-Traction Launch for as long as it needed. Wow. It worked. Beautifully.

The Defender took control of the throttle, individual wheel braking and the infinitely variable clutched differentials and rolled each of the four tires as pointed with ZERO slippage anywhere. It only moved the vehicle as fast as traction would allow, and when the speed started to increase I held my breath and let the computer have its head, until we were through the off-camber portion of the situation.

I have to admit, it was really tough to let the vehicle drive. I guess an autonomous vehicle is not for me. Enjoy !

 

I can concur as i too had encountered a similar icy downhill slippery situation and experienced the same successful result with the low traction launch feature. The rear differential was constantly at work and it was very impressive how the technology managed and navigated the condition via sensors and such with such effectiveness!

 

Great write-up, Trio. I didn't get up to WNC during the snow so I still haven't had mine in snow.

We didn't utilize Low Traction Launch during my day at Ashville; how do you activate it?

 

So you used Low Traction Launch going *down* hill? Did I get that right?

I admit I don't really understand how it works

 

Yes -- down hill.

What I needed was for the right front to do nothing until it could find traction up the off-camber slope ( slight engine torque applied, no braking applied); the left rear to brake fully (with no forward engine torque applied) to hold the vehicle against the off-camber slope; the right rear to roll under very gentle braking only so the vehicle yawed about the left rear; and the left front to pace it all with engine torque applied and no braking applied to the degree that traction was available -- which turned out to be turning the wheel at 1 degree every two seconds or so (SLOW).

This I could not accomplish but the vehicle could. Very humbling.

 

You can access Low traction launch through the main screen -- don't know what else to call it.

As well, my Defender now prompts me to use low-traction launch whenever I select snow/grass/gravel mode. It has only started to do this. It also offers for me to disable the reminder, but I am wisely (?) allowing it to direct me so I don't forget the option is available.

Very similar to a year ago to when the computer prompted me to use AUTO and quit selecting the wrong off-road logic type.

Apparently, TR2 is a learning program, maybe ......? HAL has entered my computer it seems.

Enjoy !

 

@TrioLRowner - I'll admit it, never used Low traction launch and STILL don't understand it. Currently in Texas, so think I don't need it but then I remembered last years Snowmeggedon. Can you explain what it does like you're talking to your mother? Slowly too... Thanks.

 

From a standing stopped state, the vehicle controls the: braking of each wheel, throttle and torque going to each wheel in a manner so that NO wheel slips or slides, as the vehicle accelerates from zero MPH to 19 MPH.

All the driver does is steer.

 

Wait... you're tellin' me we have to steer??? What a piece of crap...

 

Trio, were you in 4Lo or Hi, and does it work in both as far as you know?

Follow-up question: why doesn't it apply this logic all the time (individually controlling each wheel's braking, throttle and torque to eliminate slippage), rather than forcing you to choose that setting? Maybe give you a Defeat setting in the menu that you could engage for times you want slip? It sure seems like for most people "I want slip" is a far more rare occasion than "I want no slip."