A bit disappointed in my new diesel RS. I went to a party in an open field up a hill recently. Grass was fairly dry but strugglled  to climb a grass embankment, had to take a good run at it . Other cars including my partners 2009 Auris 1.4 diesel climbed it no problem along with other cars. How are these cars like in ice? A bit worrying.

Without studded tyres any car will be useless on ice. 🤣

Find my Octavia IV can be a bit problematic going up slopes from standing if I have any weight in the back. Just makes front too light and the ASP just stops turning the wheels. No idea if any of the MK4 models have the locking diff anymore?

 

In teams of ice. My car came with Pirelli summer tyres on. It won't be good 😅 but in the little I've driven it's no worse than my prev MK3, BMW, Audi, golf. 

Can only speak about PHEV. When I first went on a parking covered in thick layer of slush, I could not get going after I stopped there. Good winter tires did not help. Very disappointing but also predictable, since even on dry surface car tends to spin tires when starts going...

 Locking Diffs on any of the models, Haldex you might have had, or XDS or XDS+  (nipped the brakes, / cut power) & on vRS you could have the VAQ front diff.

 

Still comes down to what tyres are on the car, and looking for grip / traction. 

7 hours ago, Ootohere said:

 

Still comes down to what tyres are on the car, and looking for grip / traction. 

Agreed, and going backwards up a slope when you have front wheel drive can also help.

And backwards up a slope with a rear wheel drive can help and has for decades.

Vans etc.

 

'Simply cleaver' with a FWD Skoda vehicle on Ice or slush or snow or grass in TC OFF.   XDS or XDS+ off if you can holding the button a few seconds because really it can be hopeless as you move and a wheel spins and it nips a brake and sends you off coarse.

This is also why reversing can help.   That Traction Control / Anti Slip Regulation is not a hindrance in reverse. 

With rear wheel drive you are using the lower gearing of the reverse gear to help.  With front wheel drive you are putting the weight on the driving wheels.