The Swedish driver Per-Gunnar Andersson in a Ford Fiesta clocked the best time in the opening super-stage of the Rally of Sweden.
Andersson mastered the snowy conditions over the 1.9 kilometre course inside the Karlstad hippodrome in the season opening world championship event.
Last year's runner-up Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland in a Ford was second fastest just ahead of 2003 world champion Petter Solberg in a privately-entered Citroen.
Seven-time world champion Sebastien Loeb was back in fifth in his Citroen.
The first full day of racing takes place tonight with six stages.
