Test Drive Seat Altea since 2009 Minivan
Seat Altea Freetrack
No matter how seductive characteristics, they do not always reflect the true nature of the car. In this case, all the figures were only a pale reflection of bright reality. Talking about the appearance in the range of Seat Crossover has been carried out for a long time. And what, the theme is fashionable, the development of relatively budget, in addition in Spain itself and the surroundings are fully most interesting places where it is harmful to her health, and on an SUV is not useful for the budget ... However, German cartridges from the VW concern carefully position the Spanish brand as A certain burning mixture of Flamenco and Corrida. Today's seat is an aggressive character and stylish appearance, sports settings and elegant lines, powerful motors and ease of control. In a word, the task of the designers was delivered a difficult crossover. It was necessary to create a passionate, like a kiss of a gypsy in love. As a result, a compact seat altea seats was taken and supplemented with a full drive, large wheels and a plastic body kit that protects the rubble from the wheels from under the wheels. And where is madness? Please: under the hood 2.0-liter gasoline engine with turbocharged, to it is a 6-speed mechanical transmission, to the Haldex coupling drive. The front panel and devices will be highlighted in red, make the armchair make a deeper, the lines are extremely ... it looks great!
Half-foot drive Picnic machine. I drove one and a half hundred kilometers along the highway, twenty on the capping and three on the forest road, on the clearing to the stream. If the rain goes at night, it's not scary: on the all-wheel drive! Puddle, sand, roots stick out not trouble: clearance is 40 mm more than the basic Altea XL! Bushes scraper on the body does not frighten: plastic lining with scars look even better, and they are easy to grind. And on the road Good: Music is standard, the seats with a chain side support are comfortable, the suspension is rigid, the motor is not noise, the wind does not whistle, and the speed is already 180. Not to run! We will overtake the car. There are many more snow, the ice cream on the puddles is cracking, the car is confident, helps himself sometimes, creases anti-duct. Four-wheel drive Freetrack is implemented via Haldex electronically controlled coupling. The principle of its operation is simple: ABS sensors are transmitted to the control unit a signal that one of the wheels rotates faster than the other, and the difference in speed indicates that it is a slip. Immediately gives a team to two electric motors
one opens the valve, the second operates the oil pump. Depending on the degree of slipping, the oil pressure changes, which compresses the coupling discs. Blocking can reach 100 percent, and maybe ten. Five turns out by itself due to friction oil in the system. While I wrote it, the coupling could work two hundred times. Full blocking occurs for the split seconds. If you recalculate, taking into account the gear ratio of the main pair, it turns out that the difference in the rotation of the wheels will be about 79 degrees. You will not even feel when the coupling turned on! And no breakdowns of the rear axle in a steep turn, instillation of the front wheels, until the rear will be done, it is not foreseen. And yet I want to warn potential users: SEAT FREETRACK drive, though full, but automatic, and it is necessary to protect it, as, however, and any other. Hard passage of relief irregularities, sharp starts on the rise and pseudorality maneuvers will be angry with a clutch for the season! 
Turbozames For seat Altea Freetrack, five or six engines are designed. I will say right away: four or five of them do not interest me. If you have a hood of 200 turbosil when equipped with a lot of 1500 kg, you will not be interested in anything. Spurt up to 100 km / h in 7.5 seconds, and where to accelerate to the maximum 214 km / h ... so if another box switched clearer! The course of the handle of the selector is small, but the transfers stick sluggishly, as through frozen oil. If for Family Compact Vena it is appropriate, then there is no hot crossover.
But nothing to reproach the steering. And the steering wheel itself is pleasant to the touch, and the reaction to its turn is adequate and accurate. Handling generally SEAT Freetrack. Of course, with a dynamic snake it is felt that with the growth of clearance above, the center of gravity, but the multi-type rear suspension and powerful stabilizers of transverse stability are completely coping with this. It is noticeable that the work on the suspension was conducted under the guidance of colleagues from Wolfsburg: no matter how much the Spaniards tried to invest in her sportiness, the Germans did not give any plays. Compromises in such matters do not pass, especially behind, therefore, the only, although the most expensive solution is five-piece multilink. Front McPherson with an intricate subframe, made in the form of a huge plate of light alloy. In essence, he plays the role of a power element that gives the whole structure the necessary stiffness torsion and bends, which also has a positive effect on the accuracy of the control, allowing in favorable conditions to ride in a completely rally manner or write a trajectory on the verge of breakdown.
Matchast: Seat Altea Freetrack
Cinema come on!
The version with full drive and the turbo engine costs, for a minute, a million rubles with nuts ... Yes, I, too, this word broke out first when I learned about the price. Why are we forced to pay such money? The base trailblazer costs almost as much. So there is a car, and here ... well, a four-wheel drive, understandable, in the snow, clay, wet grass. Mechanical 6-speed box for those who feel Alonso and still looking for their post. Salon on five without comment. The engine with a turbine is 7.5 seconds to one hundred, guys in Subaru were surprised. A good motor, fast and neat, so you need to be able to use, but again, there are enough pillars for everyone. Image, prestige, image. If you are not a DJ or at least not a stylist, these are not the words that are combined with SEAT, with all respects. What else to surprise? Here is a built-in DVD system with a ceiling console and a seven-day screen for rear passengers. It seems a good argument, but it seems to me that you will not pay those who will then ride in the freeetrack on the back row of the seats ... Plant, secret, releases all-wheel drive 200-strong Altea Freetrack for 23 thousand euros, with duties it turns out about 30. All Equally expensive! Even with the movie expensive! However, for the ability to overtake some zoom zoom with a whistle with a fashionable creature, sometimes you want to pay. And for the opportunity to fly to the beloved cleaner from the Istra of minutes for forty. If, of course, the trail will not score dacms on ordinary minivans ...
Author: Igor Gubar, photos of Aliya Sultanova
A source: 4x4 magazine [May / 2008]
