Test Drive Audi A3 Sportback E-TRON 2013 - HB Hatchback

Saga on the PQ35 platform

Audi A3 Sportback
In 2003, the second generation A3 made his debut; A year later, 5-door Sportback appeared. The launches: gasoline 1.63.2 liters (102250 250 hp), turbodiesel rails 1.9 and 2.0 l (105 and 140 hp).
Transmission: Mechanical 5- and
6-speed, automatic 6-speed. Front or complete drive.
A complete set: Attraction, Ambition, Ambiente. Price: $ 29 00061 000.

Skoda Octavia.
The first generation appeared in 1996. The debut of the second 2004, first with the body of the hatchback, then the wagon.
Engines: gasoline 1.42.0 l (75140 hp), turboodiesels 1.9 and 2.0 liters (105 and 140 hp).
Transmission: Mechanical 5- and 6-speed or 4- and 6-speed automatic. Front or complete drive (for wagon).
Hardware: Classic, Ambiente, Elegance.
Price: $ 20 76334 271.

Volkswagen Touran.
In 2003, Turan mini-Ven compact class on the platform of the future golf V. appeared in Volkswagen's lineup.
Engines: For Europe, eight variants of gasoline and diesel 1.62.0 l (102150 hp).
Transmission: 5- and 6-speed Mechanical or DSG. Front drive.
Pools: Basis, Trendline, Highline.
Price: $ 24,1736,760.

Thirty years ago, even in popular classes, a pair of sedan and wagon bodies were enough. Then the fashion came on the hatchbacks. Cabripes and coupe, for the time being lived by themselves, also turned out to be unexpectedly in demand. And now there are mini and microsany! And if at first different bodies of one model were as unified as possible, then the individuality prevailed.
Therefore, now it is customary to say no about the model about the family built on one platform (see SM, 1999, No. 5). With all the external differences, the machines are similar to the power elements of the body, suspension, transmission, motors and much more, hidden from eyes.
In recent years, most brands have merged under the flags of several major concerns, and now the benefits of the platform seek to implement in corporate framework. For example, at the Ford Platform C1 built Mazda 3, Volvo S40 / V50 and a new focus with C-MAX.
The maximum degree of integration achieved the Volkswagen concern, widely using the fourth golf base, and now the fifth generation. Generally speaking, the PQ35 platform should be called Turanovskaya with this mini-Ven she made his debut in the early 2003. The same spring it was followed by Audi A3 and only in the fall of 2003 Golf V. Today, these platform build cars of four brands and five models in addition to the named, still Skoda-Octavia and Seat Toledo. This series is ready to replenish Volkswagen Golf Plus /\u003e Volkswagen Golf Plus, Sedan and Wagon Volkswagen Bora, and later cabriolets will appear ...
How similar is single-platform relatives? Acklain compared incomparable: dynamic and bright Audi A3 Sportbek, practical hatchback Skoda Octavia and Seven wagon Volkswagen Turan.

Nanomietia characters
Oblaged polygon is raised by snow. Here and walking slipching, it is possible to ride as you like and sideways, and the back, and a wolf! Of course, the stabilization system (they are on all three cars) are trying in all the way for your care, but while they have to turn off.
  Audi conquers stability and stability on the trajectory without a small two-thirds of the mass falls on the front axle. Even if the car is specifically sent to the deepest, degrees 130, the skid (in fact, the ass in advance), it stops spoiling independently and unfolds his nose! The car conquers dense suspension, fast whole reactions, excellent sense of the road.
  The other case of Skoda with a small gasoline engine it is easier than A3 and is not so sophisticated in control. Massive feed willingly fall into the skid, from which the car can be pulled out only with the motor or ... stabilization system. Advantages of Octavia High comfort, soft suspension, without difficulty swallowing even large potholes. However, these are nuances; In general, a reasonable compromise was found between comfort and handling. Mute and ground clearance: 160 mm better on our roads and hard enough.
High, massive Turan is the most power and solid. Soft, roomy, it is unequivocal into slightly slow reactions and conquers the wellness of ergonomics and an excellent overview. By the way, all three cars are adapted for Russia and are distinguished by a very low noise level.

Plus minus millimeter
Eh, it was necessary to take an umbrella! For the collar, the case falls large drops, thawing machines stand on the observation ditch, from which we consider the relative platforms. It looks like the game Find the five distinctions of the design almost repeat each other. Located by a row of Volkswagen emblems, Audi, Skoda and Seat are visible on many large elements and speak of their complete interchangeability.
At platform relatives, the distance between the axes often coincides with the Audi and Skoda of 2578 mm. However, the last rear seats are deeper than millimeters on forty, hence quite a spacious landing in the second row. Yes, and the width of the salon here is 25 mm more. That's right, Octavia is more like a married car, while Audi car for the driver. Note that the body of a five-door sports guard is something average between the hatchback and the universal. Nevertheless, the Czech car exceeds it along a length of approximately 300 mm. Almost all the increase in the trunk of a record volume of 560 liters against 370 liters of Audi.
It is possible to make the car spaciously otherwise for modifications with an increased body volume, the base is slightly stretched (in Turana exactly 100 mm). So managed to position a couple more seats (optional), where enough spacious and adult passengers. In the middle row, all three chairs have longitudinal adjustment and can be shifted forward by 165 mm. In general, Turan Typical Mini Ven with a multitude of boxes for small things and interior layout options.
Another parameter indicates the relationship, although not so clearly close rut values \u200b\u200b(the difference is due to the size of the wheels). The narrowest track of the most compact A3, the most widely of massive touran.
The coincidence of geometric parameters is not by chance, the suspension is identical to the smallest detail: front of the Mac-Fersson rack on the cast aluminum subframe, behind the multi-dimensional design on the steel tube. There are some differences in Oktavia, for example, the sickle front levers are welded, in two other cars forged, although those and others are similar to the connecting sizes.
Other differences are due to the weight and dynamic indicators of cars and are even found in the modifications of the same model slightly differ in the thickness of the spring and stabilizers of transverse stability, the characteristics of the shock absorbers.

The question of image
Technically, nothing prevents installing a completely identical gamut of engines and gearboxes for all cars, but who will then believe that Audi A3 refers to the premium segment, and will post up to 60 thousand dollars for him?
Skoda motors series opens a 1,4-liter unit, and the capacity range is relatively small 75140 liters. with. At our not a new gasoline eight-point volume of 1.6 l with a capacity of 102 liters. with. With the usual five-speed mechanics, a reasonable minimum for pragmatics.
Another case Audi A3: Motors here are powerful and the most modern, and the gearboxes are whole four. On the test car there is a two-liter 16-valve diesel power of 140 liters. with. With a monstrous moment of 320 NM for already at 1750 rpm! Together with a new truncated six-speed DSG automatic machine with two clutches and a formula-powered petals on the steering wheel, diesel gives excellent dynamics in response to pressing the accelerator Audi simply shoots forward!
For Turan, a set of power units medium: a weak motor heavy wagon is simply not enough, but very powerful for nothing. Melting turbodiesel and six-speed mechanics This is a moderate dynamics, quite sufficient for the city elasticity and excellent efficiency: 5.9 l / 100 km in a mixed cycle.

Cardan, spare and more
Our pair of passenger cars have all-wheel drive versions. Here is one of the disadvantages of a single platform. The share of 4x4 modifications is small, but a huge empty tunnel shares the salons of all three cars, including harmless Turan. But the configuration of the feed is different: if the Skoda under the floor of the trunk is a complete spare wheel, then in the shallow niche Audi A3 only a narrow rate. Turan has no fifth wheel, only a small repair kit. In Russia, the MKAD is further with such a risky.
What else steering? Well, with it is simpler: the electric powerful does not require the installation of the pump and the complex hydraulic system. And thirteen (recently there were only eight) presets allow you to change the degree of amplification and reactive action, achieving optimal characteristics.
With brakes, too, there are no problems with a wide range of brake mechanisms and disks requires only wheels with different landing diameters. And the elements of the electronic filling of cars are mostly coincided, and the available versions sometimes sometimes are not easier, only part of the functions are disabled. It is cheaper than creating a new one, although not so smart equipment.




Panacea Platform?
Today, it seems yes. This is not a whim of the constructor, but the requirement of an economist. It will prompt, under what volume and the duration of production, the range of models, the remoteness of the factories, the cost in each of the regions of transport, raw materials, energy carriers and the labor force is beneficial to this or that constructive solution, a large or smaller degree of unification. The trends of the last time are such that the share of intellectual costs in the cost of new products increases. And if so, it is more profitable to spend more than the development of a universal platform and collect dozens of models in different parts of light on it.
And what tomorrow? Perhaps the platform will stop being limited to in one class and will cover several immediately, having received the opportunity to stretch in length and width. That is, turns into a set of standard elements, allowing to build various combinations like a children's constructor.

SUMMARY
Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI High-speed dynamic car, repelling a sophisticated driver.
+ Excellent dynamics, great noise insulation, accurate reactions, high efficiency, clear operation of the gearbox, careful decoration of the cabin.
- High price for moderate configuration, small doorways.

SUMMARY
Skoda Octavia 1,6 Mpi is calm in character and practical car, well-adapted to Russian conditions.
+ Spacious neat interior, huge trunk, big ground clearance, soft comfortable suspension, excellent noise insulation, full-size spare wheel.
- moderate dynamics, considerable price.


SUMMARY
Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI as every mini-Ven, inside more than outside. Very spacious, with all class advantages.
+ Spacious salon with a lot of transformation options, a huge trunk, a great overview, good noise insulation, an economical engine.
- High price, small ground clearance, no spare wheel.





   
      

     

Yuri Neduchov
Cauthor: Photo: George Sadkov
 

Source: Journal "Behind the wheel"