Audi Allroad test drive since 2012
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Audi Allroad Quattro 2.7T
Audi has not reacted to an off -road boom for a long time for a long time. She could afford to rest on his laurels, creating a market niche of all -wheel drive cars and keeping it under control. For almost twenty years now, cars with an emblem of four crossing rings and the Italian word Quattro in the name are stable popular with active and dynamic travel lovers. The constant all -wheel drive gained well -deserved glory on the routes of the world rally championship and in ring racing of different levels. It would seem that it is possible to continue to develop a gold -bearing deposit, not being distracted by the fluctuations of the conjuncture. But the market is the market ... For the past few years, cars are very popular, which are usually called urban, or parquet, SUVs - cars with passable appearance and the ability to connect, most often automatic, second pairs of drive wheels. As a rule, according to consumer properties, they are closer to ordinary cars than to purebred SUVs. Their popularity is explained mainly by the development of the road network, especially in Europe and the USA. On solid coating, it is more convenient to move in conditions as close as possible to cars. Well, non -resistance is for the rare case when there is still the need to leave it. In addition, there are fashion factors and prestige, especially important for residents of cities, which are the main consumers, as it were, SUVs.
Audi, which, did not seem to be worried about these populist games, actually calmly prepared the debut of a fundamentally new car. Having built the Audi Allroad Quattro, she once again confirmed her reputation as a fashion legislator in the field of all -wheel drive.
What surprised us this time? Allroad QUATTRO ANELRODARY, built on the basis of A6 AVANT Quattro, is fundamentally different from the station wagon with the possibility of adjusting the road clearance from the driver's seat both in manual and automatic modes. Versions with a mechanical checkpoint in the transmission have a demultiplitor, like a real SUV. On this, the similarity of the all -terrain vehicle with the classic all -terrain vehicles ends. The role of the blocked center differential in the Audi Allroad QUATTRO is performed by the self -locking differential of torsen, and the blocking of inter -several differentials imitates the brakes of the axle wheels.
With the transmission, everything is more or less clear, but you should figure out the suspension - due to what a change in the road clearance occurs? The answer is short - air. In the suspension, Audi Allroad Quattro, instead of traditional cylindrical springs, uses pneumo elements connected to the compressor, receiver and control unit that are located in the rear of the car. This design allows not only to change the clearance, but also to perform the function of static adjustment of the body level depending on the load - this is found on some models of city buses.
The suspension remained kinematically and constructively remained the same as on the Audi A6 - the transverse levers in the front and behind (the front suspension retained the virtual axis of the rotation of the wheels, as on A6 and A8 cars). The large range of vertical movement of the body (road clearance changes from 142 to 208 mm) caused the need to increase the passages of suspensions. Both are collected on subframes that are attached to the body through rubber -metal supports. Shock absorbers - telescopic gas -filled.
Audi Allroad QUATTRO has two engines - 2.7 l V6 gasoline with double turbocharges and a turbodiesel of the same configuration with a volume of 2.5 liters. Motors - according to the latest technology: there are multi -valve heads and interculers (there are two of them with a gasoline engine), and the direct injection of fuel (diesel). This allows you to develop a power of 250 (gasoline engine) and 180 hp. (diesel) and provides torque of 350 and 370 nm in a wide range of revolutions-1800-4500 and 1500-2500, respectively. For diesel, such indicators are generally not surprising, but the characteristic of the torque of a turbocharged gasoline engine on the bottom deserves respect.
After the official presentation of the Audi Allroad Quattro in Moscow, the car was at our disposal for a while. At first glance, it may seem that before us is an ordinary A6 station wagon, only with other bumpers and tan arches of arches of wheels made of graphite -black plastic. The design of arches is in the style of VW Golf of the first and second generations.
The body is decorated with polished metal - overlays on the lower edges of the doors (including the fifth), handrails on the roof for luggage attachment and panels in the lower part of the bumper that protect the plastic from strikes. With such a decoration, you can safely go on a small forest walk. Polished alloy wheels shine - they are prefabricated, with an amplifying lining, in the shape of a recurring knitting needle of the main disk. Longitudinal stamping on the roof, which the Audi A6 Avant do not have, are noticeable. So far, nothing supernatural, similar to the similar principle, the universals of Subaru Legacy Outback and Volvo V70 Cross Country have been designed.
The inscription on the body - 2.7t - indicates that the car is equipped with a gasoline engine. Once in the cabin, we were convinced that this time would not be able to use the lowering transmission - a large guide lever of a polished aluminum, characteristic of machines with an automatic transmission Tiptronic, caught his eye. In general, the interior differs little from the Audi A6 salon. Only color and textured design is unusual. Torpedo is finished with soft noble plastic, devices are equipped with polished rims under chrome, in everything you feel the solidity and thoroughness inherent in Audi cars.
The seat with leather upholstery is convenient, all adjustments, including setting up the lumbar support, are electric. The steering column adjustable in two directions turned out to be useful. Between the front seats is a leap armor with a niche, where a stand under a mobile phone is hidden. There is nothing unusual in the trunk, except perhaps a grid that can be separated by a cabin from a cargo compartment. In the niche on the left there is a set of tools. There are also elements of the road clearance adjustment system - this resembles the sound of the pump. In addition, if you stand at the left rear wheel, a periodic hiss is heard - like a LiAZ bus, only very quiet. This is tinted by the air from the receiver.
The organizers of the test first proposed to check the off -road properties of the car. I recall Citroen Xantia with its hydropneumatic suspension, which allows you to increase road clearance or squat for the convenience of landing and leaving the machine - looking for the clearance buttons. Here they are, on torpedo to the right of the steering wheel, and are equipped with understandable symbols. I give the command to rise. The LED indicator informs about what is happening.
I immediately sent the body to the upper position, pressing the key with the arrow several times in a row. The diodes blinked - the process went. I don't feel anything. A few seconds have passed, the illumination has stopped, the upper cell shines. I open the door - it turns out that we significantly broke away from the ground. You can go ...
We are waiting for an impromptu site of off -road, specially prepared for the presentation of Allroad Quattro. The soil is a loose wet sand mixed with clay. There is no need to count on a demultiplitor, the special tires of the Pirelli P6 Allroad should help, the pseudo -approved EDL inter -coil differentials (Electronic differencial Lock) and the Electric Torsen are the ability to submit up to two thirds of torque to any axis, depending on the road conditions.
I did not facilitate the task of the transmission, putting the selector to the D. The car moved smoothly ... The suspension did not seem unnecessarily stiff, as the SUV could be. Again I recalled Xantia, its stool - the body rose due to a decrease in the end of the end, and the car was actually driving on a rigid limit of the suspension stroke. This is not here. The steering wheel with the help of an amplifier easily turned the wheels, I easily made adjustments to the direction of movement. There was a need for this - the track is wiped off, and look like we will hook the soil or even get stuck.
With an increase in the engine speed, Audi Allroad inspires even more confidence in its off -road abilities. The car easily overcomes the climbs, including with sharp turns, as they say, more gas - less pits. The EDL system copes with its tasks. That's just with visibility is not very good. Still, it is better to know in advance where you are going. I had to pull my neck to look behind a long hood, especially at the end of the ascent, before the descent, which was waiting for us in the way down - was a mystery. In addition, rather large body overhangs (albeit raised) can provide a poor service. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Audi Allroad is by no means a parquet scarc, it is approaching a real off -road car ...
Let's see what will happen on an ordinary road. We are still on the Khodynsky field, but not on the outskirts, but on the highway, where the stages of the Russian championship in ring racing are held.
I deliberately do not reduce the clearance, the car must do this itself with an increase in speed. After acceleration (excellent dynamics!), At a speed of about 35 km/h, I blinked the upper LED, then the next under it caught fire. With further overclocking, in the region of 80 km/h, the lights shifted down - two lower cells were earned. This indicated that we sank to the so -called standard level, and then to the reduced.
At speed, Audi Allroad feels great - like an ordinary passenger car with a well -brought chassis. The suspension carefully monitors the road, the car confidently holds the given path and obediently can change it in case of something. In turns, Audi Allroad demonstrates excellent lateral stability (by the way, there was good lateral support for seats). But more recently, he climbed around the slope and made his way through wet sand like a venerable SUV. The brakes are magnificent, they confidently and predictably slow down the car and do without frequent intervention of ABS.
When the speed is reduced, the car automatically returned to the standard level of clearance. If you wish, you can decrease further, for this you need to hold the pressed button down a few seconds. The same can be done on a standing car - to install any of the four levels of road clearance. In this sense, the Audi Allroad Quattro is unique, not one of its classmates can transform from an almost off -road state into a state of high -speed dynamic car. Of course, the Audi Allroad, in fact, is closer to the usual light car, but it has outstanding off -road qualities for their class, which is especially interesting for those who are used to feeling confident always and everywhere.
Source: Motor magazine [No. 8/2000]
