Renault Latitude test drive since 2010 sedan
Renault Latitude, Skoda Superb: Lady and longitude
Latitude translated from English geographical breadth. What did the Renault marketers want to say to this name: to describe in one word the wide capabilities of the car or hint at its international character? We will deal with this issue, taking for comparison a similar Skoda Superb concept.
The first impression, as you know, is often deceptive. Another formidable all-terrain vehicle grazes in front of an innocent obstacle, and the sport-cap is accelerated and controlled not at all more fun than the budget sedan. But these sedans are generally harmonious: they are what they seem at first glance. At least in the main
Coordinate system
Spacious, richly finished sedans, this couple are not from those cars that are bought for the last money or on credit. This is already a product from the category I can afford. Such cars are chosen especially carefully, given all the nuances. Let's try to help with this.
I won’t name the bright and spectacular Renault Latitude. But you can’t refuse elegance, there is something in him in French graceful, despite the Korean, Samsung roots. Skoda Superb, especially in black, is much stricter and at the same time heavy.
What to expect from the salon? About the same.
In front of the Renault Latitude salon is spacious. The design is pleasing: fresh and elegant.
The interior of Renault is smarter and brighter. His designer does not like a matter of taste. Ergonomic solutions in managing secondary functions are sometimes puzzled. You can turn on the heating of the seats only to the touch, squeezing the hand between the chair and the door. Somewhere there should be the right wheel below ... Here it is! But he was no warmer, but an infrequent assistant in cars of a similar class stood in the lower back. It was not immediately possible to turn it off at once.
Do you think it is enough for this to turn the mentioned wheel to the stop? I also hoped, but it turned out that the situation was turned off in the middle. Well, now, already having landmarks, I’ll try to find a heating wheel. There is! But why is it not set closer to the climate control unit, or at least at least somewhere, where can you see it? On Skod, everything turned out.
The Superb interior is stricter, more logical, but boring. No variegation and aesthetic bends. The black salon is diluted only with inserts of a dark tree, with separate thin chrome strokes and a huge emblem on the steering wheel, reminiscent: with everything that is in common, this is still not VW.
The interior of Skoda is sustained in strict corporate style. Thoughtful ergonomics to match him.
The Czech has everything in its place. For example, cruise control is turned on habitually - a lever under the wheel, and not a button near the gear lever, as in Latitude. But in terms of the complexity of the tape, these sedans are very close.
In front Renault is a little more spacious than Skoda. However, the landing due to lack of adjustments cannot be called the ideal Korean heritage again? The seats and steering wheel adjustments in Skoda are wider. But the Latitude chair unexpectedly turned out to be not French. This is not bad at all. He would still be the optimal shape ... The pillow was still where it went, although it could be more authentic, but the back is completely none.
No less stiff Skod chairs are pleased with the optimal profile, so you forget to evaluate them how you forget about comfortable and familiar clothes. But the most striking contrast in landing on the back sofa. Well, like cars so close in length and base, you can endow such different salons! In general, I won’t call Renault very cramped, do not be a phenomenally spacious Superb!
In Latitude with two hatches in the roof, the ceiling and in front is low. And in the second row, even a passenger of medium height, sitting as if on the catwalk and therefore looking at the world in the windshield, almost takes the ceiling with the back of the head. At the same time, his knees are back to the front chair, even when it is not fully pushed back, and the feet are very crowded.
For Skod, I want to hire a driver. It is painfully free, in a bar, you can fall apart from behind. This is longitude! He doesn’t press anywhere! A long door provides an excellent entrance-exit, the ceiling is high. This is how the conservative Czech design, in contrast to the fantasies of Renault with a falling roof.
Latitude trunk is not small, but uncomfortable: it is difficult to optimally lay rectangular objects that many incomplete niches remains. In Skoda, it is not only more spacious, but also more rational, and loading of great things greatly facilitates the unusual lid of the trunk, which, if necessary, turns the sedan into a hatchback. In general, for family needs, Skoda is noticeably more attractive.
User profile In motion, the images of rivals, inspired by their design, become more understandable. A two-liter 139-horsepower engine, combined with a variator equipped with six virtual transmissions, provides Renault with quite decent dynamics. With intensive acceleration, the engine holds high (50005500) revolutions, providing, albeit tiring with noise, but quite effective acceleration. In a more calm driving mode, we appreciated the absence of jerks and delays in manual switching.
Skoda with a 152-horsepower turbocharger and a 7-speed robotic DSG box accelerates more intensively. But not enough to consider Latitude a quiet start. In the Kik Dawn mode, the delay when switching at Superb is slightly larger than you expect, but then you can find out about the change of steps only by shaking of the tachometer arrow. In manual mode, which is especially convenient on a slippery road, when you do not want to reduce traction on wheels, both cars keep the transfer on for a long time until the speed, close to the maximum.
Similar and brakes are similar. According to subjective sensations, both cars slow down confidently, without changing the trajectories even on heterogeneous coatings. The pedal force is completely adequate.
In combustering comfort, the cars are also not radical, although differences are already noticeable in this discipline. The Renault suspension is softer, it perfectly levels small pits and bumps. But on gentle waves, the car seems to get tired: the body is upgrading, especially the stern. She does not tire much, but creates unpleasant sensations.
Skoda is tougher, but only so much as confidently, without rolls, to stand on the road. On small irregularities, the tires are closed a little more sharply than that of Renault. But neither the waves nor the rifts of sledges are bothering. At the same time, in Skoda at speeds 90110 km/h noticeably quieter than in Renault.
To say that Renault is poorly controlled, sin. A light steering wheel and a little imposing reactions, especially when turning the steering wheel to small corners, are not critical for a solid sedan. In general, Latitude behaves quite obedient and safely. But the stabilization system works roughly strangles the motor even in the most innocent situations. But a slight sliding is sometimes safer than the loss of traction. Disconnect the device, consider that it cannot be activated again at the first slip.
A similar Skod system is much more delicate and interferes exclusively in the case, when a dangerous situation really threatens to develop into trouble. You drive the same route on Skoda faster. The large sedan easily and cheerfully reacts even to rapid steering, allows you to clearly dose traction and cleverly change the trajectory.
Subtleties of translation
Since neither the other car is Russified, the menu will have to choose a foreign language that is somehow familiar to you. So the choice of a car largely depends on the character of character, life priorities and just tastes.
Latitude is able to attract not always explained, but quite real charm, elegance. Yes, and his dynamics is at the level. And with urban operation, these qualities can overshadow some ergonomic and sled flaws. In addition, in comparable Renault Skod, it is much cheaper.
The original feature of the lattee device for flavoring air.
Superb Textbook of the German Engineering School. It is verified in details and trifles, but someone may seem too dry and even boring. However, if you relate to these machines only as a vehicle, the obvious conclusion suggests itself: Renault is a normal, very good car, Skoda is very good. But we choose a car not only as a means of transportation
Family affairs
From the point of view of passengers, Skoda unconditionally wins. The back is much more spacious, and heating of leather seats, at least in winter, is much more pleasant than Renault provided by the climate, regardless of those sitting in front. The seats in both machines are laid out in parts, but in Skoda behind the armrest is provided for a hatch for something narrow and long. To the joy of the smokers persecuted today in both sedans, large ashtrays are provided behind. Superb has an additional cigarette lighter, in Latitude its place is occupied by a socket.
Source: Behind the wheel
