Saab Turbo X test drive since 2008 sedan

Clover grief is not to taste

I think no one had a question, and why, in fact, the hot southern beauty Alpha suddenly, thanks to the magazine, found a competitor in the person of a cold Swedish guy named Saab? The point here, of course, is not in the direct competition of these models in our market. An important role is played by ideological background.
 
Sales of both brands are far from not only from beating records, but even to set them. And if Saab after restyling, 9-3 cases seem to have more or less upholstered, then alpha in the second year of sales in Russia only continues to lose potential customers. However, the ranks of ardent fans of these brands do not grow. Fans, they are generally true. Saabers and alfists are amazing together with fragmentary skeletons, but at the same time they carry the doctrine that they are somewhat elected somewhere in the bowels of their vast souls. It is clear that from the window of the notorious silver Toyota, such chosenness looks like madness, but nevertheless: both to Saabu and Alpha, many breathe very unevenly. There are plenty of and, hidden, latent fans. How can I not compare the two top versions of the D-segment from extraordinary manufacturers, since such an opportunity has presented?
Of course, picky readers will say that it would be more appropriate to take the TURBO X collection (only 2000 pieces will be released for the test), which seems to be a mansion in the line of 9-3, and, say, the new Aero XWD model is just as massive and accessible as Ti and also similar in the TTX. We agree that this point of view has the right to life, but we adhere to it strictly, the test simply would not take place, because there was no all -wheel drive aircraft at that time in the GM representative office. It was ridiculous to abandon Turbo X and what a blessing that at that moment we turned up the 159th! To be a test, and its outcome is very curious.
So, on strategic, we have all -wheel drive medium -sized sedans prepared according to the sports program. And this implies: mechanical gearboxes, special interior decoration, special steering settings and pendants, all -wheel drive. The difference in power is +20 hp. In favor of the Swede. And he is easier, but more on that later. Turbo X fell into reality with branded photographs all these machines will be as follows: only black, darkened discs of the original design, additional strokes in appearance and high growth. The clearance is great. This becomes noticeably stronger if Alfa appears nearby. She seemed to stick to the ground with her curved low rapids.
Well, if you leave the road clearance alone, we recognize the obvious Turbo X handsome! How famously the front part is just a fighter. Yes, and at the back makes a powerful impression of the large exhaust nozzles in the form of incorrect parallelepipeds, a shelf of anti -wing on the lid of the trunk, in the shadow of which the coveted inscription from 159 Ti we have been familiar for almost a year. Since then, the car has run over several thousand cruel tests (but feels very good), tried on stickers with a traditional alpha vocabulary of clover (Quadrifoglio Verde) on the front wings and changed the non-native 18-inch winter discs to the original from the TI package. They look better, more for an inch and, in addition, is easier than stock.
Rosso color is, of course, the best that can be offered for the charged Alfa Romeo. Despite all the strengths of Saab's appearance, we will give the championship for the exterior without hesitation the Italian design school. It has more expression, and the amazing appearance was achieved not due to the abundance of fraud details, but due to the extremely harmonious form of the body, which seems to radiate energy.
Frankly, we expected more from the collection salon 9-3, but he could not present a surprise. Here everything is almost like in the usual Aero, and only decorative carbon inserts and a nominal inscription on the carbon strip on the right side of the front panel make diversity. Despite the sports orientation of the car and the mechanical gearbox, the tachometer is still assigned the role of the second plan, it is much smaller than the speedometer and is located aside. The steering wheel is also like in Aero (and Cadillac Bls by the way). Already familiar seats have, of course, with lateral support, but they could fix the body a little better. In general, after visiting the Saab salon, a feeling of dissatisfaction remains. It’s good that there is an alpha nearby.
This is where the style is, that's where the breed is! The front panel unfolded to the driver, finishing with darkened aluminum, equivalent instruments, recessed in deep wells, pedals with aluminum pads. And the steering wheel! Mmm, the bliss of the rim is ideal in size, it will be covered with very pleasant and tenacious skin, and the cross-section and tides in places of the grip are simply perfect. I would like to grab and hold on to this bagel without ceasing. All stronger and stronger. The same skin will be covered with the cumulator of the gearbox drive. Compared to the opponent, it is more convenient in grip and has more short moves. In terms of clarity of inclusion, the advantage is also for the 159th. And also the Italian clutch drive is harder and more informative. The chair in the 159th squeezes the sides stronger, but he does not get a little support in the pillow for his hips.
And if you move back? Alfa is more in terms of dimensions, but there is almost less space in it. Well, the Italians have always been distinguished by reduced attention to the layout of the internal space of their cars. However, this is not an excuse in any case. Sedans are starting in different ways: alpha from the button, the CAAB is traditionally from the atavism key located next to the handbrake. Alpha immediately begins to be inviting to bite with a release on idle, warming the blood of a sitting at the wheel. Iron notes are heard in the voice of her motor. And what about Saab? He is silent (treacherously?). And the justification for such anti -sports behavior is the same in theory a plane. And the plane should be quiet. Although it should be so silent in the cabin of a combat fighter, whose role is claimed by Turbo X? So it turned out that the Italian salon turned out to be closer in spirit. But we are sure that the restrained style of the Swede will have many more likely.
A few months ago, I happened to participate in a similar comparative test. Then 159 Ti and the newly appeared restyled 9-3 Aero came across foreheads. In the races of the dynamics, the front -wheel drive Saab won. He lost a little alpha at the start of the place (after all, the manual box and all-wheel drive of the opponent did their job), but in the second and third programs he simply flew away from the opponent. And it was not only in the motor, but also the mass of Aero weighed almost two centners less. It was all the more interesting to compare the Italian with the top all -wheel drive Turbo X on the handle. It is more powerful than Aero by 25 hp, has a mechnanik in the arsenal, but at the same time, the equipped mass of 1605 kg (Alfa 1740) almost turned into a centner). That is, the advantage in weight is + 135 kg in favor of Turbo X. And if you believe the passport, then it takes 5.7 seconds to accelerate to a hundred, and while the competitor has 6.8. Does everything speak in favor of the Swede?
We granted the right to draw conclusions. And they were surprised to learn that at the start from a place to 100 km/h, they go to the nostril in the nostril! And only when accelerating in the third gear from 80 to 120 km/h, Turbo X outlined his leadership, breaking away about the case. Not much. Perhaps the problem is the tired adhesion of the Swedish machine (which we were warned in the representative office). Well, I would like to believe. If we talk about the nature of the dispersal that machines fully justify each of their ideology. Alfa, despite the fact that the gear ratio of the checkpoint is longer (for example, in the second she reaches almost 120 km/h) accelerate more gambling. The company's motorists were able to teach Italian habits the characteristics of the even non -native Australian engine growing in the entire speed range (although the middle is uncharacteristic for the engines from Alfa Romeo is rich for torque, and at the top it does not get frenzy a little). Rubbing the gear with a short -made, pleasant lever in circulation and enjoying the baritone of the exhaust system, you immediately merge with the machine, and savor every meter of acceleration.
In Saab, everything is different. The motor and release, as already mentioned, are trying not to make noise, and the characteristics of the first repel the desire to twist it into the ringing of the red zone of the tachometer already starts at 5500 rpm. Well, just some kind of diesel! Alpha's red strip starts with 6800 rpm. But how long does Turbo X have the average range! You press the gas and it smoothly, but very confidently flies forward. As if it breaks away from the surface of the highway, spreads the wings. Yes, the notorious sense of flight is born, but, in truth, you expect a slightly different nature from a car from a limited special series. The highlight of the Turbo X in an intellectual all -wheel drive in the manner of those used by Mitsubishi and Honda. The Swedes, when developing this system, collaborated with their fellow countrymen from Haldex. They provided them for Turbo X two ultramodern couplings that are blocked with the rear axle. The first gives the torque there, and the second distributes it along the axes at the direction of the electronics. Unfortunately, the snow did not even think of starting its irreversible fall when we drove to the platform for testing the running qualities of cars. Therefore, all conclusions are valid only for dry asphalt coating.
The Saabov all -wheel drive is configured, as the statements of representatives of the company say, to safe and stable traffic. It turns out that the XWD spirit is closer to the Hondovsky Sh-AWD than Super Ayc from Mitsubishi. The system also advocates a full -wheel drive for a stable trajectory of movement and plays the moment between the rear wheels not so that the car begins to have fun and predictably revenge with the tail, and in order to return to a nonsense trajectory. At least, this is how Turbo X behaves so if it is provoked and sent to the skid, the system will transmit more than the moment (the difference can reach up to 40 percent) to the internal unloaded wheel, which will have a beneficial sliding.
But if the road is slippery, the car, in theory, should allow you to enjoy long, beautiful slides. It is hoped that the meeting in the winter with Turbo X will still take place with us. In the meantime, it can be stated that at the entrance to the turn the sedan frankly rests, and you can break it only with a clear provocation. But if you go according to the rules not rally, but rings, you notice that very high stability. Saab to the last holds the trajectory! The ALFA Romeo all -wheel drive is tuned to the drive, because 57% of the torque goes to the back axis here by default. But at the entrance, the car is also quite eager to slip forward. True, thanks to a more sharp steering wheel and reactions, it is easier to expose it. Especially if under the wheels ice or snow. On the asphalt, you can enjoy the other way, for example, passing turns along an ideal trajectory, opening the throttle at the exit and feeling how, in a poster-in-wheel drive crouching, alpha shoots forward. Eh, the box is shorter here, otherwise it happens that in the second gear in sliding the engine is already clinging to the cutting, and if you pass the turn on the third, there is not enough moment. However, I’ll make a reservation all this for a dry road, if you decide to slip properly. But our opinion is unambiguous for driving a fan is better to wait for winter. In general, 159 Ti gives the impression of a more driver, collected and acute cars, here they are, genes of legendary alpha! Its steering wheel makes it from the end of about 2 revolutions and incredibly sharp! While SAAB this figure is 2.7 turns.
In the alpha, the steering wheel is heavy, informative. After it, it seems that at Saab someone stole all the feedback. But she, of course, is in place. True, not in such quantities. It is good at least that thanks to the XWD system, the Swede steering was finally unloaded from parasitic moments with intense acceleration (when starting from the place, the maximum of the moment goes back and Turbo X makes a slip as a rear-wheel drive car to feel it at 9-3!). But in the hands of the steering wheel is still dancing if an uneven road is under the wheels. Almost the same thing happens in the opponent, but thanks to greater composure, Alfa behaves more understandable and predictable. And SAAB with his large beautiful wheels is stronger than the 159th is afraid of a broken road and pits with sharp edges by the blows are clearly given to the suspension with the vibration of the unsubstantiated masses. Yes, and come to the steering wheel. 159 on its lightweight wheels cope with this task, it is tangibly better. Surprised by Turbo X rolls and blurry reactions when working with a steering wheel to small coal, the suspension chooses a move, and only then the car begins to turn. Perhaps we would not have noticed these errors, if Turbo X are on a solitary test, but for that a comparison was invented. Strange, the situation is the collection top version 9-3 for the test turned out to be more comfortable and remote from the driver than less status Aero! Did the creators of the car pursued such a goal? Whatever it was, but in this duel we recognize the unambiguous winner of Alfa 159 Ti. With lower power and more weight, this car, paradoxically, is much more oriented towards the driver than the opponent. Saab is also good, but from him we, admitted, expected more. However, we leave the car a chance to improve. He can do this in winter.
  
NOTE
 
Full -wheel drive Saab Turbo X
The XWD all -wheel drive on Turbo X is represented in better form. There is its castrated version, which is proposed for Aero without self -block in the rear axle. The thrust back is transmitted to the first generation Haldex, which is blocked with the rear axle with the rear axle. By default, there are 10 paces of torque. The coupling works extremely quickly the degree of locking changes in just 20 milliseconds! The second coupling received the ELSD company designation. It is combined with the first and rear gearbox, the control system controlled by the electronics of hydraulics is also located there. The difference between the rear wheels can reach 40 percent.
ALFA Romeo 159 Ti all -wheel drive
The ALFA Romeo 159 Ti all -wheel drive has a company name Q4 and is less sophisticated than that of a competitor. The moment between the axes here is divided by the old Torsen, who divides the torque between the axes in the proportion of 43: 57 in favor of the rear axle. Moreover, in a maximum turn, this value can reach 22: 78, which determines the rear -wheel drive habits of the car.
Leonty Tyutelev
 
 
 
 
 

 

Source: Motor magazine [December 2008]