Seat Altea 2004 test drive - 2009 minivan

Pills for greed

Single -removable cars are more and more popular. Ford S-Max has been among the leaders of the Russian market in the CF-Wens class for a month now. Recently, the dealers have an updated version. Almost simultaneously, Seat, returning to Russia, began selling the Altea XL model. What an extravagant Spaniard intends to seduce the buyer, Mikhail Gzovsky is imposed. Photo: Alexander Kulnev.
 
Seat altea xl
The model is built on the basis of the Altea sample of 2003. Three years later, version XL appeared.
Engine: gasoline, 1.6; 1.8; 2.0 l (102, 160, 150 hp).
Gearboxes: 6-speed mechanical and automatic.
Complete: Reference, Stylance.
The price of basic versions: $ 26 490 - 34990.
Ford C-Max
The focus-based car was first represented in 2003, modernized in 2007.
Engine: gasoline, 1.6; 1.8; 2.0; l (100, 125, 145 hp), diesel 1.6; 1.8; 2.0 l (109, 115, 136 hp).
Gearboxes: 5-, 6-speed mechanical and 4-speed automatic.
Complete: Ambient, Trend, Ghia, Titanium.
The price of basic versions: 510 000 - 760,000 rubles. ($ 20 400 - 30 400).
The Russian motorist is slowly starting to appreciate the charm of transformer salons. But only outstanding qualities of the car can make our person abandon the favorite sedan. The Seat-Altea XL and Ford C-Max has a lot of them.
Compact, spacious inside on the face
First of all, they have a memorable and so far that did not get an image and appearance. I remember it was a revelation to realize that almost no one was watching one of the first Mercedes of the S-class in the W221 body in Moscow. As usual, pathos, as always, is not available
On the Seat, people turn around, obviously trying on them on themselves. Altea XL is built on an elongated platform of an ordinary altea; She, in turn, is based on the foil-generation Volkswagen-Golf. Ford was also not found in cabbage: once it was called the focus S-MAX, but after the recent modernization the word focus from the name was removed, simultaneously overlapping the machine and decorating the rear lights with LEDs.
Having climbed into the Seat, I recall Spain. The scorching sun and the stiff -shaped stony slopes overgrown in June; emotional locals; Cute, but by a large European account, not too rich in the village of Altea XL, fits perfectly into this associative series: the materials here are simple, the plastic is solid, but the design of devices with a spark. The design can hardly be called elegant, but it creates a certain mood right away.
Behind - Lepota. Compared to ordinary altea, XL is really larger than. To make it clear, let's move on to the numbers: in length, the car added 187 mm. And they all went for the benefit of the rear passengers. The seat is divided into two parts, each of which moves back and forth, or by increasing the volume of the trunk, or adding comfort.
And what about Ford? Ford C -Max is Germany! German cars repel some and attract others with the same nuances. No asymmetry, God forbid the vestibular apparatus of the client. The salon is thought out, each solution is balanced and dictated by the mind. From the heart there is generosity in the decoration. Juicy devices taken into chrome rims, inserts for polished aluminum, an extravagant Mr.-shaped handbrake, darken-gray chairs shot down with white stitches ..
Behind all this splendor, you do not immediately notice that the back of the Ford Salon is not as spacious as that of Seat. The third passenger is forced to squeeze his legs, moving away from contact with the central tunnel tube, and the neighbors will complain about crowding in the shoulders. In vain: we are talking about compact wen, and not about full-sized mini-wen. Another crankshaft!
But the C-Max was still more cunning. It was worth a closer look at the rear seats, as it turned out: the average moves into the trunk (or is taken out of the cabin), and the side leaves diagonally (!) Back. In a four -seater configuration, Ford is already bypassing the seama on the leg reserve.
You cut it, it means you fly
Turning inside out the famous proverb, you can get such an unexpected conclusion. Can these cars fly? It turned out - quite! Both are equipped with 2-liter engines, but Ford is weaker by 5 hp, and the torque of its motor is lower by 15 n.m.
In the Seatom, you feel like in a hete-bonfire of a sporting sense: the armchairs grab the sides; The arrows of devices, drooping under the influence of earthly attraction, are ready to go into the race in a circle.
Two liters, 150 hp, six steps of an automatic box. A familiar combination? That's right, these are Volkswagen units. And they work, as it should be German - self -confident. You feel it, barely touching the altea from the place. The automatic machine imperceptibly sorts through the gears, the floor gas pedal persistently asks to break the resistance of the limiter before turning on the kik-downs. The complaint caused only the steering, excessively light in serpentine mode; This prevents the turn from passing even more than not at all a race in geometry.
Two liters, 145 hp, four steps of an automatic box. Also a familiar combination? Ford does not seek to conquer technologies. Surprisingly, S-Max from this, if it loses, is negligible. Acceleration - even and assertive - continues to 160 km/h. The first hundred is also quite easily given - for 11 s. If Seat for choleric, Ford in contrast - phlegmatic. Fast switches of seata turn, Ford - soothe. The collected, but rather stiff suspension XL pushes to drive; The opponent’s soft tread is to go impressive, but, as practice shows, no less quickly! It seems that between the steering wheel and the wheels of the C-Max there is no intricacies of rods, an electric motor and hydraulic highways, so quickly and accurately it goes along the trajectory.
What is the end? Seat-Altea is in many ways really XL-it has grown out comparable sedan salon, while rides in an adult way. S-Max also acts to the maximum, but affects other receptors. The car is richer in decoration and cleaner in style, more diverse in terms of transformation of the salon - and, very important, significantly cheaper.
I would have a city car to compact, economical, inexpensive, but comfortable ... and more, more !!! - The requirements of buyers, as in a joke about tablets from greed. Folklore, although it comes to us from real life, has not much in common with it. The payment for the universality of the compact wen is the European price without any discounts. But not in line to stand not so long
Mikhail GZOVSKY: CD segment - dear. The dealers should not wait for condescension from buyers who are unlikely to be reconciled with the lack of heating of seats and parking sensors for more than forty thousand dollars.
Seat altea XL - Chen is spacious, very good in sled disciplines, very expensive.
General assessment 7.9
+ Decent accelerated dynamics, comfort for rear passengers, convenient trunk.
- Average smoothness, high price, undeveloped service network.
Ford C -Max - conquers a spacious salon and miracles of transformation, a comfortable suspension and generous finish.
General assessment 8.2
+ The multifunctional back of the cabin, stable behavior on the road, solid finish.
- Small road clearance, unimportant visibility.
 
 
 
 
 



 

 

Source: The magazine "Driving"