Test Drive Seat Altea 2004 - 2009 Minivan

I'm deceived, of course, glad ...

The Spanish novelty is really capable of disappointed far from every modern car can boast of this.


Cheating hearing
What did you come to? Fiat? Ah Seat because the Spanish brand is not too much on the hearing, the name of the car is asked almost everything. Next, the conversation comes into the next phase, and there are already possible options. First option: what is it? Second: Is this such a Spanish Volkswagen? The third option is also good: definitely not Fiat? The next phase is as follows: what is the model? And when, finally, it becomes clear that Seat Altea is not at all the same as Fiat Albia, the last question arises, the most important: well, and how?
 

And here it is already starting my story about this car. Especially for you, about expensive readers, the narration of your impressions in the most complete version, author.
 





Optical illusion
The beginning of the test drive came out a little crumpled squeezing from the Leningrad Station, I flopped into the Chumasa Altea of \u200b\u200bEarth-gray, who was waiting for me in the rain on the Komsomol Square. Therefore, our acquaintance began with the interior. What it turns out, healthy! A bunch of places, a bunch of air solid space. For the car located in the golf class, right-go! The central panel is huge, leaving far away, somewhere to a completely invisible hood. Above the head although hanging the sky. Seats harsh, but comfortable and really Spanish Volkswagen. And even though the materials on the touch tough, the salon produces a very pleasant impression. Well, the interior design seemed nontrivial: the tumor in the middle of Torpedo sheltered the weather control in the cabin and the audio system, which is confused by each other: music from below, climate upstairs. Typically, on the contrary, but also so good. By the way, the audio sounds quite decently posted in a plus.
 

Under the passenger seat, on which I proudly clouded, a good chest was discovered. Another storage for Skarba found in the front armrest. And a little later, he discovered two small niches between the rear seat pillow and the doors there successfully rise quarterly jars with power engineering.
 
   


 
Adjustments at the chair a bit, but they are exhaustive

There are no complaints to readability. But the backcomproducture display glows too brightly distracts
 


We arrived at the sink. Do you wash with rugs? And there is no rugs! Wash so.

 
   
Under the front seats, very functional boxes are hidden.

Glove box small and uncomfortable

According to the possibilities of transformation of the salon Altea, of course, inferior to purebred compacts


After the shower of Altea, he was thoroughly studying for practicality and functionality. Soon it turned out that the rear seats, being separate, can navigate the Thournazad, that is always present the opportunity to choose between the place for the feet of passengers and the volume of the trunk, but in small limits, naturally. However, for some reason, for some reason did not give up for some reason to supplement the mobile seats with the backups with adjustment of the angle of angle of tilt the Spanish. But the rear row can be folded, giving the car with a lot of vigoros, that's just a pillow to drop off. And it turns out that even the floor does not turn out the cargo platform comes out of step. Not super, as you understand.

 

Under the trunk foot of the routine with a set of tools
 
The most comfortable shelf with a double bottom and pockets in the ends of the rear seat. Real finds of the Spaniards


But the extra regiment in the trunk, suspended under the main, wonderful thing. In addition, on the sides of the luggage compartment there are niches: the one on the left, on the elastic meshe, and on the right on the rubber. Of course, come in handy!
 



Cheating feelings
Seat is good! True, everything goes to the fact that soon in the model range of Spaniards will not remain any other machines, except for one-visual. But once Venchik, then here, without options for the car with a claim on the utility of Althea unimaginably emotional! The general idea of \u200b\u200bthe entire body design line, which emerges from under the headlight, smoothly flows around the front wing and rushes to the famously defined rear arc. Such lines in the car are two respectively, to the right and left. Between the headlights at the very base of the hood reigned the grille with proud logo. And the fifth door, sharply cropping the taillights, looks like the site under the strength of the strengther, was brewed, and the number itself was fitted on the bumper.
 

And if it were not for rain, I would love to continue the contemplation of the Seat. Beautiful car! It is not surprising: the Italian Walter de Silva is walking in the authors of Altea, who made a whole bunch of brilliant cars alpha-Romeo-156 what is worth.
 

But I, perhaps, I abscess from the vile autumn behind the wheel. The devices drowned in the wells torpedoes, and the speedometer arrows and a tachometer look into the floor. Yes, so love to make cars with a sporty in character. Well, Althea, really cheating?
 

No, then it's just all the scratch: smart acceleration, clear work of the box lever, competently selected gear ratios go seat! Actively accelerates, confidently goes to overtaking everything as I would like. Nice motor picked up for a family machine! By the way, what about the motor? On the traffic lights, I will turn in the glove box and surround the price list from there.
 



Attention, now will be intrigue!
So what do you have? Motor 1.6 liters about 102 forces are the same as on the fifth golf. Obviously he: I rode golf and was not impressed at all. So, we have a 2-liter 150-strong car because it doesn't look like a 200-strong turbo. OK, normal. By the way, the sound accompaniment of overclocking is very even: the engine is rather quiet, but closer to high starts to sing with a ringing nobility.
 

But even in the evening, when I checked documents for the presence of order, I looked at the registration certificate and did not believe my eyes. One and six can not be that! But after all, Golf go to the car, I open the hood and there yes, 1.6 liters of just. I was surprised that with active pedaling trip-computer showed an average consumption less than 12 liters.
 

But why? I know this motor, I drove! As I then explained competent people, it's all about the settings of the engine control unit. Yes, the forces are the same, but the motor can not know. And if I suddenly removed to acquire Alteay, I would feel boldly chosen 1.6, especially since such a minimum two-liter $ 6,500.

But maybe he rides a friend? I will definitely check on the case.
 

And the suspension settings from Seat are close as possible to the ideal: the machine does not seem softly soft but at the same time there is no shaking as a fact. Althea tightly seizes the trajectory and keeps it to the last: it confidently passes the turn even on the dotted irregularities asphalt. But to the brakes had to peck: if they are reflected from decent speed, then everything is definitely. However, when driving a whisper of brakes are too sensitive: easy pressing on the pedal and immediately peck the nose.
 



Cheating expectations
And the next day in Moscow unexpectedly included the winter, and I was able to appreciate the wipers in a non-working condition they are intensely located along the front side of the body, that is, vertically. And therefore, when Althea, from the legs to the head, threw wet snow, the first squeezing brush was scared all the sediments on the hood, returning me the joy of review. By the way, the kinematics of the janitors is such that only a small sector of windshield remains crude, which is still hidden behind the rearview mirror. Not chic but shine and beauty!
 

After a few hours, I had to part with a sultry alteay and go to the Leningrad station on his two. Snow, slush, bro rr

Not only the weather cooled my dust, but the price is on Seat. What do you think, how much should Spanish Volkswagen cost? It is not more expensive than German, right? AN No: It's more expensive. The basic version of Altea is estimated at $ 24,890. This is a machine in the configuration of the reference with such a 1.6-liter engine such as I like. Equipment level, by the way, is very thorough: six pillows, ABS, anti-test system, air conditioning, music. But close in all senses golf plus, with other things being equal to several thousand dollars cheaper. But for him until the end of the year also discount is 8%.
 

Well, the 2-liter altea will pull on all $ 32,990 (the machine is still plus a thousand). But! On the car in the sports configuration FR with a 200-strong turbo engine and can be alone only by the eyes of $ 40,990!
 

I liked Altea. I am pleased with the design and running quality, I am not confused by a minivanity and unknown of the brand on family status. But here is the price
 

So you do not have Fiat, but seat? And what is so expensive? This, you know who is embarrassing anyone.
    
In one volume

It is not so easy to figure out the model range of the Seat. Not only are the most cars actually on one person (common style!), So they are also created on one platform, that is, is pretty unified not only with each other, but also with a fifth generation golf and other derivatives from it. All of them, with the exception of Leon, can safely be considered compactnes: to catch the difference between Altei, its elongated version of Altei-XL and Toledo (the physiognomy is the same, its own own), at first glance, it seems to be a task for very observational. Yes, and Leon, by and large, also actively in disposability

By the way, soon we will have an altea-freertek built on the basis of altei-XL high-speed modification with an increased road lumen and a complete drive.
 
Seat Altea 1.6 Stylance (2.0)

common data
 
Body, number of places / doors
Hatchback, 5/5.
 
Curb weight, kg
1320 (1375)
 
Length x Width x Height, mm
4280x1768x1568.
 
Base, mm.
2578.
 
Pitch in front / rear, mm
1534/1523.
 
Diameter of reversal, m
10.9
 
Speed, km / h
181 (206)
 
Acceleration 0-100 km / h, with
12.8 (9,6)
 
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km
6/10.4 (6.2 / 10.5)
 
The volume of the trunk (5/2 place), l
409/1320
 
Volume of fuel tank, l
55.
 

Engine
 
Location
Front cross
 
Design
4-Cyl., Inline, 8 (16) -clap. 1 (2) upper camshafts
 
Working volume, SMZ
1595.
 
Power, hp at rpm
102/5600.
 
Torque, kgmm at rpm
15.1 / 3800.
 

Chassis
 
Drive unit
on the front wheels
 
Transmission
Mechanical 5-st.
 
Suspension:
Independent, spring
 
in front
Type Mac Foodson
 
behind
Multi-type
 
Steering
Rack type with amplifier
 
Torkemose
Disk, ventilated front
 
Tires
205/55 R16
 

Car
from 0.27 $ / km
 

+ 
Bright appearance; pleasant salon; Cheerful engine; Magnificent suspension
 
-
High price; lack of developed dealer network
 
 
Kirill Brevdo, Maxim Goncharov
 
 

A source: Journal Buy Auto [21/2007]