Test drive VW Passat, Nissan Murano, Subaru XV and Infiniti QX70
Subaru XV with forgotten passengers, a very cozy and safe Infiniti QX70, the search for a home sofa in a VW Passat and economy records in a Nissan Murano
Every month, the AvtoTachki editorial staff selects several cars that are being sold on the Russian market right now, and comes up with different tasks for them.
In late March and early April, we thought about the safety of the Infiniti QX70, looked for a home sofa in a Volkswagen Passat, set economy records behind the wheel of a Nissan Murano, and for some reason forgot about passengers in a Subaru XV.
In fact, the XV is a raised Impreza hatchback, but it is not afraid of broken regional roads at all. If not for the long nose, he could drive far enough off-road. What for? To blow fountains of snow and mud from under the wheels is at least fun.
The ground clearance of the Subaru XV is more than 20 cm, and the proprietary all-wheel drive system is not afraid of long slippage. There is no special off-road mode, as in the "Forester", but the electronics are quite adept at using the brakes.
Into the compact crossover segment, where everyone is trying to emulate each other, Subaru smuggles its boxer, rally and all-wheel drive values. Therefore, the XV surprises not only with its cross-country ability - the energy intensity of the suspension, feedback on a short handlebar, an unexpectedly agile wedge-chain variator, the ability to take turns recklessly, but safely. And modest, despite the soft plastic and beautiful inserts, the interior.
The equipment is also no frills, and the focus here is on the driver, for whom there is a scattering of different-sized screens, paddle shifters and a seat with tight lateral support. Rear passengers, meanwhile, complain about the cold, unheated leather seat cushion.
The compact crossover genre is making its own adjustments. Therefore, the characteristic sound of the boxer engine is drowned out by noise isolation, and the stabilization system is tuned too strictly and does not turn off completely. At the same time, for a family crossover, the XV has a small trunk - there is no chance to load a full-size stroller or a cart of boxes accidentally bought from Ikea into it.
At the wheel of a Subaru XV, you focus on the process, especially if there are gambling turns ahead. It seems that I completely forgot about the passengers - they do not feel well and protest. We'll have to slow down.
No, this is still not an Audi. But the distance to the D-class sedans, which have already earned a name for themselves in the premium niche, in the new Passat has been reduced to the lowest possible values. Why is there Audi, the popular business sedan in its eighth reissue is already breathing in the back and other models from the big German three. The only question is, are the fans of the latter ready to remain loyal to the brand? Or they will be able to soberly assess the offers on the market and look around.
And there is much to look at. In this sense, the Passat was one of the first to take a place in the line for a customer. Yes, its appearance by and large only brought in line with the new standards of the general corporate style of the brand. Of the main changes outside - a different architecture of the front optics and a slightly more massive grill of the radiator grill.
The rest must be looked at. But a real revolution took place in the interior of the model. What are these endless horizontals on the front panel, in which the air ducts of the climate control system are disguised? And the interactive display on the tidy and completely migrated here from Audi with minimal changes. We did not know such a people's car yet.
Of course, the vast majority of options in the new Passat are offered for a surcharge, and in the base version for $ 19. the user will be offered the most common analogue instrument scales, and instead of leather and Alcantara, the seats will be covered with a simple fabric. But you also need to buy all this from premium neighbors for hundreds of dollars, and sometimes thousands of dollars. It is equally important that there is now even more space inside the Passat. Compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase has increased by a good 915 mm, 79 of which fell on the interior. It seems to be a little, but the long journey is now much easier for all riders.
It's also nice that with all these updates, Passat has not lost its proprietary ergonomics and functionality. It is still cozy here, like at home - only the sofa is missing, and any mechanism is activated in an extremely logical and simple way. Sometimes you catch yourself thinking: "Why do something differently?" Add to this an impressive range of engines for every taste and budget, as well as a perfectly tuned suspension, and you have a very decent car for every day. Which, under certain circumstances, can compete for a client with premium models.
It was on the night Moscow Ring Road. Late March, Saturday and light traffic is the perfect time to check the fuel consumption of the Nissan Murano. The manufacturer claims that on the track, an all-wheel drive crossover weighing under two tons, and even with a 3,5-liter engine, is capable of filling a fantastic eight liters per "hundred" - somehow too optimistic.
Barely touching the gas pedal, I accelerate the red Murano to 90 km / h - it is at this speed that the average highway fuel consumption is measured. The crossover, quietly rumbling with a "six", seemed to resist: half an hour ago we were driving in a completely different mode, and it seems that the "Japanese" liked it much more. The on-board computer draws "9,8 liters" - not what we were told. However, after a couple of kilometers, Murano is corrected, either by saving grams on the descent, or I became even softer with the accelerator - 8,2 liters. A minute later, the numbers dropped and even lower than promised - 7,7 liters.
Economy records are, of course, partly a waste of time. We have long been accustomed to very different numbers than the manufacturers promise. At least in Russia, with its traffic jams, frosts and not the best fuel in the world. Another thing is that Nissan, which did not try to create an ultra economical car, entered Murano into quite acceptable limits: during tests in normal city mode, a large crossover demanded 13 l / 100 km - an excellent result even by the standards of the whole class, where about "sixes" under the hood already, alas, few have heard.
At the same time, Murano rides with this not the smallest aspirated, not very modest. A little more than eight seconds to "hundreds", very delicate operation of the variator and almost perfect noise isolation - Nissan can withstand any rhythm of the metropolis. The general impression in the first days of our acquaintance is smeared too much by the American suspension, but that's why we love Murano, right?
It was 10 years ago. I took for a test the Infiniti FX, which had just appeared in Russia - perhaps the most unusual car of all that was sold in those days. A day and a half of pleasure from getting to know the car and a sudden serious accident due to the fault of the "Nine", which flew into the oncoming lane. Shot out pillows, a wheel rim broken in half, a cracked wheel axle - the crossover could not be restored.
At that time, I was convinced that the Infinti is a very safe car: as a result of the accident, I did not have a scratch. I recently met again with FX, which has since gone through a generational change, and has changed its name to QX70. Regardless, the SUV still stands out from the crowd. It even became more fashionable in appearance, but at the same time retained the corporate body shape, for which it was once nicknamed "baseball cap".
If the design of the QX70 is still unusual, then in the cabin the car is no longer so fresh compared to its main competitors. A media system with not the most convenient control of a round and a scattering of buttons around - all this has already happened, and it was quite a long time ago. As well as the rough knobs next to the automatic transmission lever and much more.
This Infiniti does not really surprise with something new inside, but the paradox is different. First, while the brand has much more modern vehicles, the QX70 is the one that sells better than the rest. Secondly, this archaism of the model conceals its incredible attractiveness. You don't want to part with Infiniti, you feel at home in it and it is damn safe.
The editors express their gratitude to the administration of the Fresh Wind Hotel for their help in organizing the shooting of the Subaru XV, and the administration of the Park Drakino resort for their help in organizing the shooting of the Infiniti QX70S.
