infotainment

Extremely low consumption!

Posted by Terje Bjørnstad

consumption seat leon

Oh, oh, I thought. Only 1500 miles on the odometer and then the fuel gauge has stopped working? After all, we have been driving around for hours with no results. Luckily I was wrong.

 

consumption seat leonLook and feel

 
In my opinion, Leon has had a successful design from the first model. Also saw our test car in Apollo Blue with 16 inch alloy wheels that I got to drive for a weekend around Essex, UK. Although it shares the chassis with the Golf, it appears longer and wider - but that turns out to be an optical illusion. On paper, only a couple of centimeters separate it from the Golf. Today's Leon is the third generation, and appears in a sharper design with a more aggressive front. With the LED package, you would get the beautiful triangular driving lights. Model pictured has standard reflectors.
 
Inside, it looks like a product from the Volkswagen group. The dashboard is simple in the sense of stylish (free of frills), without giving any premium feel. I didn't expect that either. The built-in screen has a nice location. With the upgraded infotainment system, the large screen can operate together with a small screen between the instrument dials, exactly the same type of solution that Audi has chosen. When I sit in, I notice that the seats are softer in the stop than what I am used to from Volkswagen and Audi. The seats are reminiscent of modern French cars. It was probably only now that I noticed something that could link it to its Latin origin. The seats are good, though. The handbrake is of the usual mechanical type and not electromechanical. Seat supports well be a little more easily equipped than Volkswagen and Audi?
 

consumption seat leonDriving pleasure

The 110 horsepower engine is a brand new common rail diesel that you can currently only get in Seat. On paper, it should be possible to keep consumption as low as 0,33 liters of diesel on the road. However, an extremely favorable consumption does not dampen the driving pleasure. The engine has good bottom traction. The forces are delivered to the drive wheels via a 6-speed gearbox which works perfectly in all speed ranges. On the road, I have the same good, slightly firm feeling as the Golf and Passat.
 

consumption seat leon
Instruments that we are used to seeing in VAG products (the picture is taken from a car with km on the odometer and not miles as in the test car).

consumption seat leonComfort

The first thing I noticed on the comfort side was the noise level, i.e. the absence of engine noise in all speed ranges! You have to deliberately rev the engine to hear it. I don't know if this is a feature of this newly developed engine, or if Seat has paid for solid sound insulation against the engine compartment. In any case, it is a plus for comfort. Add comfortable seats, a good infotainment system and an air conditioning system from the Volkswagen group's shelves, and you have a comfortable journey ahead of you.

consumption seat leonPlace

consumption seat leonThe space conditions in the front and back are good. The luggage compartment of 380 liters is in the middle of the tree in this class. It is too small for families with children, but Leon has come with a station wagon - and it will probably be able to cover the space needs of ordinary families. Fortunately, the station wagon (ST) has emphasized design rather than load characteristics.

consumption seat leonSafety

All relevant safety equipment is in place from the Volkswagen group's shelves. Lane change alerts can be ordered.

consumption seat leonEconomy

We have tested an engine which is expected to appear in new Volkswagen Bluemotion models in the future. The Volkswagen Group has long tested new technology on its Seat models. I didn't get consumption measured, but as I said I discovered driving for hours without the fuel gauge moving, and without being slow in traffic. This promises very well! The engine has start & stop.
 
In terms of price, the Volkswagen group's philosophy is that Seat should be more affordable than a similarly equipped Volkswagen. In terms of equipment, you "must" have a full LED package. I would choose leather/alcantara seats and upgraded infotainment system with navigation à la Audi. Then we already have equipment worth NOK 50. I wonder if a panoramic sunroof would not be stylish? The price in Norway is not known, but you can import the car to Norway through The Møller group. I have made the following calculations based on French on-route prices (without winter package, winter tyres, extra equipment and shipping):

1.2 TSI 105 In-Tech 1.6 TDI CR 110 Style
Net price NOK 131 692 169 902
Norwegian VAT NOK 32 923 42 475
One-off scrap deposit etc. 55 769 42 152
A total of NOK 220 384 254 529

consumption seat leon

  • Extremely low consumption
  • Pleasantly low sound level

consumption seat leon

  • No

 

Nothing to criticize about the design of the mirror housing.

 

Destination: Afternoon Tea at Wivenhoe House

See

Can Seat be resurrected here at home? Do the cars have a chance?
Can Seat be resurrected here at home? Do the cars have a chance?
Driving pleasure on the altar of downsizing?
Those who actually drive Seat.

A4 with the smallest TDI

Posted by Terje Bjørnstad

In the Audi A4, the requirements for space have not prevailed. It is a very beautiful car that is low and wide. It sits very well on the road and helps the driver in all situations, but don't have too high expectations for the drivetrain with the 120 horsepower TDI!

Audi A4 B8

5Look and feel

The immediate feeling you get from the Audi A4 is sober and solid quality without frills and frills. Low and wide with side spoilers (standard on cars delivered in Norway) and fancy Xenon lights give signals of sportiness. Seats in leather/alcantara, also covered on the inside of the doors, Audi's infotainment system with large and small color screen, navigation, control wheel on the center console and buttons on the steering wheel give signals that you are in an expensive car. The seats are not particularly soft. With extendable thigh supports and adjustable lumbar support, you understand that the emphasis is on the sporty and not the comfortable. But the car scores highly on the look-and-feel factor.

If we are to put our finger on something, it must be that everything that gives a premium feel is an extra. This equipment mustn't you have in your A4! Another detail that detracts a little from the premium impression is the simple sheet metal that surrounds the upper part of the instrument panel. This is not of the same quality as the elegant aluminum inserts used elsewhere, such as in the center console and in the doors. This seems to be improved in the facelifted model from 2013.

4Driving pleasure

The tested car has a common rail TDI engine with 120 horsepower. The question is whether this is enough to provide driving pleasure. Basically, you don't need more horsepower, and the car satisfies in most situations. At one point, however, I felt that the car failed my expectations: Accelerations from 80-100 km/h, - i.e. overtaking on the country road. Here there is almost no help to be had from any of the six gears. It simply seems as if the gearbox is not adapted to the TDI with 120 horses. The weak overtaking properties put a damper on driving pleasure.

Audi A4 B8

Road driving on motorways and country roads otherwise works well. The car is very stable and well on the road, even in poor winter conditions. The braking properties are phenomenal.

4Comfort

 

Even with the factory lowered chassis of 2 cm and sports seats, the car feels comfortable. In comparison, an A4 with S-line has its undercarriage lowered by 3 cm and is stiffer. The test car's sporting characteristics do not go beyond comfort. Up front, you sit royally, with two-zone air conditioning, extendable thigh supports, adjustable lumbar support and armrests. You don't sit as well in the back seat. The seat cushion is too short and low for adults. Although there is sufficient legroom, the seating position is uncomfortable. In addition, there are no air conditioning ducts for the rear seat. This must be ordered as additional equipment (3-zone climate control).

The car is normally well soundproofed from the engine, chassis and road surface.

3Place

The A4 is 10 cm shorter than a VW Passat. This is noticeable in the back seat and in the boot. In terms of size, the A4 offers sufficient space for a 5-seater. The trunk in the sedan and Avant is not particularly large, but is large enough for a small family. I like cars that don't unilaterally focus on space.

5Safety

All relevant safety equipment is in place, and in models from 2013 you can order safety equipment such as adaptive cruise control, active lane assist (lane change warning) and side assist (notify traffic in dead zones in the side mirror) under "driver assistance". It is also worth mentioning the A4's very safe driving characteristics which help the driver to keep the car on the road.

Audi A4 B8

 

3Economy

Audi advertises with a relatively low entry price for the Audi A4. Such prices are not correct, because you have to expect to order extra equipment for between NOK 50-100. The loss in value is high - not because the A000 depreciates more than other cars, but because the purchase price is high. Relatively many A4s are sold as company cars, which means that there are quite a few newer used Audis on the market. There is thus much to gain from buying your A4 used.

Operating expenses will be somewhat higher than Volkswagen because the original parts are more expensive for Audi than for Volkswagen.

The new TDI common rail engines use very little diesel.

positive1

  • Successful appearance
  • The infotainment system with navigation

negative1

  • The 6-speed gearbox does not quite harmonize well with the 120 horsepower
Audi A4 B8