The cold wind and whistling ice and snow have always been the best place for various brands to test the extremely cold performance of cars, in order to pass on the performance of vehicles on the road to everyone, a large number of media have gathered to run to the north every year, and I am no exception. In fact, the author is still more afraid of the cold, the first and second time to participate in the ice and snow test drive that kind of excitement, in the ice surface to explore the limit of the vehicle when the blood boiling, but also by the northern bone cold wind slowly consumed, and then board the flight to the north is somewhat frightened. However, this encounter with the imported Volkswagen Touareg/Weilan at 41° N and 127° E made me understand that ice and snow test drive is not only an "open way".
This time we came to Jilin Changbai Mountain, known as the "Immortal Mountain", when the temperature of Changbai Mountain has reached minus 20 degrees, we will drive the imported Volkswagen Touareg and Weilan to start a two-day trip. Over the course of two days, we will traverse knee-deep snow trails and test Touareg's ability to get out of trouble on snow-covered steps, hump slopes, and crossover axes. Drive in the ski town and the resort area with panoramic views of Changbai Mountain, and enjoy a comfortable and relaxed lifestyle in the snow and ice.
Towson 4WD + Air Suspension Calmly traverse jungle ski trails
On the first day of the trip, we put on our gear and prepared to go, out of reverence for nature, autumn pants, gloves, hats must not be less, after all, we have to cross the sparsely populated ice and snow forest road today. Earlier this year, I had already driven the Touareg through Dunhuang's Multi-Dam Ditch and Poplar Forest, which was equivalent to spoiling its excellent off-road capabilities early on, and with the replacement of professional snow tires, I believe that today's trip should be easier.
We got a Touareg 3.0TSI model with a 3.0TSI V6 longitudinal engine with a maximum output of 340 hp and a peak torque of 450 Nm. The drivetrain is matched by zf's 8-speed automatic manual transmission. As models created on the same MLB Evo platform, the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, and Bentley Bentayga are also adopting this powerful powertrain.
Of course, such a strong power system can not exert its full strength on the snow, we still feel the 4MOTION four-wheel drive system equipped by Touareg, which plays a crucial role in smooth driving and getting out of trouble on the snow. This four-wheel drive system can transmit up to 70% of the drive torque to the front axle of the vehicle and 80% of the drive torque to the rear axle of the vehicle, improving the grip and stability of the vehicle with better driving effect and stronger power response. The adaptive air suspension system, which operates all-terrain 24/7, features five height adjustments that significantly improve vehicle passability and keep things up and running, regardless of the complexity of the road conditions and undulating terrain.
In the first half of the trail, the terrain is relatively flat, and the passing vehicles have pressed the snow into a thin layer of ice floes, making the road adhesion even lower, and only by laying cinders by rangers can the traffic be safely passed. The team is driving in a 40km/h speed formation, as long as the speed and safety distance are controlled, in the 4MOTION constant time four-wheel drive system and snow mode to help this section of the road is actually driving up and paving the road is not much different, you can enjoy the scenery along the way and the air suspension brought by the comfortable driving experience, occasionally pressed to the potholes and bumps are also neatly filtered out by the suspension system, although you can see the suspension in front of the car up and down non-stop operation, but our car does not feel obvious bumps, It's as if we're not on the same path.
As the convoy progressed, the ruts became less and less, the snow became thicker and thicker, and we could even see the footprints of some small animals in the snow, which meant that we had officially entered a sparsely populated area. In order to ensure safe driving, the entire convoy stopped before officially entering, and raised the height of the body to the highest state through the knob on the right side of the central passage. The Touareg air suspension is available in two different heights, and the vehicle has automatically increased the body height when we switched to snow mode earlier, but in the event of a very special situation, you can also increase the ground clearance again by turning the knob on the right side of the central channel. Dozens of Volkswagen Touaregs lined up and adjusted to the highest mode at the same time is a rare sight.
After the elevated car, the convoy continued to drive deep into the jungle, when the snow on the road was already at the same height as the body, and the "clanging" sound of the chassis and the snow rubbing could be heard during the driving process, but due to the gradual softness of the snow, the adhesion of the four wheels was also improved. At this time, you can also call up the camera in front of the vehicle through the central control screen, which is more conducive to observing the road conditions ahead, because driving on the thick snow, you may encounter pits and dark stones buried under the snow, but as long as you drive along the ruts in front of you, you can avoid the situation to a large extent. It is worth noting that after the body rises to the highest, the speed of the vehicle should not exceed 30km/h, if the speed is too fast, the vehicle will default that you have passed a special section of the road, and automatically reduce the height, then there may be a bump in the chassis.
After 30 minutes of formation, we also arrived at our destination safely, not as exciting and adrenaline-pumping as the traditional ice and snow test drive, but under the blessing of Touareg's powerful four-wheel drive system and air suspension, we enjoyed the scenery along the way and listened to the "whistling" sound of the chassis rubbing against the snow, making this crossing trip seem comfortable and calm. After so many ice and snow test drives, the encounter with Touareg allowed me to experience the vehicle for the first time while truly enjoying the beauty and nature of the ice and snow world, as if I had never experienced it before. I can't help but think, in addition to the Touareg, which other car can look so calm in this forest road, the hardcore off-road purpose is too strong, and the traditional SUV is not completely sure, I think this feeling can only be felt on the Touareg.
We can see that in the two models sold by imported Volkswagen, as well as in the previous models, the introduction of domestic models is all personalized and heritageed models, such as Touareg as a luxury SUV with a history of 19 years, we have witnessed it pulling planes, going up the mountain and going to the sea, flying sand and stones, winning the Dakar Rally triple crown, etc. Every feat is still fresh in people's minds, which are also the reasons why consumers choose it. Another model we test-drove today, the imported Volkswagen Weilan, is a car that many young people in the city who yearn for freedom regard it as a car of faith.
Added Phantom Blue color scheme to pay tribute to the "Crock Tank God Car" R36
Of course, we certainly can't drive Weilan through the forest road, extreme off-road, we are more to feel the way of life of driving Weilan at the foot of Changbai Mountain, taking photos and punching cards, which is also a realization of my vision of a "crock pot" fan driving a station wagon away from the hustle and bustle and walking in the beautiful scenery.
If you see a young man in the city, driving a "crock pot" car and carrying a suitcase, will you feel the same as me, thinking that he must be dissatisfied with being tied up in the city and always yearning for the distance? This is a special attitude conveyed to people by the station wagon, especially the Phantom Blue color model we got today, which integrates youth and sports into it to create a special visual feeling. Phantom blue color scheme is a new color scheme of the new imported Volkswagen Weilan, coupled with the R-line logo inside the front grille, and even reminds me of the "crock pot god car" - Volkswagen R36, because the most classic R36 is also similar to the phantom blue blue blue.
Due to the special body shape of the station wagon, the Volkswagen Weilan looks particularly slender from the rear 45 degree angle, and the through-line waist line runs from the front of the car to the rear, which also increases the visual tension of the body. Unlike the current station wagons launched by many domestic brands, some brands will deliberately increase the height of the body to obtain stronger passability. Wei Lan maintains a low geographical clearance, and I can easily reach out and touch the ground while sitting in the driver's seat, so that the vehicle maintains a more aesthetic body posture, while also taking into account the same driving texture of the car, which I think is the essence of the station wagon.
As a station wagon, the rear of the car is of course the most concerned place for everyone, the new Weilan actually did not make a major adjustment to the rear, and the changes in details made it more cater to the "tastes" of young people. The SUV-like shape also allows it to have a trunk volume comparable to that of an SUV, with a volume of 592L before the rear seats are reclined, and an exaggerated 1725L after being put down, which can carry all the items you need during your trip.
Entering the car, it is still the public "home" style that we are familiar with, although it is not young and sporty, full of sense of technology, but the horizontal and vertical design is surprisingly durable, and the 10.2-inch LCD instrument panel with a 9.2-inch central control screen also allows us to see the public's progress with the times in the tradition. The internal functions of the central control screen are still relatively comprehensive, such as wireless CarPlay, CarLife, intelligent navigation, voice recognition system, etc., and the use of the screen texture, sensitivity has also reached the current level of domestic mainstream car machine, think carefully as if the public has never been over-publicized in the aspect of smart car machine and intelligent driving, but it has not been left behind. And the front row configuration is also very rich, such as our top model home to provide seat massage, heating, ventilation, 12 speaker Harman Karton audio, 30 color atmosphere lights, etc., in an imported Volkswagen let me experience what is called "configuration flow".
Wei Lan seat is also a very valuable point to take out alone, I believe that just from the picture you can already feel its excellent wrapping, the side of the seat bulge angle is very large, can steadily drag the sides of my body in today's driving, coupled with the blessing of the electric waist rest, so that my entire back and can fit the seat perfectly. The seat material is also the high quality that you feel when you sit up, the feel is delicate and skin-friendly, the hole treatment is also carried out to improve the breathability, and the transverse stitching design also makes it feel very comfortable to ride.
In fact, there are not many highlights in the rear row, because the imported version does not have a longer wheelbase, so the riding space can only be said to be enough. Taking the author personally as an example, my height is 176cm, and there is less than one punch in the legroom in the car, but due to the unique design of the wagon roof, the head space is still relatively abundant, and it is also a punch or so.
15 levels of adjustable suspension for a comfortable lifestyle
In terms of power system, in fact, the new Weilan and the previous models still have great adjustments, the power system of the old model provides a 1.4T engine and a 2.0T high-power engine, while the new Weilan is equipped with a 2.0T low-power engine, the maximum output of this engine is 190 horsepower, and the peak torque can reach 320 Nm, which is already a very good performance, but compared with the previous 2.0T high-power engine power is still lacking. However, this is also more in line with the needs of modern young people to buy cars, and the concept of environmental protection, this third-generation EA888 engine can meet the national 6b emission standards without installing a particle trap.
In actual driving, the new Weilan also gives me the feeling that everything is just right, and the power is completely enough to face the daily driving needs. Especially the performance of this engine in the low-torque state, the power is very strong, in the daily follow-up car does not need to big foot throttle, just need to tap the throttle 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission timely power transmission and 2.0T engine low-torque performance can let me easily keep up with the front car, deep on the throttle will also have a strong sense of push back, and after switching to the sport mode, this low-torque burst of feeling will also come more directly. Even if the speed reaches 100km/h on the high speed, there is still enough power reserve to overtake and merge with the throttle.
This time driving the new Wei Lan we are still driving on the paved road, you can more directly feel the "Deweier" full of chassis texture. The feeling of turning to the hand is still our familiar feeling, there is no too much virtual position can be said to refer to which to hit, the curve can give me full confidence. Not only that, the new Weilan is also equipped with 15 levels of soft and hard adjustable suspension, which can be customized to suit your own suspension softness. Since the road construction on the Fusong side is not very perfect, most of the time in today's driving, I will adjust it to the softest state, and the chassis comfort in this state has reached a very good level, which can filter out most of the bumps and achieve the best filtration. If you want to be passionate, you can also adjust it to the hardest mode, then the sense of road will be clearer, and the support will be improved to a more sporty mode.
Of course, there are still a lot of snow and ice floes on the road, and we are mainly based on sightseeing today, feeling the special lifestyle brought by driving Wei Lan, and we are not passionate.
Write at the end
The test drive is nearing the end, compared with the excitement and passion of the previous ice and snow test drive, the feeling left by driving Touareg and Weilan is fun, relaxed, calmly crossing the forest road, driving Weilan to feel life, pouring a cup of coffee and sitting on the terrace looking at the snow-capped Changbai Mountain, as if this ice and snow test drive is not so cold. I also couldn't help but marvel at Touareg's excellent off-road performance, without which we wouldn't have been able to explore the depths of the jungle and feel knee-high in snow. Finally, the gossip to everyone revealed, imported Volkswagen is expected to continue to enrich the product lineup this year, the future we come to more interesting models, let's look forward to it together.