Test drive Audi A7 and RR Velar against all
They are by no means comparable to each other, but the German liftback and the English crossover have something in common. They are monstrously beautiful
The world will never be the same: car sharing, cheap taxis, and advanced public transport have greatly influenced the auto industry. The machines become too similar to each other, turning into soulless capsules. A couple of years ago, Svyatoslav Sahakyan, head of the "Design" educational program of the MosPolytech, warned about the fresh future.
“The car will cease to be private property, and if most people switch to car sharing, then in these conditions we will not need to buy a car and choose it by design. This means that manufacturers do not need to wrap their cars in a pretty wrapper. Soon the cars may turn into faceless boxes with different nameplates, ”Sahakyan suggested.
But there is good news: such a scenario will definitely not affect the premium, and even more so the luxury. At least there are a few brands right now that are not shy about experimenting and still able to surprise. The most recent examples are the second generation Audi A7 and the Range Rover Velar. In no case should these cars be compared with each other, but at the end of the article we will still ask the same question.
“Do you really want to know how much aluminum the Range Rover Velar has, its drag coefficient and the diameter of the rear brake discs? It's like thinking about the fate of Jane Eyre, starting with the quality of the paper and the thickness of the binding.
On the first day of my life with Velar, I was generally not worried about what kind of motor he had, what fuel consumption and whether he was good in shallow arcs. This is some kind of magic, but the mechanism of the door handles, the smart tidy and the space climate control unit were of more interest than the 380-horsepower engine and the nimble 8-speed "automatic".
Velar and I are definitely a couple, but we both took a second to understand. Aluminum, soft leather, glossy panels, fragile rubberized levers and switches seem to be something redundant. The British were too pedantic about the drawing of details, and at first it is even repulsive. Velar's interior is, of course, a model of how to do in 2018, but it will never win the competition for the most comfortable salons.
This Range Rover was shown two years ago, but in New Riga it still seems to be ultra-new. And it's not about those damn pens (I didn't want to write a letter about them). Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Infiniti have not yet been able to create a crossover that would so successfully absorb the past, present, future and would not scream about their own money. The Velar is aristocratic down to the last seam on the rear armrest, but it doesn't hesitate to splatter the LEDs with dirt and get hopelessly stuck where it is not customary to wear white pants on weekends.
The second stage of the relationship with Velar is the acceptance of his views on the surrounding reality. It doesn't need artificial engine sound amplifiers, evil exhaust, and a crazy sport mode with all the electronics turned off. But even without this set, he is able to bring a couple of bodies from traffic lights to traffic lights to a charged hot hatch or a powerful four-wheel drive German sedan.
Velar is also good in everyday life, when the side niches in the trunk are much more important than racing on the Luzhnetsky Most. The crossover has a decent 558 liters under the curtain and plenty of legroom in the back row - it seems that this is the case when beauty did not require sacrifice. "
“The end of the year is the time to take stock. In 2018, I put the label “the most beautiful car” on at least two cars. On Velar, which, by the way, fell in love much earlier than his friend and colleague Roman Farbotko, and the Porsche 911 of the eighth generation, presented recently in Los Angeles. The Audi A7, which I spent all of December with, should definitely be on this list too.
Just look at this liftback. Imagine that the entire underground laboratory specializing in genetic experiments has created the perfect actress who has something of Angelina Jolie, Marion Cotillard and Jessica Alba. In the world of automobiles, this is the A7. No classics and this feeling, as if the designer pulled his hand in fear of making a too bold sketch. In the case of the A7, no one seems to have limited themselves. Sharp lines, large wheels, an unusual silhouette and, of course, matrix headlights. On paper, it may not sound very cool, but you just need to see it live.
The A7's price tag is frightening, but, on the other hand, not so high for this class: from $ 57. in the simplest configuration, from $ 306. in our version of Design. Throw in all the extras and the S line exterior package and the price goes over $ 66.
Expensive? Of course, but from the point of view of beauty and wow-effect, even the Porsche Panamera is worth fearing for its positions, the price of which is much higher. Yes, it is faster and more likely to play in the luxury class, but the A7 is never a turtle. 340 l. from. and 5,3 sec. acceleration to 100 km / h as proof of this thesis. The exhaust sound would be even more impressive ...
Are you chasing inner beauty and not paying attention to outer beauty? Okay, I'm betting here too. The salon in the A7 is about the same as in the flagship A8, only a little more boldly decorated. Two screens, apart from a small one on the dashboard, a stunning audio system, a touchscreen with feedback - this set is enough for me.
Although no, there is something that Audi engineers missed - the ability to travel in time (yes, we all know that only DeLorean is capable of this). It's just that then I would have rewound time back and again took the A7 for a test - and again I would have admired her appearance. Well, it remains to wait for next year. They say there will be several premieres to which you can hang my favorite label. "
The editors are grateful to Villagio Estate and the administration of the Park Avenue cottage community for their help in organizing the shooting.
