Test drive VW Teramont against Ford Explorer
The VW concern has entered the territory of very large crossovers with a seven-seat Teramont. But how will he look against a purebred American, but with a Russian registration - Ford Explorer?
Volkswagen Teramont looks impressive and compact at the same time. The devilish play of lines and proportions hides its real dimensions, if there is no snapping to some object or other car in the frame. Explorer with its rough massive forms, on the contrary, gives the impression of an immense bus.
It is worth putting the crossovers side by side, as one grows and the other shrinks. The Teramont is the same width as the Explorer, but a couple of centimeters shorter and just as long. It even surpasses the size of the Touareg, which has become the flagship of the brand over the generations. But only in size - the equipment and decoration of "Teramont" is simpler.
This is a model created primarily for the US market, where they love large crossovers with a third row of seats and are undemanding to interior decoration. The front panel of "Teramont" consists of simple lines, without unnecessary detail. Imitation stitching and lurid wood inserts are a controversial attempt to add premium. In the graphics of the multimedia screen and the virtual dashboard - it is offered in expensive versions - there is much more premium.
The front panel of the Ford Explorer seems to be hewn out of a single block, without details, but it looks more expensive and more interesting. Metal and wood are almost like real ones, curved speaker grids on the doors are an original design solution.
After the German Ordnung, Ford displays are chaos. On the central one there is a jumble of rectangular icons, there is too much information on the tidy screens, and it is too small. As compensation - physical buttons that duplicate control through the touchscreen and more intuitive voice control.
Teramont perceives commands worse by ear, demanding perfect pronunciation, and if you start to resent loudly, it gets offended and stops working. In addition, Ford's navigation is able to show traffic jams by receiving data from the radio.
In the size of the wheelbase Teramont is in the lead - the distance between the axles y is 12 cm longer than that of the "Ford", and the Germans dealt with the internal space more reasonably. From the point of view of the rear passengers, the advantage of the Teramont is overwhelming and can be seen without any measurements. Its doorways are wider, and the thresholds are lower. The stock of legroom is impressive, you can safely place the second row sofa in front, so that the passengers in the gallery can sit more freely.
In addition, the Volkswagen is wider at the shoulders and taller from floor to ceiling. Ford has handles on the B-pillars to make it easier to get in, but when it comes to comfort, the competitor is once again out of reach - window shades, automatic mode of the rear climate control unit. The central armrest is offered for Teramont in expensive trim levels, but Ford does not have it in principle. Heated seats in the second row are there and there.
The third row of crossovers is quite habitable: passengers have cup holders, air ducts and shades of lighting. But at Ford, only the narrow part of the second-row sofa moves forward, so only one adult can comfortably fit here.
The third row of the Explorer is electrified: just press one of the buttons to unfold additional chairs, or fold their backs forward. This greatly facilitates the transformation, but at the same time you cannot leave any things in the trunk and keep in mind the algorithm for moving the backs. To fall underground, they first fold all the way forward, and if they encounter an obstacle, they will either crush it or freeze.
In the seven-seat configuration, the Ford trunk is more spacious than that of the Volkswagen. As the backrests fall, forming a flat floor, the Teramont's advantage grows. In addition, the German crossover has a deeper trunk, a lower loading height, and a wider doorway.
In front of the driver of "Teramont" there is an endless hood, like a truck, but the ergonomics are quite light, and the seat is dense, with an anatomical profile of the backrest and good lateral support. The front panel of the Ford does not see the end and the edge, on the sides it is supported by thick, like mammoth legs, pillars. The chair of the American crossover does not squeeze the body so tightly and obese people should like it. The lumbar support in the driver's seat is adjustable in four directions, while the Teramont has only two. In addition to ventilation and heating, Explorer offers a pleasant bonus - massage.
Parking in the city or squeezing through narrow suburban streets on a five-meter crossover is another adventure. Ford is more agile, but its mirrors are small and distort the image around the edges. All hope is for sensors, cameras and parking assistants. Teramont with a circular view system is able to build a top view, the Explorer has only two cameras, but they are equipped with washers, which will come in handy in rain or snow. While the rear camera "Volkswagen" does not leave from under the nameplate, as on other models, and gets dirty pretty quickly.
It's even strange that the powerful Teramont is built on the MQB lightweight platform. Thus, among its relatives there are not only Skoda Kodiaq, but also VW Golf and Passat. This does not mean at all that the seven-seater crossover stands on thin suspensions from a golf-class hatchback, but testifies to the versatility of the platform.
Explorer is based on the D4 platform with a transverse motor arrangement, which was the development of the Volvo P2 and was created specifically for crossovers. The suspension arms look more powerful here - the Americans, like the Swedes, like to do everything in detail. Plus, they are less concerned with losing weight. It is logical that Ford is heavier than Teramont by a couple of hundred kilograms.
Volkswagen in its repertoire: under a huge hood, a tiny two-liter engine, but thanks to the turbine develops 220 hp, and in the USA - even 240 hp. Turbocharging and shrinking cylinders no longer bother anyone, although the sight of a small engine in a huge compartment is unsettling. Probably, it would be worth covering it with a huge lid or even breaking the hood lock.
On the move, the lack of displacement is not particularly felt: the Teramont engine gives out almost the same moment as the atmospheric Cyclone of the Exlorer with six cylinders, but from the very bottom. Frustrating 8-speed "automatic", which constantly holds high gears and when a sharp acceleration is required, pauses. Without prompting, you can take it for a DSG "robot" with not the best firmware. As an alternative, VW offers an aspirated VR6, but there has never been such a car in the press park - it is more expensive, and the power is 280 hp. disadvantageous in terms of taxes.
Ford derated the naturally aspirated engine to 249 hp. just for the sake of preferential taxation - after all, this is a family car, and the budget is more important here than status. To "hundred" Explorer accelerates a little faster than "Teramont": 8,3 s versus 8,6 s, but there is no feeling that it is more dynamic. The American's six-speed automatic gearbox relaxes through gears, and the sensitivity of the gas pedal is low. The Ford's engine sounds brighter, while less sound penetrates into its interior.
It seems that the "turbo engine" should show miracles of economy, but in reality the difference in consumption is small. On-board computer "Teramont" showed 14-15, and "Explorer" - 15-16 liters per 100 km. The ability to digest 92nd gasoline is a plus for Ford.
VW, creating Teramont, was guided by American competitors, but at the same time wanted to maintain the corporate handling. As a result, a large crossover steers well, but with a sharp acceleration it squats on the rear wheels, and when braking it bites its nose. At the same time, there is no levitation over the road - on potholes, the car noticeably shakes, especially if the holes are in series. The Teramont slows down more confidently and subjectively its adaptive cruise control is better tuned. From traffic lights, it picks up speed slowly and smoothly so that passengers are as comfortable as possible.
Explorer responds lazily to the steering wheel, although it gives good feedback in corners. The suspension, the settings of which were revised during the restyling, allows noticeable jabs when passing speed bumps and joints, but on broken asphalt it allows you to develop a fairly high speed.
Both crossovers are reliably protected from gravel by unpainted plastic armor, but Ford is still better suited for out-of-town travel: it has a more powerful bumper, slightly more ground clearance and more varied modes for off-road driving. The Teramont turbo engine does not allow for precise metering of traction. At the same time, the four-wheel drive is arranged here in almost the same way - the rear axle is connected by a multi-plate clutch, and there are no downshifts and mechanical locks. Equally low on crossovers are the pipes of the exhaust system. So you should be more careful with the conquest of virgin lands.
Teramont is more expensive than Explorer: prices start at $ 36. against $ 232. At the same time, the basic German is equipped with a poorer competitor: the interior is fabric, there are no foglights, the windshield is unheated, the music is simpler. The top Volkswagen will cost $ 35, and for the VR196 engine, you will have to pay another $ 46. Explorer in maximum equipment is cheaper - $ 329 and, at the same time, again wins in equipment: chairs with massage and electric folding of the third row of seats.
The VW concern has succeeded in a large American crossover. At the same time, let's not forget that its competitor is a deep modernization of the car, presented back in 2010. Explorer did not lose to the newcomer, and in some ways even refused better. At the same time, the VW showroom visitor will be offered more alternatives: the compact Tiguan Alspace and the more luxurious Touareg will soon be added to the Teramont.
| A type | Crossover | Crossover |
| dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 5036/1989/1769 | 5019/1989/1788 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2979 | 2860 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 203 | 211 |
| Cargo space | 583-2741 | 595-2313 |
| Curb weight, kg | 2060 | 2265 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | 2670 | 2803 |
| engine's type | Gasoline 4-cylinder turbocharged | Petrol V6 |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1984 | 3496 |
| Max. power, hp (at rpm) | 220/4400-6200 | 249/6500 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 350/1500-4400 | 346/3750 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, AKP8 | Full, AKP6 |
| Max. speed km / h | 190 | 183 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 8,6 | 8,3 |
| Fuel consumption (average), l / 100 km | 9,4 | 12,4 |
| Price from, $. | 36 232 | 35 196 |
The editors are grateful to the administration of the Spas-Kamenka rental village for their help in organizing the shooting.
