An Audi Q3 Quattro stuck on a seashore demonstrates the difference between AWD and 4×4
Most AWD car owners think that they can take the vehicle to any kind of surface. But, AWD cars have a lot of limitations as this video shows.
Overview
In modern times, most carmakers in India are trying hard to justify a high-riding vehicle with body cladding and skid plates as an SUV. While the definition of an SUV has changed over the years, what has not changed is not every vehicle with a high ground clearance can be driven off the tarmac.
Here’s a video by the YouTube channel named Crazy XYZ in which we can see an Audi Q3 Quattro stuck on the beach, proving that not all AWD cars are go-anywhere vehicles.
Why did camels rescue the Audi Q3?
The group of friends had to take some unusual help
In the video, the friends were travelling Somnath to Dwarka in Gujarat in an Audi Q3 Quattro. While on the road between the two coastal towns, they decided to take a detour to a beach en route and drive the Q3 on the beach shores.
A group of friends drove onto a sandy beach with an Audi Q3 Quattro
Mistaking the Quattro technology as a four-wheel-drive system, the Audi Q3 driver drove down to the beach shore after crossing a sandy slope. As soon as the car crossed the sandy slope, it got stuck amidst the sand on the beach.
The incident happened during the late hours of the day, they failed to find help at first. They even tried calling an earth-mover and a tractor but couldn’t get a positive response.
Mistaking the AWD with proper 4X4, they royally got stuck on the beach
To their surprise, a few passersby came to their rescue. They got two camels to tow the Q3 out of the beach. The camels were tied to the tow hook of the Q3 using ropes. After a few attempts, the camels pulled out the Q3 off the beach shore. The presenter and his friends thanked the residents who came to their rescue.
Why did the Q3 get stuck?
At first they tried to remove the sand and push the car out
Firstly, it is a silly thing to drive on seashores for fun. The tides and waves of the sea and the sand on the shores are usually unpredictable, thus making driving the vehicle a life-threatening experience in no time.
Watch the full video and get to know what happened by SWIPING UP!
Secondly, before entering on a loose driving surface covered with heavy sand, the air pressure in the tyres of the Q3 was not lowered by the driver. One should lower the tyre pressure to achieve maximum possible traction while driving on sandy terrain.
Thirdly, the driver and his friends misjudged the Quattro all-wheel-drive system of the Audi Q3 as a 4X4 system. Like in a Quattro AWD system, the engine channels the power to all four wheels.
It has a different purpose, as the all-wheel-drive system offers a better balance of performance and handling, especially in icy conditions. Such a system might not prove as effective as a 4×4 while off-roading on terrains like rock, sand, and mud.
The group of friends had to take some unusual help
For off-roading, a four-wheel-drive system offers a dedicated low-ratio gearbox, through which one can multiply the torque and channel them to the wheel which demands the most. It is not possible in an all-wheel-drive vehicle like the Audi Q3 Quattro.
Know the limits of your car?
Before driving on such loose surfaces, proper knowledge of four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems and how to use these systems is a must. It is an expertise that the presenter and his friends in the video lacked and overestimated the limited off-road worthiness of the Quattro.
It is the reason why proper skills and knowledge are must-to-have traits while driving such a vehicle.
What do you think about the whole incident? Do let us know by dropping your comments below.
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