Off-Road Suspension Weight: How Much Does It Weigh?

Hello,

We are likely to receive a Skoda Rapid Spaceback with a 1.4L TSI engine in March.
Laut Katalog wiegt er schlanke 1225 kg incl. Driver.
As an optional extra, we ordered the off-road suspension package, which includes: according to the price list, it raises the vehicle 15mm, features modified dampers, and includes underbody protection for the powertrain.

I downloaded the user manual beforehand and was surprised: The version with the off-road suspension is always about 45 kg heavier than the standard versions!
Does this mean that the unladen weight is also correspondingly higher (unfortunately, the unladen weights are not mentioned anywhere in the manual), or will we get a real bonus in terms of payload capacity?
OK, the underbody protection for the engine might weigh a few extra kilograms, but where else in the suspension area could almost 100 kilograms of additional weight come from?


BTW: According to the catalog, the off-road suspension is not available with 16" or 17" (aluminum) rims.
Could there be concrete technical reasons related to the suspension, or is the goal simply to prevent complaints about damaged alloy wheels after "off-road" use?

Perhaps some additional components in the chassis area have been reinforced. For example, a thicker stabilizer bar might be used to prevent excessive body roll due to the higher center of gravity, and to achieve the familiar driving characteristics of the standard vehicle height version.

Regarding the weight issue, I suspect that the extra weight will come at the expense of the payload capacity, as the maximum permissible gross vehicle weight will not increase. Or can you definitively rule that out? From the manufacturer's perspective, it would have the advantage of being able to include everything in a single operating permit.

Regarding wheel size: 16 or 17-inch wheels are available, but typically only with steel rims. In many cases, a steel wheel with the same tire and rim dimensions is actually lighter than a stylish alloy wheel, unless the alloy wheel was specifically designed to be very lightweight. Some engineers at Volkswagen and Opel have used a clever trick: they use steel rims that are visually designed to look like alloy wheels, and they pair them with matching hubcaps. Only upon very close inspection can they be distinguished from a genuine alloy wheel.

The idea could also relate to what are known as "unsprung masses." In this case, the lighter wheel is practically always more advantageous, regardless of the vehicle.

Hutfahrer wrote:

Perhaps some additional components in the chassis area have been reinforced? For example, a thicker stabilizer bar, to prevent excessive body roll due to the higher center of gravity, and to achieve the familiar driving characteristics of the standard vehicle version.

Hmm... I'll see if the parts catalog has any information about that.

Quote:

Regarding the weight issue, I suspect that the extra weight comes at the expense of the payload capacity, as the permissible gross vehicle weight will not increase.

??
Specifically, for the off-road versions, the weight is approximately 45 kg higher than for the standard suspension across all engine options.

Quote:

Regarding the wheel size: 16 or 17 inch wheels are available, but only with steel rims?

No, 16" and 17" are always aluminum rims in the Rapid catalog. Then with 215 tires, while 185/60 tires are used on the 15" steel rims.

Quote:

Except for lightweight aluminum alloy rims that are exceptionally well-designed and lightweight from the start, it is often the case that a steel wheel with the same tire and the same rim dimensions is actually lighter than a fancy aluminum alloy wheel.

I estimate that the aluminum plus roller combinations are significantly heavier than 185/60R15 tires on steel rims.
Could it be that the unsprung mass of the 16 and 17-inch wheels, combined with the spring-damper settings of the off-road suspension, is causing too much loss of comfort...?

Oh, they actually increased the total weight. Well, at least I somehow overlooked that.

Okay, so we're talking about 15-inch steel rims with 185 tires. These also have a bit more inherent suspension, which can be an advantage on overall poorer road surfaces. In addition to the aspect of unsprung mass.