PAUGEOT Partner Minivan test drive since 2002 Minivan

PEUGEOT test in a terrible kondopog

Almost everyone knows that in Russia there is almost everyone in Russia. About a year ago, this settlement thundered throughout Russia after the pogroms that began there. But television reports did not add knowledge about what this town is. It was only known that Kondopoga is somewhere near Petrozavodsk, and its inhabitants do not like Caucasians. By and large, there was no other information. That is why we decided to personally go to Kondopoga and look at this well -known and unknown city at all. We took with us an expert in the field of interethnic relations, candidate of psychological sciences Maxim Stadnikov, he had to go to the people in Kondopoga and understand what moods are now reigned among the local population.
But for starters, let's say how the city of Kondopoga is pronounced correctly. Most often we hear, this word with stress on the third O - Kondopoga. But in fact, all the locals speak with an emphasis on the first syllable of Kondopoga.
We went on the road to Peugeot Partner in the basic configuration with a modest 1.4-liter gasoline engine that produces 75 hp. (In Russia, a car with a 1.6-liter unit is sold, 109 hp). This car was not chosen by chance, because we rode at a rather decent distance, and even with things. Therefore, a large spacious car was required. In addition, one should not forget that Partner is usually bought as a commercial vehicle and often drive it not only in the city, but also between settlements. And we had to check in our own skin what Peugeot Partner is, which has now become one of the most popular cars in its class.
How to get to Kondopoga? First you need to get to St. Petersburg from Moscow. The road between the Russian capitals has already been described so many times that there is no sense in repeating it for the hundredth time. Let's say only about the bypass around Novgorod the real shame of the federal highway Moscow-Petersburg. It resembles a real front -line road, which has just been bombed (and enemy aircraft are still visible on the horizon). Therefore, we advise you to drive directly along ancient Novgorod. There are much better roads there, and in the end you will spend less time, because on a bypass you will have to weave at a speed of 30-40 km/h constantly going around the pits.
After entering St. Petersburg, be extremely careful and do not miss the turn to the ring we need a direction to the Murmansk highway. Well, having moved from the ring to Murmanka (the locals often say this word with an emphasis on the second syllable) should go right along the main road without turning to Petrozavodsk anywhere. It is not clear why, but in the Leningrad region this most important highway for the region is in a very deplorable state. Of course, there are no such horrors as Novgorod here, but there are more than enough complaints about local road services. If we were driving on some kind of sports car, then the path to Karelia would have shaken the whole soul. But Partner, like most Frenchmen, had a rather soft pendant that managed to swallow unevenness. Although rushing around the Leningrad region at a speed of 90 km/h, I absolutely did not want to feel sorry for both the car and my loved ones. However, we note that the car has very worthy to have made a way along the border with Karelia. And there the quality of the asphalt canvas improved markedly, and in places the road was completely flat.
And the engine did not disappoint. Frankly, at first they thought that the 75-horsepower Partner would be frankly dead. But no. The car rode very confidently, although it was already scary to overtake the big trucks on the highway. Therefore, we can say that for the city of a 1.4-liter Partner there will be enough. But if there are frequent trips along the highway, it is better to take a 1.6 liter motor. In this case, a nasty sensation will arise much less often, which can be characterized by a phrase-dime phrase.
But most of all Partner was already pleased on the way back, which we decided not to make along the Murmansk highway, but on another highway going through a small town of Sortaval. A settlement called Sortaval in Russia few people know, not to mention such villages as Lahdenpoha or Ikhal. However, it is here that one of the most interesting roads throughout the north-west is abound in a huge number of various turns. It is only worth saying that the stages of the Russian rally championship were repeatedly held here. And the riders themselves admitted that the special stages laid here are very funny.
Peugeot Parther, of course, is not Subaru Impreza, but the machine behaved worthy of these turns. Despite the high center of gravity, the van was reliably moving along the chosen trajectory by all the wheels trying to stay in its lane. Of course, if there is no king in his head, then Partner will go into skiddly very quickly, and even with a 75-horsepower engine many turns here you need to drive no longer than 50-60 km/h.
Believe me, these paths are worth coming here and just driving. The winding highway involuntarily provoke the driver, however, you need to be extremely careful here, and always go exclusively in your lane. After all, the road in that area often goes through the forest, and the turns are simply blind. And there are enough forest trucks and trucks, which at a decent speed are on the oncoming lane. In addition, be very careful in settlements. The people, not to mention dogs and cows, are not frightened here and often crosses the road anywhere. And remember that in small Karelian towns it is customary to pass pedestrians. Moreover, the latter are so accustomed to a good attitude to themselves that they cross the road without even looking around!
But Peugeot Partner has disadvantages. The most important is in a very meager basic configuration. Of course, there is a hydraulic booster, one pillow and heating the seats. But at the same time, there is no at least some kind of mount for things in the back of the cabin! And the bags immersed in the car in the first minutes of driving begin to ride the trunk, while making terrible sounds. Fortunately, nothing crashed and broke down, but there were many chances that this will happen. But the Peugeot Partner costs not three kopecks now the easiest car in the cargo -passenger version is sold for 438,000 rubles. Or from $ 17,500 at the current rate! There is an idea that for such money, Partner should already have simple devices in the database for fixing packages and boxes (a grid in the trunk can be ordered, but for 4200 rubles, the same luggage regiment costs). Although it is hardly worth waiting for the expansion of the basic configuration, because, alas, competitors are as much. For example, the basic version of the passenger version of Renault Kangoo costs 433,850 rubles!
If you talk directly about the Kondopoga, then the city made a double impression on us. On the one hand, there are really beautiful and modern buildings, such as the Sports Palace. There is a good clinic, new houses are being built ... However, as the famous joke says, there is a nuance. The fact is that the only powerful enterprise in Kondopog is a huge plant that makes newspaper paper (moreover, 80% of the products are exported). 8,000 people work there at once. And these people are sure that life in Kondopoga is beautiful. After all, their salary is now about 15,000 rubles. By local standards, very good. Moreover, the plant constantly comes up with all kinds of social benefits for young families pay extra for housing rental, build houses for workers, students are given scholarships, born mothers pay a salary of 4,000 rubles. (Moreover, throughout all three years of parental leave, but before they are not allowed to the plant). Plus, the children of the plant employees go to a really good kindergarten, the enterprise has their own subsidiary farm, where they grow a variety of living creatures. In short, capitalism with a human face.
However, do not forget that only 8,000 employees work at the plant. 36,000 people live in the city, and if we consider the surroundings, then more than 44,000. And the financial situation of people who do not related to the plant is often very deplorable. So there is nothing to be surprised that there are enough dissatisfied in the city, in the way, in the events of last year, the employees of the plant did not take part. In general, a city of contrasts is obtained. Although a more detailed analysis of the situation in Kondopoga will make Maxim Stadnikov.
Kondopoga now
Maxim Stadnikov, expert in the field of interethnic relations, candidate of psychological sciences
Since the mass riots of what happened in this small Karelian town, almost a year has passed. During our visit to the city, the restoration of the former restaurant Chaika was practically completed. A seagull is a symbol of Kondopoga events, it was here that a fight took place between local residents and immigrants from the North Caucasus region, which became the beginning of mass two -day unrest, during which there were killed and wounded. Therefore, the desire of the local authorities is clear quickly to clad the old building with new mirror panels, like that of which another symbol of condopoga is made - the Sports Palace.
According to our observations of Kondopoga, a city, divided into two parts. For the one that works at the local cellulose-paper plant and has benefits like a free visit to the Sports Palace with its huge pool, and the one that has nothing to do with the plant, and therefore can only visit the dubious places like the former Chaika restaurant. It is worth adding here that Kondopoga is a leader in the oncology of the respiratory tract in the region, however, only employees of the plant can be treated in a local ultra -modern hospital, but the rest of the road is ordered here.
The essence of the social conflict that occurred in the condo riots that disconnected the city. Interestingly, the employees of the plant did not take an active part in the pogroms. Add here the aggressive actions of ethnic minorities who replaced the local small business from the markets. Black Mercedes-Benz without numbers, controlled by a representative of an ethnic minority, by the way, became one of the symbols of the conflict, both a vivid indicator of the illegal behavior of ethnic groups and the inaction of the authorities (a few months before the pogroms of the condopogue began to ride a black Mercedes-Benz with tightly tanned glasses that exceeded speed and violated the rules).
According to the results of our conversations, which, however, did not claim to be final scientific analysis, many residents of the city suffered from aggressive illegal actions of representatives of ethnic minorities. What has changed, is the conflict resolved? It seems that not. It cannot be solved by trials over adolescents participating in pogroms. Kondopoga is what we can wait in any corner of Russia spilled out of people's discontent with our own position. And to make you, if you lived in a small city lost in the forests of Karelia, did not have a job, could not have a dignity for free time, except in places of similar seagulls, were afraid for their lives because of the actions of local ethnic criminal elements? And all this against the backdrop of the absolute inaction of local authorities!
Now, it seems, there is nothing to disconnect the inhabitants of the city into two parts, as it was before the riots. Now both of them can go to the structure almost equally lined with mirror panels. The external signs of social stratification seemed to disappear after the reconstructed restaurant Chaika began to look like a local Sports Palace in a hurry. But did this reconstruction solve the problems that gave rise to mass riots? Decide residents of this Karelian town.
 

Source: Auto.mail.ru