Skoda Roomster test drive since 2006 -

"And on the asphalt heels"

For some, a small business begins with these cars, for someone a happy family life. And sometimes both at the same time. Compact station wagons are the same in Europe in Europe cars like Skoda Roomster, Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Partner. Heels are already a Russian definition. It remains only to understand whether it is possible to talk about them as classmates.
Brokes with a basket. Such a children's maxim was spinning in my language during the test. And what? These are really very compact machines: the longest Renault Kangoo does not get up to 420 cm! But every wow!
Figuratively speaking, these cars came to us from different worlds. For Peugeot Partner and Renault Kangoo, the main task of transporting cargo, while Skoda Roomster has grown from Fabia a practical family man with proportions disturbed in favor of the trunk and back row of seats.
But, at the same time, the first two do not exclude cordiality to the passengers, and Roomster offers a large cargo compartment. And it is worth checking whether they are competitors or have only portrait resemblance.
 

One of the advertising characters Roomster is a unit with the aircraft front and the stern of the house. Looks spectacular; And the advertising message is interesting: this composition is symbolized by the consumer’s eternal desire to get everything and immediately practical and, at the same time, a non -casual car.
The classic Fabiawa face passes into puffed sides and an exorbitantly high roof. Is there a hard worker in front of us? No, rather, a demonstration of the latest approach to creating a small family car.
Stugeot Partner standing nearby shyly hides its almost square eyes-fara. This hero of small business in the market is 12 years old, but with all his might hides his age. Almost flat body panels are adjacent to geometrically correct forms of the entire car as a whole.
The rear side doors, unlike Roomster, are sliding in Partner, which is clear the commercial component of Peugeot implies that the machine will push a lot along the banned trading streets.
 

Renault Kangoo, it seems, did not fully part with the image of a transport truck. More precisely, a universal machine whose purpose is to deliver foods or pizza to offices daily. The roof is tall! Rear sashes like a supermarket doors! However, in Europe, such cars are still stubbornly calling universals. Yes, look, here it is, a passenger series of seats, and even two sliding doors on both sides.
Outwardly, Kangoo is very similar to Partner, but with adjustment to Renault growth is noticeably higher. But we did not find the designer expression declared by the manufacturer, no matter how hard we tried. Therefore, it's time to open the doors: the main advantages of cars should be inside.
The practical owner will begin to evaluate the salon of such cars not in front, but from behind. So we will do it.
Peegeot swing doors can open 90 degrees, and with a restricted and all 270. In Renault, the same lechota, except that the limiter is not so convenient (it is not a uniform, but enters the door); In addition, it is solidly lubricated with oil: it is better not to fit without gloves!
But in Skoda, everything on the light rear door opens up. The opening turns out the most modest (see measurements), and the shell of the trunk interferes with the unloading dragging. Finally, the Roomster cargo takes 515 kg is 115 kg less than Partner, and 125 than Kangoo. Finally, Peugeot and Renault are smooth floors of cargo compartments, and are trimmed with wear -resistant plastic; In Skoda, a beautiful, but not too practical gray pile.
But Roomster's rear passengers will clearly feel like Persons of Grat. At their services, an extremely comfortable door (ordinary, intense, but high and with a wide opening), and separate, well -shaped seats with individual adjustment.
The convenience of landing in Partner and Kangoo passengers will be appreciated only in a dense parking lot. The doorways themselves are narrowly narrow, and the rear sofas are acceptable except for short travel.
Sitting at the Partner driver's place and taking up the steering wheel, I would like to demand a fare from the passengers: everything is very small. No matter how you adjust the steering wheel (only in height), landing still remains bus. The lever of the box lurked somewhere below the high driver will have to stretch behind him. But the review is phenomenal on all four sides, and there is enough space above the head so as not to remove the earflaps in winter.
In the interior, there is nothing to cling to the eye, except that the steering wheel itself pleased the pretty performance and a comfortable form for grabbing.
Kangoo salon resembles Stalin's apartments. Where is the ceiling? Inon there, high! Perhaps only gypsum stucco molding around the perimeter is missing. So there is a mezzanine: the shelf over the windshield will easily accommodate an umbrella or atlas, and at the same time all volumes of war and peace.
Everything else is a monotonous gray plastic without any bright elements. But the landing is more convenient than in Peugeot: the steering wheel is tilted to the driver, and there is no need to stretch for the lever.
Getting inside Skoda Roomster, you start playing with yourself in the game Find 10 differences. All Skod has the same salons! The same combination of devices, the same three twins on the console beard
 

But the plastic does not look poor, the seats are hard in German, with good lateral support, and landing behind the wheel can serve as a standard for small-class machines. Here it is, the aircraft part from the advertising symbol! Ergonomics and convenience are held in high esteem.
All test machines are equipped with the same engines 1.4. But the characters in cars are very different.
Peugeot controls are extremely sensitive. If you don't say twitch. One careless pressure on gas is stronger than the required and a hit in the transmission is significantly heard. Not like Peugeot this driving style! Renault is going much softer. Other suspension settings, and not so sensitive gas pedal, also affects here.
The Partner steering is more suitable for the city: light, almost without feedback, it will nevertheless serve good service in maneuvers on the banned streets.
   
At Kangoo, it is much more acute, with a very good reactive effort. The element of such a machine is some kind of medium battle route. Renault does not save on poor coverage: it, from our three, has the longest passes of pendants and a very good clearance (180 mm). So, on a broken section, Kangoo went around everyone.
I would like to single out the Skoda Roomster test in a separate chapter or even in an article. That's where everything falls into place! Tenal, sharp in management, this little car demonstrates excellent running qualities. The steering wheel with very clear effort, the gearbox with a clear, short leverage is provoked by active ride. The TSI motor responds perfectly to gas, and pleases, for everything, a good craving on the bottom.
Actually, Volkswagen technologies, implemented in the Czech compact, deserve at least respect. And they cause a desire to linger in Roomster a few more circles.
In conclusion, it should be noted that cars, representing in this test, are not too popular in Russia. Apparently, both Peugeot Partner and Renault Kangoo perceive us exclusively as mini-loaders of the place in the stalls in them in an inanimate objects: that is, not at all demanding comfort. Therefore, the demand for these cars is small in the loads of the loads of cheaper domestic models.
Skoda Roomster shows how to be a compact wan marked family: it is not too adapted for constant loading and unloading, although it is not inferior to heels in the possibilities of transformation of the salon.
   
And in terms of comfort and running qualities, Roomster arranges Partner and Kangoo in two accounts: passenger roots, do you know
Technical characteristics Renault Kangoo 1.4 manual
(manufacturer data):
Dimensions, mm (d x w x c) 4040x1670x1820
Road clearance, mm 180
Equipped mass, kg 1065
Trunk volume, l 650/2600
Engine volume and power, l (l. P. At rpm) 1.4 (75/5500)
Maximum torque, NM at rpm 114 (2800)
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 13.7
Maximum speed, km/h 153
Fuel consumption (city/highway) l/100 km 9.5/6.3
 
Prices
The base price is Renault Kangoo 433 850 rub. For this money in the car there will be a driver's pillow, a rear seat, folded only completely, and steel engine protection. For 447 100, a second airbag, a glove box, and a central lock will appear additionally. For 506,700 they will offer a richer interior decoration, air conditioning, headrests, electric drives of the front glasses and ABS.
Warranty 2 years without mileage restriction.
 
Cargo compartments Renault Kangoo
(our measurements):
Height from floor to roof, mm 128
Width from arch to arch, mm 115
The length from the threshold to the chairs (the chairs are dismantled/folded), mm 99/144
Loading height, mm 55
 
Technical characteristics of Peugeot Partner 1.4 manual
(manufacturer data):
Dimensions, mm (d x w x c) 4140x1720x1800
Road clearance, mm 180
Equipped mass, kg 1163
Trunk volume, l (min/max) 624/2800
Engine volume and power, l (l. P. At rpm) 1.4 (75/5500)
Maximum torque, NM at rpm 120 (3400)
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 14.5
Maximum speed, km/h 150
Fuel consumption (city/highway) l/100 km 9.7/6.2
 
Prices
The base price is Peugeot Partner 1.4 438 000 rub. This equipment includes a hydraulic booster, a driver's pillow, electric windows. For ABS you need to pay 20100 rub., For air conditioning, 28,500 rubles. With a 1.6 engine (110 hp) a car costs from 543,500 rubles.
Warranty 2 years without mileage restriction.
 
Cargo compartments Peugeot Partner
(our measurements):
Height from floor to roof, mm 117
Width from arch to arch, mm 119
The length from the threshold to the chairs (the chairs are dismantled/folded), mm 87/140
Loading height, mm 60
 
Technical characteristics of Skoda Roomster 1.4 manual
(manufacturer data):
Dimensions, mm (d x w x c) 4205x1684x1607
Road clearance, mm 140
Equipped mass, kg 1150
Trunk volume, l (min/max) 450/1780
Engine volume and power, l (l. P. At rpm) 1.4 (86/5000)
Maximum torque, NM at rpm 132 (3800)
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 13
Maximum speed, km/h 171
Fuel consumption (city/highway) l/100 km 8.9/5.6
 
Prices
With the weakest engine 1.2 (70 hp) Skoda Roomster costs 399,000 rubles. From the useful in the car there will be an immobilizer, adjusting the steering wheel in two planes, and a driver's pillow. A car with a 1.4 engine (86 hp) costs 445 000-525 000 rubles. There are a mining chair, heating the front seats, a passenger pillow and ABS. Air conditioning is provided in version from 509,000 rubles. Skoda Roomster 1.6 (105 hp) will cost 538,000 584,000 rubles. There is also diesel 1.9 (105 hp). With such a motor, the car is offered for 634,000 - 680,000 rubles.
 
Cargo compartments Skoda Roomster
(our measurements):
Height from floor to roof, mm 101
Width from arch to arch, mm 105
The length from the threshold to the chairs (the chairs are dismantled/folded), mm 75/129
Loading height, mm 65
 
Cars were provided for the test company ACR (official dealer Renault), Autocenter on Hassanskaya (official dealer Skoda), Auto Premium (official Peugeot dealer).

Text: Alexander Mikhailov
Photo: Roman Ostanin
 

 

Source: Wheel magazine [April 2008]