PEUGEOT 307 Test drive 5 doors 2001 - 2005 hatchback

Lions are not unnecessarily self -confident

Geneva Spring 2001 gave the world many interesting car new products. However, at the end of the show, none of the observers had a doubt that its most bright novelty was the Peugeot 307 car. It was he who interested the practical Europeans with their obvious focus on commercial success: this car blew the confidence and technologies of the future. Today, there is no longer any doubt that a new standard and competitor appeared in the small class - primarily the founder of the class of city hatchbacks VW Golf.
 
Lions and Africa
 
The French decided to spend the road tests of the 307th model for journalists among the picturesque ridges of the Atlas mountains in Morocco. The lion, symbolizing the Peugeot brand, as you know, feels great in Africa. In the ancient Moroccan town of Tarudant, full of local exotic, literally exciting an unusual European spirit to Africa, we were delivered by the PEUGEOT plane. It’s a pity, but we never saw the Atlantic Ocean. But they were able to travel among the picturesque Atlas mountain ridges - the length of the route was almost 500 km.
 
Road impressions
 
The test route was selected in such a way that it was possible to evaluate the car in high -speed, and on a winding narrow gravel, and on an extreme mountain serpentine, where nothing is visible behind the nearest turn, and only a few centimeters separates from the abyss.
 
For testing, three main modifications of the car were proposed: with a 1.6 liter gasoline engine, a gasoline two -liter and 2.0 liter diesel. All cars were equipped with a 5-speed mechanical checkpoint. Each of the journalists had the opportunity to evaluate both the 3- and 5-door version of the car.
 
The first to come to us by the Peugeot 307 with a 90 hp diesel engine with a HDI diesel engine. Of course, for high -speed sections, this machine may not be very suitable, but its maximum speed of 179 km/h, which we had the opportunity to dial on the highway, is impressive. The most interesting thing is that the sound of the motor is heard in the cabin only at a speed of 130 km/h. This is absolutely unlike the traditional idea of \u200b\u200ba diesel engine.
 
The engine is perfectly pulled from 1750 rpm. The torque of 205 Nm is a feeling of complete stability in corners even when passing them at high speed (for example, a 90 -degree turn on the mountain serpentine at a speed of about 110 km/h) - the car behaves more than worthy in extreme modes. Fuel consumption when moving at a speed of 130 km/h corresponds to the specified in the documentation - 5 liters per 100 km, but at a higher speed it increases to 6-6.5 liters. It is almost impossible to bring down a diesel 307th from the course. In our opinion, it is this machine that best reflects the slogan of the Peugeot 307 advertising campaign - confidence that is always with you.
 
This is a safe car that can drive very quickly. The suspension of the diesel version is soft enough for a driver with a small or average driving experience. In general, everyone who tried the diesel version was satisfied with it: someone was surprised by the feeling of stability on the road, someone appreciated the fuel consumption (less than 5 l/100 km), and someone noted that the engine was almost the best and very elastic.
 
On our insufficient power of this engine (however, it was noticeable only when the car climbed a steep mountain) representatives of Peugeot replied that it was almost ready to install on the 307th new 110-horsepower HDI two-liter, which would completely remove the problem of lack of power . Knowing the family of the HDI diesel engine from Peugeot, there is no doubt that this version of the 307th will become one of the most commercially successful in Europe, and in our market, where the popularity of diesel engines is also growing. With good driving skills on the diesel 307th, you can easily bypass cars with more powerful gasoline engines, making them on turns. Entering a turn on the diesel version is absolutely smooth, and the speed is much less necessary than on gasoline. In a word, this car is for those who are important quickly (if you want - faster than others) and safely get from point A to point V.
 
After a small halt in a picturesque Berber village, where we even sang some African love songs along with hospitable natives, we change the diesel car to gasoline and go further. So far, the most powerful is a two -liter version - and completely different dynamics. The maximum speed is somewhere around 210 km/h, in direct high -speed areas adrenaline pleasure there is no limit - 138 muscular animals under the hood do their job. But the suspension of this version is so thin and nervous that this car can be called a lion on the hunt. This lion hunts for your carelessness, he does not forgive mistakes. A millimeter moved the steering wheel to speed - and you are in a cuvette. They entered the turn without reducing the transmission to the third - it will begin to twist you with a wolf until it will be thrown off the track. The torque of this car is smaller than that of a diesel engine - 190 nm, it occurs at 4100 rpm. In general, it is possible and necessary to fly on it, but preferably in a straight line (accelerates to 100 km/h for 9.8 s). Two of our colleagues - the Macedonian and Arab were convinced of this. Both were too confidently entering the turn and simply did not have time to drop the speed. The result - in one case, the front front of the car with a dizzying turn of it is 360 degrees, and in the other - a strong skid and a wheel with a wheel in the bridge curb.
 
By the way, it should be noted that the airbags and all the side curtains worked, so the riders got off only with a slight pallor. Hence the rule for the two -liter gasoline version of Peugeot 307: there is no experience, the habit of speed and passion for wild mustangs - do not get behind the wheel. But if you do not think of driving without extreme, this is your car. In the end, in Belarus there are no mountain serpentines on which the dashing with a two-liter 307th can end tragically. But we must remember that this car is for those who are able to insert it and travel around.
 
About a 1.6-liter version we can say that this is a quite calm car that is ideal for a novice driver, for family trips or, for example, for ladies. The engine is quite frisky and at the same time economical, and the maximum speed is about 160 km/h, torque 147 nm is reached at 3900 rpm. A soft suspension makes this car a real kingdom of comfort on wheels. In addition, this version is the most democratic.
 
I would especially like to note the clarity of the brake system on all three versions. With sharp braking, the 307th automatically turns on the alarm - an interesting innovation - and a pressure growth system in the brakes is triggered. The emergency woman turns off when negative acceleration ceases to be extreme. And thanks to the pressure in the brakes, the braking distance of the 307th is clearly shorter than that of classmates. But this is a different level of safety on the road!
 
Not in African rainy weather allowed us to evaluate the clear work of rain sensors. Parking sensors also work excellent. As for comfort inside the cabin, the climate control did its job, and high African humidity combined with a temperature of up to 30 degrees on our well-being did not affect in any way. True, in order not to catch a cold, we must go to set up a climate control for yourself, for which we took some time.
 
The market is changing
 
Without a doubt, the 307th is a direct call VW Golf. This car is newer and more interesting. Features such as unusual for class C of the front seats, a very high ceiling and almost Minivan windshield (it is removed from the driver half a meter!) In combination with a fundamentally new layout of seats and the entire salon, there are no doubts about the golf class New standards are laid. Now many who have been saving money for a middle -class car can save and get the same pleasure from a compact, but very spacious and very dynamic Peugeot 307 hatchback. Moreover, in the basic version, this car looks like a clear leader in his segment. By the way, the basic version in the usual sense - i.e. The most cheap and empty one - the 307th does not have, and the price in price between the most economical and the highest levels of configuration is only 20% of the price. In Belarus, the car is sold at a price of 9200 USD.
 
However, the design and equipment of Peugeot 307 is a separate topic. The masters of ergonomics worked here for glory.
 
In the near future, the gamut of the engines will expand significantly, an automatic box has already appeared (by the way, Porsche Tiptronic-it seems to be not a golf-class, but much higher level), which means that new interesting versions will appear that will not leave anyone indifferent. Still, the lion's strength and nobility combined with the French charm - the mixture is quite explosive.
 
 
Text: Victor Kononov
 

Source: Autogazet / N 32 (335) dated 10.10.01