PEUGEOT 407 test drive since 2004 sedan

There, under the clouds ...

The station wagons in our country are traditionally perceived as means of transporting a fuel summer resident can be and practical, but not completely. However, in parallel, we do not cease to admire such representatives of this utilitarian class as the Audi A6 Avant, Chrysler 300C Touring or Mercedes T-Model, forgetting that this piece and most of us will prefer cars easier. Among which, by the way, there are also worthy specimens, for example, a rather fresh, very stylish and elegant Peugeot 407 SW.
 
The appearance of the SW French was a success. And then to say today the space conquers many stylish cars, but the station wagons with such a pronounced personality are extremely rare. Of course, in the best traditions of the genre, the car made the same huge front overhang as similar as possible to the sedan, an aggressive front with massive headlights floating on the side panels, widely placed fog, similar to the mouth of a shark by a radiator grille and an unchanged heraldic lion at the junction of a hood and a bumper ... The new barn is 87 mm longer and 41 mm above the sedan. Naturally, all these millimeters went to increase the cargo department, but it is worth noting that, unlike the first -born, the station wagon looks more elegant and completed. A heavily tilted windshield, turning into a long roof falling to the fifth door, makes the car more rapid, and the back of the body with a huge panoramic glass, littered against the movement of racks and a large horizontal rib between stylish red lanterns looks much more original, at least it The nostalgic memories of the once very attractive sorcerer of the first generation of Audi A4 do not evoke the nostalgic memories, which partly spoiled the exterior of the French sedan.
 
The design of the salon, of course, repeats the interior of the ancestor completely. However, here the stylistic flaws of Peugeot designers did not even allow preference to classical forms. A stylish front panel similar to a wide windowsill, a strict central console with many buttons in German, in the upper part of which there is a small monochrome display of the multifunctional system, relief seats with an almost sports profile, high-quality materials, excellent assembly ... In general, at first glance, at first glance, at first glance Nothing new inside. But SW also has its own chip panoramic glass roof, starting from the upper part of the windshield and ending with the heads of the rear passengers. This is not a sliding hatch, but a roof of a static body element, consisting of a multi -layer tinted glass with a thickness of 6 mm, according to the assurances of the manufacturer, not afraid of either stones or icicles. But the strength of this roof is far from the main thing, the main thing is the atmosphere. Still, because above the head is not metal and synthetics, but the sun and clouds, which in itself raises the mood. The fact that you are driving a family station wagon, sometimes you just forget, it seems that under you is a stylish convertible, moreover, that is being delivered from the main disease of such winds that howl over the heads of passengers. And if the street is cloudy and damp, the upper window can simply be closed with a folding automatic curtain. By the way, unlike cars of other manufacturers offering such bells and whistles in the form of very expensive additional options, the glass roof is included in the basic equipment of the station wagon, so that all the admirers of the model can enjoy the clean sky.
 
Comfort and safety in SW at the same traditionally high level.
The basic configuration has six airbags, ABS, ESP and an emergency braking aid system. In addition, at the factory, such cars are equipped with a full electric packet, an on-board computer, a climatic installation, a cruise control, rain and insufficient lighting sensors, as well as a CD magnet with a radio receiver.
 
For a family of five, there are plenty of place inside. Thanks to the decent range of adjustments both driving and on the neighboring chair, anyone can fit, and the back will be quite comfortable at three adults. True, as in most classmates, and in a related sedan, the level of comfort in SW is inversely proportional to the dimensions of the anti -radiators, so that with the chairs completely moved back, passengers of the rear sofa will have to significantly be pierced by the knees spaces for the knees. Perhaps, to solve the problem, it would make sense to sacrifice the luggage of the trunk, but the French decided otherwise the wagon cargo compartment contains nearly 500 liters, and after the transformation is almost 1400, which is more than decent. The fifth door is very original. At first glance, the opening of the luggage compartment is very small, but thanks to the original design, the door lifts the door and part of the roof, noticeably facilitating access to the compartment, there should be no particular difficulties in loading. The rear window opens separately, which you rarely meet on cars of this class.
 
The aggressive appearance of the car, as a rule, involves the presence of appropriate running qualities (agree this is logical). The nature of his appearance in the editorial test on the editorial test of the same name sedan corresponded to the editorial test. But then the PEUGEOT was equipped with a 2.9-liter 211-horsepower V6, while under the hood of the station wagon was a 2-liter four, which develops not at all brutal 137 hp, which were also slightly strangled by a rather old 4-band sequential automaton. In general, this PEUGEOT rides very decently to steer, the suspension perfectly practices irregularities, providing all the acceptable level of comfort sitting inside. But this is generally ... On the road, the lion is not at all like a wild beast, rather it can be compared not with an adult, but with a lion cub that is already with sharp claws and teeth, but due to age still soft and good -natured.
 
Obvious advantages are smooth and decent acceleration in dynamics and almost inconspicuous switching of automatic transmission. With the appropriate temperament of the driver, on empty, calm roads or suburban routes, this will be quite enough. But from the torn rhythm of the metropolitan metropolis, such a SW falls completely on the gas pedal, he reacts with some thought, and accelerates with a noticeable laziness. Although it is possible to withstand the average pace of the flow, but to grab the tail behind the tail is incredibly difficult. As a result, an indecent interval is constantly formed in front of the car, which someone constantly strives to fill (not fatal, of course, but, given the culture of the behavior of most Moscow motorists, it is not very pleasant). Partly save the manual and sports modes of automatic transmission. Both of them allow the engine to spin almost before cutting off, then the lion cube begins to produce claws and show the nature of the reaction of the power unit becomes faster, the dynamics increases significantly, but this does not add to the machine gun ...
 
At the same time, other, not very pleasant inclinations to SW, the driver and passengers have to put up not only with a high noise level, but also with substantially increased appetites, if in normal mode 407 SW consumes about 12 liters per hundred city kilometers, then in sports, when electronics prevents the engine from dropping below 400 revolutions, already about 14. On the highway, the consumption, of course, is slightly reduced, but the tendency to increased fuel consumption remains. However, economy has never been the main trump card of family station wagons, and many SW will probably like 407 SW around the city.
 
On the one hand, it does not show anything outstanding, but even at cruising speeds, when the speedometer arrow leaves 150 km/h, remains amazingly stable, predictable and very comfortable. Although, as for the latter, here, as they say, there are nuances relatively short base provokes longitudinal buildup, and the suspension imprisoned under Russian roads passes far than in the city. However, on a more or less high-quality coating you do not notice such trifles, especially when a blue sky, the sun and clouds are above your head.
 
 
Text: Vladimir Zhidkov
 

Source: Mkobil magazine [03.10.2005]