PAUGEOT Partner Minivan test drive since 2008 Minivan
NEVEVKLIDOVA Geometry
Peugeot and Citroen have their own and independent structures of promotion in the market and in the retail network. However, stamps belong to one concern, and therefore develop and produce cars in mainly common forces. The birth of carrier's car lingo's cargo-passenger twins and a partner at the Vigo factory was observed by Vladimir Solovyov. Photo: Citroen and Peugeot. Berlingo-first and partner is out
The Spanish Vigo did not see such an influx of journalists from all over the planet for a long time. There were no North American ones - in the United States typically European products by Peugeot and Citroen have not yet become popular. But guests from Latin America, Japan, China, and, of course, there were plenty of all European countries without exception. The whole leadership of the concern, led by Kristan Streff, also arrived in Vigo. Cause? The world premiere of cars that can satisfy the requirements of the widest circle of consumers.
Once from this Galissian port, now the largest in Spain, the conquistadors went to conquer new lands. The new Berlingo and the partner, only on a global scale, will do about the same. The tasks are not at all simple, given that the sales of predecessors exceeded 3 million copies, they confidently leaded in their class in the European market for 11 years. Beginners need to be at the same time cars for professionals and fans. To be extremely spacious and at the same time not to frighten their sizes of people who are accustomed to ordinary cars. Well, to everything else, everyone should save proprietary features. And this, you see, is not so simple when all the details, with the exception of the hood elements, headlight devices and the emblem of brands are common. I will say more: newcomers are facing the super -task - to establish themselves in the market in conditions when their predecessors are still leaving the conveyor and are sold at more attractive prices. Moreover, they make them at the same factory in Vigo. In order not to create confusion in models, beginners got the names of Berling's predecessors and a partner without any additions. But the old people will receive prefixes. So Berlingo-Feust-Berlingo-First and Partner-Horidzhn-partner-passage will be born. Agree, it sounds noer than Vice-Berlingo or ex-partner.
Space and traditions Today, it seems, the world has gone crazy with total motorization. The process grows not only quantitatively, multiplying the park, but also of qualitatively. The variety of types of machines is wide, car classes are crushed and created again. Remember, it was worth a golf class car to raise the roof noticeably-a new class of CDW turned out. Having equipped with comfortable seats of the split van and enriching its interiors, Peugeot and Citroen received Lyudospas. This franco -speaking neoplasm morphologically dates back to Ludique - the game and Espace space. It turned out a large car for relaxation: voluminous, funny, practical and economical. So it was with the first partners and Berlingo.
The second generation of cargo-passenger cars of the concern was given by the life of CD C4 Grand Picasso, more precisely, his platform. As the creators admit, the task was to draw a modern stylish car around a given huge internal volume. Moreover, so that the outside is round, and inside (for the sake of those who carry the goods with palettes and uses the car for professional purposes).
Taking into account the fact that just at the factory in Vigo made Citroen C4 Picasso in 5- and 7-seater versions, it becomes clear why this plant was chosen for new Berlingo and partner. But, on the other hand, this Spanish city continues the long-standing traditions of the production of commercial vehicles of the Peugeot-Sitro group. Back in 1958, they began to collect a van based on the famous de Shvo, who lasted on the conveyor until 1970. The first Berlingo and the partner started here in 1996, it was also destined to cross the interests of two brands for the first time, offering the same model under different names. According to the creators, the new Berlingo and the partner are more perfect in terms of passive security, as for electronic assistants, ABS will be installed in series, ESP for surcharge. The owners of new cars will become available such pleasant little things as automatic turning on the headlights in the dark, the rain sensor. In other words, Berlingo and the partner are full -fledged cars in terms of comfort and equipment, and real merchants are of loading possibilities.
At the intersection point Euclid taught that two parallel straight lines could not cross on the plane. But the earth itself in the representation of the ancients was a flat saucer. Much has changed when the space became three -dimensional, and the earth was a ball. Designers and marketers Peugeot and Citroen appear on the side of Euclid and do everything so that parallel models of Peugeot and Citroen are sold in different salons and do not intersect anywhere.
It is curious to find out which of the participants in this intra -family confrontation between passenger and cargo -passenger heels will prevail: supporters of the king of animals on the hood or technocrats with a double chevron? Both company prepare a lot of surprises to customers. In particular, it is supposed to produce versions with 10 mm clearance, 16-inch wheels and powerful protection of the engine crankcase. The drive will only remain on the front axle. For Peugeot, such a version will receive a romantic name Outdor, Citroen has just an all -resistant package. They are preparing for the production of models with an increased body volume - up to 3.7 m. And this will be parallel to both brands.
The success of Berlingo and the first -generation partner was impressive: since 1996, 3.2 million cars have been produced. The share of these machines in the park of the truck van of Europe was 29%in 2007, and among vans only for passengers or parades reached 44%. Will beginners be able to keep this high bar? Christian Streff, President of the Psa-Sitro PCA group
The Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner concept contributed to the emergence of a new segment of the passenger car market for individuals - compact, economical, spacious, practical. The total investment in the creation of new models on the platform of group No. 2 amounted to 660 million euros, of which 334 million were spent on research and development. At the factory in Vi-Min, it is planned to produce 300 thousand Berlingo and partners per year. With their launch, the PSA group will receive the widest range of compact commercial cars among European manufacturers.
In 2008, each of them will have five families from small city towers of Citroen-Nemo and Peugeot Bipper to compact Citroen-Jampi and Peugeot experts, as well as Citroen-Jumper and Peugeot Commercial cars.
Source: The magazine "Driving"
