Renault Latitude test drive since 2010 sedan
From dirt to City
The heroes of this test are united by what they desperately want to break with their predecessors. Renault Vel Satis and Peugeot 407 with a bang lost a market struggle, and Kia Magentis was known as the favorite of the proletarians, not white collarbone. Will Renault Latitude, Peugeot 508 and Kia Optima be able to get from the dirt to the City?
Peugeot 508
Glorious times when sedans 405 and 406 were considered the standards of design, controllability and comfort in the segment D, and buyers lined up for the French in line, passed. The terrible, uncomfortable and amorphous 407th killed the reputation of Peugeot as one of the leaders of the class. The 508th is an attempt to return the lost position. Moreover, the novelty should replace two cars at once: a large and beautiful 607th and 407th, which is mentioned above. Is Come Back successful? Will one car enough to replace two? Damn interesting! That is why I started the test with Peugeot.
Outside and inside
The 407th showed that for success around the world, it is better to choose a less defiant design. Therefore, the new flagship of the brand turned out to be much calmer than its predecessor the design is made in the spirit of the HR1 concept car, the author of which is our compatriot Artem Neretin, which, you see, is very pleasant. Only the wheels of the 16th radius and the complete absence of a pronounced rear bumper of the feed are embarrassed in the appearance of the 508th.
But the interior does not raise questions! Beautiful, comfortable, expensive. Soft plastic everywhere, except for the most hidden corners, ergonomics is exemplary. Of course, the effort on the climate control regulators is not as verified as that of any Audi, but by the standards of the D-Class of the 508th real premium! The steering wheel, although it is truncated in the chord, does not create problems with the right grip. Unless the buttons are too much, and the drums on the knitting needles rotate too easily. As a result, when rudula, you involuntarily switch the track or change the trip compound settings involuntarily. A trifle, but unpleasant! Separately, it is worth noting beautiful and very convenient sports seats with combined upholstery leather-tone, which reliably fix the body and do not lead to back pain, but there is nothing to do to complete people here! I just right with my subetal figure, but it will be crowded to a healthy man.
But the main miscalculation is the complete absence of compartments for a trifle, they are not at all! I had nowhere to put the phone! The central box is very small, by current standards it simply does not. In addition, its lid is leaning back to the side, which makes it difficult to access from the passenger seat. In general, PEUGEOT passengers are not held in high esteem: closely, the head rests on the ceiling, and the legs are on the hard backs of the front seats. So the new flagship is a car primarily for the driver. And if so, then it's time to release this lion for hunting!
In move
I will not torment those who loved old cars from Sosho, who was waiting for the return of glorious times of 205 GTI, 405 Mi16 and 206 RC, and I will immediately say Peugeot returned! From the first meters, from the first turns, from the first accelerations of the 508th caused me a smile. Despite the fact that the engine volume is a modest 1.6 liter against 2.4 and 2.5 liters of competitors in the test, the lion is perceived as the most dynamic car in the trio. The steering wheel is full of juicy effort, although the steering wheel amplifier is electric. The brakes, albeit not as good as, say, Porsche 911 or Honda Jazz, but still much better than the leaders of the Ford Mondeo and Nissan Teana class. The suspension allows you to comfortably move along a bad road and quickly good. Due to the fact that the wheels in our car were chubby, the smoothness of the move was at a very high level. You can quickly go even along the paving stones of rude paving! Nowadays, you begin to forget the large wheels about such energy intensity. If a transverse irregularity falls under the wheels in a tense turn, then nothing terrible will happen. Yes, trembling throughout the body. Yes, the roar in the suspension. But the wheels still maintain contact with the road, the steering wheel, as before, is transparent, and the power of the turbo engine is always under the foot. On this car, I always want to add and add! Switching transfers are noticeable, but, given the sporting character, this is not critical.
It is simply amazing how in a bunch, a car simple in design, the car can be so vigorous and even sharp! Small motor, ordinary McPherson in front and pleasure, like from Warm-Hatch! But there is also a version of GT with a more complex front suspension. Looking ahead, I’ll say that we took the test and her Alexander Tychinin went on a diesel lion in Myachkovo, but more on that at the end of the test.
Nikolai, 28 years old, entrepreneur
When buying the requirements for the car, they were: economical, large, on mechanics and reliable. Only diesel cars were considered. Initially, I wanted Passat B7 with a two-liter diesel engine, but then I accidentally drove into the PEUGEOT salon, swept to the 508th and fuse. Moreover, before that he did not even consider French cars. Unfortunately, the diesel version of the Peugeot 508 is only on automatic transmission, and although I am not a fan of machine guns, I liked the car so much that I decided to take it. We'll have to get used to and learn to ride without a third pedal! In my opinion, this is the first Peugeot, which is not inferior to German competitors. The quality of the salon, handling, design is all at a high level. I really like the motor: an economical, burdened, quiet best diesel in the class!
Kia Optima
Unlike Vel Satis and the 407th, Magentis, Optima's predecessor, was sold both in Russia and in the world with good circulations. But Kia is now not enough to be the king of the hearts of taxi drivers and provincial businessmen, so the new sedan has received a different name. Although in fairness it should be noted that in some markets Magentis was sold under the name Optima. The new sedan shares the platform with Sonata and, as with Hyundai, is mainly oriented to the American market. Behind the ocean, the car is positioned as a sports sedan. The ambitions are backed up by the most powerful engine in the test and the chick design of Peter Schrayer. What is an ambitious handsome man capable of?
Outside and inside
Against the background of the French oriented to the eastern markets, the Korean sedan seems to be a member of the closed club of British aristocrats. In three quarters behind Optima, you can take for Jaguar XJ. Leaving the car in the parking lot in Domodedovo, I could not find my white sedan for a long time by visiting the car for a long time, taking it for the British. And this is not blind copying, the Korean sedan conveys the spirit of British luxury. In front, this is 100%Kia. And this is a compliment. Peter Schreyer, of course, is a real genius!
The interior pleases no less. Beautiful devices deployed to the driver the central console, pleasant materials of the finish, which are only slightly inferior in quality in Peugeot. The skin is not the cheapest, the plastic is soft, and the tree is plastic, but thanks to the dark color it is not so noticeable. And what is the level of equipment: a driver's seat with ventilation and electric memory (it also leaves when opening a driver’s door), heating of the four seats, a rear view camera, parking lots and behind, an electromechanical handbrake with Auto-Hold function, a system of inexhaustible access, a system The panoramic roof, the front of which also opens, heating the steering wheel almost S-Class! And these are not my words, but a person whose W221 stands in a garage. Moreover, Optima is not just well equipped, all these options also work correctly. It was especially struck by the fact that ventilation is really noticeable, which is rare by standards. Usually, the air flow only slightly breaks out of the holes in perforated skin. The picture on the camera is clear, there is parking marking.
In addition, Kia is very spacious space for both legs and head, even despite the flowing roof line. You can only be complained about a little stronger than the usual littered back of the sofa, but in reality this does not cause discomfort. In addition, the trunk here is the largest in the test. In a word, the test!
In move
If the 508th calm in fact turned out to be a car for the driver, then a reverse metamorphosis occurred with the Korean sedan. No, Optima, of course, is not an American dreadnought, but a sport-sedan cannot be called. The main disappointment of the engine. The numbers say that it is the most powerful, and the sensations of Peugeot are much faster. At the same time, when the Korean motor accelerates on the floor, it is lustrately roaring in a bad voice. The sound of the motor is not only sports, but simply unpleasant. I would like to quickly lose the gas and return the engine to average turns. The steering for a car oriented in the United States is well tuned, but after the French lion there is no longer enough feedback. The same applies to the brakes. It does not contribute to an active drive and a flat seat, from which you simply slipped.
But when an emotional charge from combat appearance passes, the ride becomes more smooth and comfortable, and the pleasure of Optima increases. The car holds a straight line well, almost without reacting to the ruts. The suspension without problems is practiced by a standard Moscow set of irregularities: the thermal joint on the flyover, a sewer hatch, a lying policeman, a sloppy patch on the asphalt, medium sizes of the pit. The rolls are small, there are practically no buildups, the speakers are enough for confident movement in the city, and the machine in this mode pleases with smooth switching. In Moscow traffic jams, sport is how you look, and not how you go. After all, they usually stand in traffic jams, unless you have a flashing light and thieves. And Optima looks, as I already said, stunning. Many owners of Accord, Mondeo and Mazda6 raised up the thumb. It is likely that their next car will be Kia. Beauty is terrible power.
Alexey, 25 years old, manager
The design is sports, but this is limited to this, but I would like more. The engine is quite economical, quite burdens, but the machine weighs 1600 kg for such a motor is much, it does not squeeze it into a chair. The brakes are not very brakes, not the way I would like: you need to press the pedal quite strongly. For me, Optima suspension is golden mean: Moderately soft and at the same time hardly tough. In the cabin, you feel like in the cabin of a fighter. I really like everything. I am satisfied with the machine, although there are disadvantages, but, as they say, there is no perfect car. Among classmates, it stands out by appearance. For an average family sedan, this is, in my opinion, the best solution, because I bought it!
Renault Latitude
After long attempts to gain a foothold in the business class with hatch behes in Renault decided to hit the flank. The flagship car with a sedan body is designed in Korea and focused on developing markets. In the dry remainder, a grand success in the country of morning freshness and still modest sales in Europe. And what about Russia? The brand’s representative office does not hide the fact that the car is focused on corporate customers who are primarily important comfort, reliability and economic benefit. Is it so? Let's check it!
Outside and inside
Still, the French car is visible from afar! Such laconicism, such a charm! Denis Halfin Latitude clearly liked.
Actually, this is Samsung, just nameplates in Europe are different, I cooled the ardor of a comrade.
Here you said this, and I immediately saw the Korean features! Poured Chevrolet Epica. That's what psychology means! After a long pause, Denis added.
And the Halfin is damn right. And it doesn’t matter that the eastern ones in Russia have always been valued more than the French under the Samsung brand in this segment. In the interior, a mixture of French with Seoul, if she traces, is mainly in the list of options. How do you like a flavor with two smells and an ionizer of air? Or massage? After that, the curtains on the rear side windows are perceived for granted nothing should violate the intimate environment. In general, according to the wealth of Renault, closer to Korean Kia than to the French Peugeot. Here is the rear view camera, and a panoramic roof, and navigation, and a three-zone climate control, and a kind of Idrive BaemVashny controller on the central tunnel
Only now all this does not work in the best way. The controller is actually responsible for not the most convenient navigation, and there are so many buttons around it that it would be enough to control the space station. The picture from the rear view camera is dull, and the image is intermittent, as if on a perisive computer. In addition, landing is not optimal steering very low. But massage is on top! You can separately configure its intensity and the zone saves the back from pain in an uncomfortable chair. And at the back, there is a free music system with an amplifier in the test, and noise insulation at the level of representatives of the premium segment.
In move
Have you ever wondered why the races on the Volga were so frantic popular with both athletes and racers? It's fun! After all, the barge does not fit for this at all: it is rolling, prone to drift and completely devoid of brakes. Drive her quickly the whole art! Of course, Latitude is a modern car, and in its behavior there is not much in common with the creation of Gorky engineers, but an active riding of Renault is the pleasure of the same order. There are not enough efforts on the steering wheel, the car itself is desperately swaying on any transverse and longitudinal irregularities, the tail of the car is about to break into an uncontrollable skid, the rolls are large, the brake pedal is too soft, but the adrenaline is in full swing! Scary, difficult, but so fun. And all the time I want to give a gasket, because the sound of the V6 motor is much more like a song of Ferrari engines than a trivial noise from the power unit of a D-class car. But the dynamics are mediocre, all the power of the motor goes into sound.
Latitude recouped on a bad road, where he spoke expectedly. At the wheel of a French-Korean car, it seems that Moscow roads have turned into an ideal German autobahn. The energy intensity of the suspension at the highest level! Yes, the car sways on irregularities, but you do not notice them anymore. There is not even noise from the suspension. Thanks to the same audio system and good Shumka. Needless to say, the machine is not fast, but incredibly smooth and soft, and the rustle of the engine even caress the hearing.
In this machine, with a certain dexterity, you can rush cheerfully at high speed, but it was created primarily for the degree flange in the city. And it turns out to be damn good! No wonder the head of Renault in Russia at one time told me that Latitude should appease and reassure akin to green tea. Pacifying and calms. And if you press, then it will wake up in an instant, as if a rigidly brewed puer.
Summary
Will our heroes be able to become class leaders and get to the City parking lots overwhelmed by competitors? Complex issue! Peugeot won the triumph, but Kia is very close. But these cars are completely different, designed for different customers.
PEUGEOT painfully good, but only for the driver. The back is close, and this immediately cuts off many corporate clients from the lion. But he is sports, which could attract young middle-level managers, but after the failure of the 407th they may simply not look towards the cars from the SOSHO. The reputation of the brand as a manufacturer Drivers Car will have to be restored for a long time. Nevertheless, fans of the brand can rejoice. Peugeot is back!
Kia Optima is a real breakthrough for the Korean brand! This very beautiful, spacious and richly equipped sedan costs every ruble that they ask for it. Of course, he has many small shortcomings like the sound of the motor, the shape of the pillow or the insufficiently verified effort on the controls, but the premium is the quality in the little things. Koreans need time to grow before, and customers need time to get used to that Kia is on the same level with Japanese and German sedans.
Latitude lost, and this is natural. Too characteristic car. A good choice for flu parks, taxis and age customers who will cross it with Fluence. But Renault left the most memories. And it feels a rennate character, despite Korean origin. The energy intensity of the suspension, the smoothness of the gearbox, the spaciousness of the cabin is all well familiar in Fluence and even Logan. Those who love these models of the brand will certainly love Latitude.
Sophisticated sport
There is something unobtrusively reminiscent of the rumble of diesel sport prototypes Peugeot 908 in the sound of a 204-horsepower turbodiesel of the Peugeot 508 GT. In the 508th this special, not similar melody, not spoiled by the target of the fuel pump, is an excellent addition to the composition of a well-tuned chassis And bright appearance.
Even the usual 508th with a gasoline engine with a capacity of 150 liters. With. Anton Shiryaev liked very much. The most driver's chassis from the test trio, he claims. And this is given that at his disposal there was a car that was especially for the Russian market for the clearance by 17 mm, and the front suspension has a traditional McPherson scheme.
The GT version has a two -winging one in front, but its execution is not quite usually for the present day. At its core, it resembles an old shkvornoye structure that was installed on the Volga, with one exception in Peugeot, balls use balls for attaching a rotary tsapfa. The identical scheme was previously used on all versions of Peugeot 407, but now only 508 GT can boast with it.
The best, compared to Mcpherson, the geometry of the two -leaf provides more reliable behavior in corners, and the greater stiffness of the structure due to the upper lever improves the accuracy and uniqueness of the reactions of the car. In addition, steering rods on the 508th GT are slightly longer, which allows you to clean the steering wheel of parasitic vibrations.
Front brake discs in the Peugeot 508 GT of increased diameter and thickness of 340 and 30 mm, respectively, but even with them it is felt that the machine is still heavy 1615 kg of equipped mass. The left pedal requires great effort, and if the effectiveness of the mechanisms in normal mode is excellent, then on the racing highway, I would like the 508th to besiege a little tougher and sharper.
PEUGEOT 508 GT also differs in elegant solutions in the exterior. The chrome edging of the black grille of the radiator, on which the signed nameplate GT flaunts, imitation of the diffuser in the rear bumper with the trapezoidal output pipes. And, of course, one of the most attractive features of the exterior, stunningly beautiful wheel wheels with low -profile rubber dimension 235/40R19. By the way, the already opened problem of unreliable fixation of silver moldings of the glasses of glasses in Peugeot promise to decide in the near future, applying another way to fasten them.
The back of the large rollers is PEUGEOT 508 GT to small and acute irregularities. Moreover, as for the buildup on the waves or rolls in corners, they, oddly enough, are. Why the French engineers did not want to put the springs harder, slightly squeeze the shock absorbers and apply tires with a higher profile I do not understand. After all, then GT would have rode completely, as on rails. In fairness, it is worth noting that in this case, a truly representative smoothness of the course would disappear, one of the things that this machine generates.
A hydraulic steering wheel with an electric pump provides a jewelry and pleasant effort on the steering wheel, which can only wish a slightly clearer zero in cruising modes. An additional point created by the amplifier changes depending on the selected mode of the 6-speed assault rifle of the Japanese company Aisin. When the automatic transmission selector goes from position D to S, the steering wheel is noticeably heavy, and the box begins to hold the lowered gears longer. There is practically no need to use switching petals, since in any algorithm the logic of the transmission is clear and does not create discomfort, you can only complain to a harsh push that accompanies the machine even with a slight pressing on the gas pedal.
It would seem that a heavy 2.2-liter diesel engine located in front, which uses the experience of the Peugeot racing program in Le Man, should drag the car out in steep turns. But it makes you smile that moderate demolition of all four wheels often occurs, and with a quick change in the direction it can also run away. Cool settings, supported by an incomparable soft and even traction of a turbodiesel. I would like to turn off the stabilization system and answer for everything yourself, the benefit of 508 GT is predictable and understandable. Where is the treasured button? It was possible to find it only with the help of instructions for operation to the left of the steering wheel on the folding panel. There are also the configurations of the projection display.
Yes, here's the bad luck, ESP automatically turns on at a speed of 45 km/h, and even with a small carrier coal, selective branding of the wheels begins, clearly interfering with fully enjoying control over the car.
PEUGEOT 508 can rightfully be called one of the best cars in the classroom, and the performance of GT, as a good suit, emphasizes its strengths even brighter. Of course, the price cannot be called from 1,479,000 rubles, and it is clear that the 508th GT will not be massive, so having met it in the stream, it will only have to envy a person with such a sophisticated taste for sports.
Source: Cars
