Test drive Peugeot 2008: when "less" is "more" - part 2

 The main test car was a blue Peugeot 2008 GT Line crossover with a 1.5-liter turbodiesel and 8-speed. "Automatic". The car looks great - the recognizable Peugeot style and many bright solutions: headlights with three notches, rear "claw-lights", triangular stampings on the doors, roof pillar with decor. Moreover, this beauty is not devoid of practicality, the body is wrapped around the perimeter with protective plastic overlays, there are rails on the fashionable black roof. Turbodiesel by its nature is a "stayer", not a "sprinter": acceleration from standstill to 100 km / h takes 10.3-10.4 seconds (for a second worse than the passport data), but on the track, the crossover is good both in consumption, and dynamics. The choice of "sport" -mode of driving settings (the reaction of the motor to the accelerator pedal, the severity of the steering wheel, the operation of the automatic transmission) globally does not change the perception of the car.

 But what changes is the powerful gasoline engine, which is exactly what the orange Peugeot 2008 was equipped with in the Allure configuration. It seems a little more power (155 hp vs. 130 hp), a slightly wider operating range (5500 rpm vs. 3700 rpm), other little things. But all these "slightly" add up to one big positive picture: the car feels more "alive", dynamic, cheerful, light on the move - this is the Peugeot 2008 that I wanted to see! It starts well and quickly picks up speed under the 3-cylinder engine chirring. The engine responds briskly to pressing the accelerator pedal. "Automatic" is still soft and fast in its switching. Yes, it is just more pleasant for them to manage, the reactions are quick and accurate. However, there is still a lot of comfort here.

 An important disclaimer, the second test car (orange) was presented with a 155-horsepower engine and in the Allure configuration - today such a combination cannot be found in the price list. But a similar version was offered at the start of sales in 2008 and, possibly, will appear again in the future. This option turned out to be successful from the point of view of the article, it allowed me to get acquainted with both the 155-horsepower engine and the Allure package.

 The orange car is Allure trim and a 155hp 1.2-liter 3-cylinder PureTech turbo engine. Please note: the grille and headlights are different, the body pillars are devoid of decor, but the rear bumper looks even better than in the GT Line. And the pleasure of driving a 155-horsepower car is greater. The passport promises to accelerate 0-100 km / h in about 8 seconds - even if you add a second of error, 9 seconds still look optimistic for this class. The car is "light" on the move and in sensations. Finally, this version of Peugeot 2008 is also the fastest: only a 155-horsepower engine allows you to “change” 200 km / h.

 We also managed to drive a little on a version with a 130-horsepower gasoline engine and a 6-speed "automatic" EAT6. Confess: no revelations. There is a feeling that the 130-horsepower engine is more powerful than the 110-horsepower (in the last generation Peugeot 2008), but just enough to justify the change of generation of the model. Like: here they changed the generation - and made the motor more powerful. And even during dynamic acceleration with the accelerator pedal "to the floor", it happens that the automatic transmission switches "1-2" gear with a barely noticeable nod - a well-known habit of the EAT6 box.

 However ... If you are in no hurry, if you remember about comfort, if you take into account the low starting price for the basic version (which comes just with a 130 hp engine) - then why not? With normal driving, everything is fine: the engine has enough power for both the city and the highway "hundreds", the "automatic" switches gently, the suspension pleases with comfort. At the same time, you have a spacious cabin for a family, a normal trunk, and sufficient ground clearance. In a word, it is a good universal car for ordinary trips in Ukraine.