Bucket Seat: Peugeot 3008 GT

When it comes to French cars, there is always a sense of flair that exudes from them when compared to other European cars, I experienced this with Renault but when my first Peugeot rolled in for a test, the flair just levelled up dramatically. The model was the face-lifted 3008 and personally, if your jaw does not drop when you see this car up close and and personal, you need to be checked if you have a pulse because seriously, this car is a work of art in every aspect of its design. Peugeot really upped the anti in this face-lift with an almost complete redesign of the front as I will discuss later on in the design segment. Much of the rear remains the same with elements to update the design. While the previous model 3008 didn't enjoy much success in the local market, the French brand will be hoping that with these changes, it might just sway prospective buyers. 

DESIGN

The front fascia of the Peugeot 3008 is fascinating to say the least, with the 3D light grille which is made up of individual blocks which expand either ends to meet the new LED headlamps with clear housing enabling one to see each of the dual lamps. The LED daytime running lights follow the new design language from Peugeot, which mimic the fangs of a Lion which is the brands logo. The rest of the front design is very well sculptured and clean which expands to the side of the body. There are added detailed to the side profile to enhance the cars look, for example the black side skirts and chrome detailing around the windows and doors. The rear end remains visibly unchanged with that sleek piano black style straight feature which houses the tailed which are triple units of the LED lights that really are subtle but very effective, it mimics a 3D claw which keeps in line the feline theme to the car. The rear diffusor is finished off in a high gloss piano black as well, with such quality materials being used on the exterior, it really gives the car a premium feel, so much so that it looks better than the German rivals. It's totally different from what we normally see and its great to see a brand being able to push the boundaries in terms of aesthetics and design. 

PERFORMANCE

While the car is nice to look at, how is it to drive? Due to the sales figures from the previous generation as well as some smart homework done by the team, they've opted to only bring in the 1.6L petrol powered motor for the 3008. This is paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shift. The engine produces a gusty 121kW with 240Nm of torque. Given the size and type of the vehicle, that power is plentiful and with my time spent with it, it seems like the perfect application given the type of driving the average buyer will be using these type of cars for. While Peugeot claim that the average fuel consumption on the 3008 is around 7L per 100km, I was getting just over 8L with a lot of mixed driving and also having to push the limits every now and then. Taking the 3008 on the open road was quite an experience, the engine coped well on a long distance and the cruise control worked like a charm, this helped reduce my average consumption by allowing the car to dictate the speed and gear changes. 

COMFORT

Stepping into the 3008, you will be easily mistaken that you're sitting in a concept model, the styling and materials used has a modern and opulent feel to it. It's almost as if they hired interior decorators to style the cabin, from sporty GT line stiched Nappa leather seats, brushed aluminum switches, piano black accents as well as wooden inlays can be found across the cabin. Even the quality of the leather used on the dash and other aspects of the doors feel luxurious. The design is very modern and neatly laid out to give the driver full control of all aspect to the interior. The car has dual zone climate control for the front driver and passenger, an extremely large center compartment located under the split arm rest that has double the normal volume one might find in a car, it would have been great if they had the option to get this cooled as it could serve as a nice cooler for long journeys. The technology in the Peugeot 3008 has been commended as well, from mobile applications built into the cars user interface to the animations that come standard with the car, the cars digital instrument panel can be adjusted to suit, and when changing the animations really do blow you away. It's done so well and gives you a futuristic feel to it. The car has a wireless charging mat as well as USB ports for conventional charging and app connectivity. The rear passengers also get to enjoy that quality Nappa leather seats, and they have dual USB ports for charging. The sound system is by High Fidelity sound system French company Focal, the quality is great and done in conjunction with the cabin space which maximizes the acoustics .

VERDICT

Overall the Peugeot 3008 delivered on so many levels, apart from it being so refreshing to see a brand doing something different, having the performance to back it really adds that extra sense of accomplishment for the brand. It really is a stunning vehicle that probably needs more credit in the market and hopefully see's people opt for something different when looking for a family car. I honestly had such a blast spending a week with this car and its offering, as a journalist it excites you to see a brand go all out and take chances, now its up to the public to take a chance on the brand for doing so.

 SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.6L Turbo-Petrol
Gear Box	6-Automatic with Paddle Shift
Torque	240Nm
Power	121kW
0-100km/h	8.9 seconds
Price	R651,900

 

Bucket Seat: Toyota Aygo X-Cite

Today's review is going to be a bit different because the car in question, is a bit different. I've driven a fair share of budget hatch backs and this one was probably one of the most impressive ones I've had yet, not because it had a cool trick up it's sleeve either. The Toyota Aygo is the smallest passenger offering by the Japanese motor manufacturer, it was developed in a joint venture with Peugeot and Citroen and assembled in the Czech Republic, each of the other brands had the same car under a different guise and name, Peugeot with the 107 and Citroen with the C1. The cars started out as city cars for the European market, with CO2 emission tax coming into play, developed smaller cars, with less emission was the goal. While the French cars did well in the Northern hemisphere,  they failed to catch the local markets attention as well as the Aygo. Could be because of brand loyalty or probably just the reliable legacy that Toyota has built in South Africa over the years, which is why we see the new Aygo on the roads today but not the C1 or 107. 

Now while the Aygo start off as a budget hatch back, it certainly isn't just that anymore and with this new X-Cite model its bound to get the attraction of much of the younger crowds and it won't brake your bank account to get one. The X-Cite comes with the standard Aygo 1L engine, I'll admit, not the best engine Toyota has made and it really makes you work to maintain speed. I often found myself needing to down change to maintain or pick up speed on a regular occurrence, especially on highway driving which annoyed me because Toyota has a perfect good 1.5L engine in the Etios Sprint, why not chuck that in here? It would make a world of a difference! Then I sat at the robot, opened the roof...yes, that's the trick up the sleeve (but more about that later) and cruised off the line, down to the office and thought, this is what this car is for, city driving!

Forgetting the fundamentals of the car can be very easy, the car is meant for the city, or the burbs, not flying up and down the highway and when doing that, its probably one of the best things out there. Lets start with the looks, it's striking, it has a big X on the front which makes it all that more X-Citing, the overall design is quite funky, and the utilization of space is very clever. The front doors are quite long which made me thinking it was a 3 door at first until I realised there are actually doors at the back. Getting to the back, the seats are pretty decent, not some wooden bench places there just to say it can seat people at the back. In front, the cockpit is pretty cool, although, granted there is a lot of plastic which isn't unexpected for the price tag, I wasn't expecting imbuya. I quite like how everything is designed though, it really does appeal to the young side in you, which you hope that won't die. There's lots of lights and even section on the side of the speedo that tells you when to change up or down a gear. The space in the front is great, I'm a big guy and had no issue driving around in the car. 

Now, for the crowd pleaser, not quite sure what Toyota were thinking when they decided to add a fold-able roof to the Aygo, but I'm glad they did! When I first saw pics of it, I thought someone was taking the mickey out of the car and I even compared it to the likes of the Mayback Landaulet but I tell you what, it is genius! The roof folds up in a matter of seconds, quietly and neatly, it will have everyone in traffic confused as hell, as to whats going on here. Since the roof stacks up, it opens up practically just over 80% of the roof, which is a lot compared to most sunroofs. With the fresh air and added scenery to the drive, it really makes for a fun ride. No need to worry about drag or wind noise since with the roof open, you're cruising and its perfect. The large touch screen display connects to your phone in seconds, with bluetooth audio streaming coming through the decent sound system, it just adds to the experience.

While this car might be aimed at the youth, I found it quite practical as my daily run around. It sips fuel, at 4.4L per 100km, the tank size is 35L! After getting just over 450km on a tank, I was pleasantly surprised that R200 of petrol got me over half a tank! Many might look at the car and think of the safety aspects of it, I mean guys, sure it's small, sure its light but they got 4 out of 5 stars in the last safety rating for the car, so if that doesn't give it the thumbs up, I don't know what will. I got many comments while driving this car, one of them being cute, which I don't really mind, the Aygo  is a cute car and there's no denying that, the X-Cite just takes the cuteness level up a notch with the folding roof. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1L 3 cylinder
Gear Box	5 Speed Manual
Power	51kW
Torque	95Nm
Fuel Comsumption	4.4L/100km
Fuel Tank Size	35L
Price	R189,500

Cars

80X in design mold

I like them, a lot. Now not in the typical male way of knowing the nitty gritty with spec's, performance and getting messy under the hood. I like the design of them, shape, styling and importantly what the interior has to offer. Now dont get me wrong, Im not saying I'd take a car with a 9 liter engine and performance that sucks ass but it looks good, theres a limit that my mind has to that sort of thing.

Peugeot Airstream Concept

Ever since I could use a pencil I was drawing cars, on walls, paper, or any surface that I could draw on. I had many die cast models which I for some reason broken into pieces which resulted in me not getting any more for a long long time. Anyway point is its the design of them that caught me. I started off by drawing cars that existed then moved onto cars I wished that were made, newer models for certain brands etc.

My Peugeot Revo concept

My life ambition was to be a car designer but sadly in our country none of the colleges offer such a course one could study. If I wanted to I  had to venture out to study. BMW school of design made an offer but a year and half would have been for learning the language as all classes are conducted in German, now after learning Afrikaans for almost 10 years and not fully mastered it, German wasnt going to be the bike to learn to ride or the long route would have been doing an engineering course here then moving abroad to learn various design codes and so on.

My Peugeot 80X concept

But none the less with the "supreme skills" I've learnt on Auto CAD 3D I've tried my luck on Peugeot's Design contests they hold every 2 years. Its open to anyone who wants to design. Given a strict set of design details and a time frame you have to come up with a design that suits their specifications and give a brief 500 word write up on your design and how it suits what they're looking for. The competition is stiff and each one gets more difficult. The winner gets some prize money, gifts from the sponsors but the real score is that Peugeot builds a full size model of your design and displays it at a motorshow which they fly you to of course!

My Peugeot 80X concept

The guys out there with fast internet and freeware to do such detailed designs sometimes have you in awe that they're just teenagers sitting at home doing this as a past time. There are some talented blokes out there and shows with some time and vision, nothing is impossible. Car design for me is really important, so its good to see the youngsters willing to be so bold in what they create, of course car companies are not going to put all into production and if they do chose the various designs, it will be chopped and changed to make them most cost effective. Jaguar have really stepped their game up with Ian Callum's bold designs put into the works.

2011 KIA Cadenza

The Koreans, KIA & Hyundai have on the other hand taken the design rule book and thrown it out the door. Not sticking to low key conservative type designs any more, they're going bold and cutting edge. I say why not? Akio Toyoda was questioned 4 years back after the Toyota Camry won the car of the year title for the 2nd time running in the US, as to whether he was worried about what the Germans would have up their sleeve, he responded by saying that its not the Germans he was worried about, it was the Koreans! And as we look at our market now with KIA and Hyundai becoming the low cost brand of choice he had good reason to worry about them! Toyota are falling behind badly, their entire design team needs a shake up!

Toyota Blade

The Auris was a total failure in terms to competing with the Honda Civic and to make matters worse, 3/4 of the world didnt receive the range topping Blade! How they ever expect to see results while being so picky is beyond me. As for Toyota SA, dont get me started, you're better of talking to a brick wall. I love their brand and what they stand for but its high time they work up and realised people arent always gonna chose them because of their "reliable past". They need to up the anti and give the public something they'll want, not force them to take what they make.

I see a bright future for most car designs, as they look at becoming more pleasing to the eye and the big factor being "green" more companies will look at other materiel to build their cars with thus allowing for more bold designs that normally are fit for concept only cars.So heres hoping to a future of cars that more pleasant to look at on the road and less Multipla's and Micra's.

Note: All designs shown are mine with exception to the Cadenza & Blade.