French evolution
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 5, 2010
Peugeot's first foray into soft-roaders suffers from its likeness to its Outlander sibling. Up until now the only four-wheel-drive ever to have worn a Peugeot badge was one built for use by the French military.That's all changing as the French car maker takes careful aim at the lucrative civilian soft-roader market with its first SUV, the 4007.The 4007 is what's known in the industry as a badge-engineering exercise. It is based on the Mitsubishi Outlander and built in Japan rather than Europe. Essentially you're getting a repackaged version of the Japanese soft-roader fitted with a front end featuring Peugeot's "gaping mouth" grille.WHAT DO YOU GET?Less for your money compared with an Outlander.The 4007 range starts at $45,490 for a five-seat ST model where the Mitsubishi kicks off at $32,990.In base form, the Peugeot offers standard features such as 16-inch alloys, cruise control, rear parking sensors and climate control.A six-speed dual-clutch auto (first seen locally on the Lancer Ralliart and Evo) pushes up the price to $47,990, with an additional two-seat third row increasing the sticker to $49,190.We tested the range-topping SV model that, for $54,190 (plus on-road costs), includes both the auto and seven-seat layout and also introduces 18-inch alloys, xenon headlights, leather upholstery with heated front seats and a power driver's seat.The 4007 SV, however, omits Bluetooth, keyless engine start, electric sunroof, rear-seat DVD, Rockford Fosgate premium audio, satellite navigation and a five-year warranty that are standard on the more affordable flagship Outlander, the $51,990 VRX.HOW SAFE?Unlike the Outlander range, all 4007s come with six airbags (side and curtain airbags are optional on the base LS Outlander). The 4007, however, doesn't offer the rear-view camera that's standard on the VRX model. There's no official independent crash rating for the Peugeot but the Mitsubishi scored a maximum five stars when fitted with side and curtain airbags.WHAT'S INSIDE?Unexpectedly, Peugeot hasn't bothered introducing a bespoke interior for the 4007; rather than "viva la difference", the cabin is pure Outlander VRX. At least the steering wheel features a Peugeot badge.The Outlander's interior has already been criticised by Drive for its lacklustre design and hard plastics and Gallic flair is nowhere to be found in the 4007. The disappointment is compounded when the vehicle wears the badge of a car maker that likes to consider itself a "near-premium" brand - one, like Volkswagen, that sits a rung on the ladder below luxury brands such as BMW or Audi.At least it also means the 4007 benefits from its Japanese donor's palatial second row, flexible seating and handy split tailgate. The third row bench is too cramped for adults but folds flat into the floor to create generous rear cargo space when the 4007 is in five-seater mode.UNDER THE BONNETPeugeot can at least claim there's more Frenchness at the heart of the 4007. The 2.2-litre turbo diesel is the result of collaboration with Citroen and Ford and has already been used locally by the Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4.The diesel clatters at idle but is smooth on the go and provides decent if not spectacular in-gear performance.The 4007 can be sluggish off the mark as the dual-clutch auto (borrowed from the Lancer Evolution X) hesitates in similar fashion to VW's DSG transmission and probably explains why Peugeot says the manual version is 2.6 seconds faster (9.9 seconds) in the 0-100km/h sprint.Fuel efficiency is notable, with the auto 4007 using just 7.3 litres every 100 kilometres, according to the official cycle.ON THE ROADPredictably, the 4007 is an almost identical driving experience to the Outlander - with all the pros and cons that entails.There are the handy variable driving modes of front-wheel-drive only (for better fuel economy), automatic 4WD (which sends torque to the rear wheels when front-wheel slippage is detected) and 4WD lock (for improved low-speed traction on slippery surfaces), though otherwise good points are not in abundance.The 4007's thumpy and crashy ride around town would have plush-riding Peugeots of old turning in their graves. The suspension is also consistently unsettled even on relatively smoother freeway surfaces.Wind noise accompanies some diesel-engine rattle at 110km/h, though tyre roar is the most intrusive sound in the cabin - especially on the coarse surfaces common to Australian roads.The steering is well-weighted, though, and the 4007 deals with bends without the body leaning excessively, though the extra weight over the nose brought by the diesel engine is noticeable.The engine's 400Nm of torque can also easily spin the front wheels when in 2WD mode.VERDICTIt's surprising Peugeot has taken so long to jump on the high-riding-wagon bandwagon, but even then the French car maker has taken the most cost-effective route to do it with this facelifted Outlander clone.That brings the advantages of a practical and spacious cabin, though it also means sub-par ride comfort and noise refinement, as well as interior quality that doesn't match the standard seen in the likes of the company's 308 hatchback.And while the smooth and frugal diesel engine and quick-thinking dual-clutch automated manual make a more likeable combination than the Outlander's V6 and conventional auto, the Peugeot 4007 still struggles to justify its higher price tags.Price From $45,490As tested $54,190Country of origin JapanEngine 2.2-litre 4-cylinder turbo dieselPower 115kW at 4000rpmTorque 380Nm at 2000rpmConsumption and CO2 emissions 7.0L/100km and 185g/km (man); 7.3L/100km and 192g/km (auto)Transmission six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch autoWeight 1790kg-1840kg0-100km/h 9.9 secs (manual); 12.5 secs (auto)Safety Six airbags, stability control, reversing sensorsPros Smooth and strong diesel; palatial second row; good storage.Cons More expensive and less generously equipped than near-identical Outlander; crashy ride; cramped third row; looks only a mother could love; nose-heavy handling.Our score˜…˜…LAND ROVER FREELANDER 2 TD4 SEPrice $52,790Engine 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder, 118kW/400Nm, six-speed auto, AWDFuel use/CO2 emissions 7.9L/100km and 214g/kmSafety Stability control, seven airbags, five-star crash ratingPros Off-road cred; strong diesel; competent handling.Cons Mundane cabin; expensive; Land Rover continues to struggle in quality surveys.Our score ˜…˜…˜…˜…SUBARU OUTBACK 3.6R PREMIUMPrice $55,990Engine 3.6-litre six-cylinder, 191kW/350Nm, five-speed auto, AWDFuel use/CO2 emissions 10.3L/100km and 242g/kmSafety Stability control, seven airbags, hill-hold assist, rear-view camera, five-star crash ratingPros Smooth six-cylinder with decisive auto; voluminous cabin; strong resale.Cons Cost-cutting obvious inside; temporary spare; handling limited.Our score ˜…˜…˜…˜…MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER VRXPrice $51,990Engine 3.0-litre V6, 169kW/291Nm, six-speed auto, part-time AWDFuel use/CO2 emissions 10.4L/100km and 247g/kmSafety Stability control, six airbags, five-star crash ratingPros Good performance from V6; flexible cabin; loaded with features; long warranty.Cons Terse ride; poor noise suppression; engine lacks low-rev muscle; cramped third row.Our score ˜…˜…˜…
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