Sometimes it’s not practical or desirable to have an SUV because of parking, fuel economy and certain ‘social pressures’ meted out by people that pedal everywhere and grow courgettes. And you might be too fashion conscious to have an MPV/people mover. So what do you do with your 4 or 5 progeny when you want to take them to zoo?
This particular scenario is where 7-seat station wagons come into their own: if your life circumstances or beliefs prevent you from preventing life, there’s a fashionable, fuel-efficient, practical, environmentally friendly option waiting for you to take the keys, and it comes in the shape a Peugeot 308 SW.
But let’s get something clear: by ‘fashionable’ we don’t necessarily mean ‘pretty’. The Peugeot is not the best looker, even though in stretched form it’s certainly sleeker than its hatchback brothers, but it’s tidy from most angles and does carry a European badge and that means a lot in certain circles. It’s also a fact that the Peugeot of today looks a lot better than the Peugeot of three years ago – the design is moving in the right direction.
Fuel efficient it definitely is. Cruise quietly along the motorway at 100kph in the 2-litre turbodiesel and the 163 horses sip only 5 litres per hour. And with 340 torque monsters churning away, there’s some pep if you need to get moving. This is a nice improvement over the previous 308 SW we tested back in 2008.
Practical is its middle name. Seven seats ensure that you don’t have to leave anyone behind, and all the rear seats can be completely removed if you want a station wagon to transport DIY supplies on the weekend. The full cargo capability is 2149 litres. It’s also got lots of airbags and every type of emergency braking, stability, and traction control system you need to keep it on the black stuff and out of the trees. Read the rest of this entry »
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Second, possibly because of the revised weight distribution it definitely feels slightly less wallowy, but doesn’t compromise on comfort. The suspension setup on the two vehicles is the same – a Macpherson strut up front and multi link with stabilizer at the rear.
Fourth, Peugeot has some customleather seats made here in NZ, and they’re wide and comfortable. 
It was interesting to have a second bite at the Mazda as often your perceptions change over time. I’m not a huge fan of utes – I don’t even own a pair of wellies – but the Mazda feels so car-like that you start to appreciate the benefits of having that extra height in traffic, among other things. It’s a big beast (200mm longer than the previous model) – not really designed for manoeuverability – but with the reversing sensors it’s way more palatable in the city. And that’s where this ute probably will live. Tradespeople aren’t going to worry about leather interiors; this is going to be bought by someone who wants to tow a boat or horse float (it’ll tow 3350kg on a braked trailer), while all their nautical or equestrian accessories can be accommodated in the tray.
Of course, it will appeal to you altruistic car-pooler types, too, as you ferry your friends’ kids to school – and it will deal with the urban jungle with aplomb. You could pull up outside any school and the Outlander will not look out of place whether the other parents are driving utes or Maseratis.
Everywhere you look the CRZ has taken styling cues from the CRX. From the bodylines to the classic split rear window, it’s instantly recognisable as its predecessor.
The police message that they would target slow drivers didn’t seem to get through to everyone as the drive up to Coromandel fromThameswas annoyingly slow stuck behind an aging ute towing a cruddy boat. However, Christmas should be a time of goodwill to all (wo)men so a lip was bitten and a horn left un-pressed.
Capable of carrying 1000kg in the tray, the 2WD GLS is only 25kg shy of the 4WD GLS – not much penalty there – and you can still tow 3000kg as long as the trailer is braked.
On the inside, the GLS comes with some premium features over the GL and GLX models, including passenger vanity mirror, map lamp, centre multi-display meter, sunglasses pocket, two extra speakers (bringing the total to six), climate control, cruise control and Bluetooth phone integration with steering wheel controls. The seats are slightly more contoured and there’s also an electric rear window which is useful for slightly longer loads (as long as they’re not a danger to the cabin occupants), and to get more airflow through. The rear window and rear passenger windows are tinted.
On the outside, the GLS’s differences include more chrome trim – wing mirrors, radiator grille, rear step bumper – front fog lamps, and colour-keyed bumpers. The GLS sits on smart-but-functional 16-inch wheels wrapped in 245/70 profile tyres. These are grippy enough in the dry, and when it’s wet the traction control takes care of the inevitable lively rear end when unloaded. The overall length is 100mm longer than the lesser models and, at 5385mm, this is going to challenge some garages. It certainly makes it tricky in tighter car parks, so you may want to plump for the optional parking sensors. Reversing sensors should be standard these days; rear visibility is not particularly good, and the mirrors, while fairly large, just don’t compensate for that.
The meaner Barina, though, has no such trouble. The design is much more purposeful and coherent. From the new exposed angular headlights and creased flanks to the wheel arches that accentuate the tasteful alloys, the Barina has an attitude that moves it away from the feminine and into neutral territory. Yes, you can still drive this if you are female of any age, but it’s masculine enough, too.