Peugeot 208 | Y&Y Test Drive
posted by DJB on 23/04/2012
For those who have been hiding under a brick and not catching up on the latest goings on with Y&Y (shame on you! Lol) I took a trip to Portugal last week. I had hinted via my personal and the Y&Y twitter page that I was jetting off however I never disclosed the purpose of my travels, until now.
I was wonderfully whisked away to the coastal town of Cascais in Portugal to test-drive the new Peugeot 208. Honestly I questioned my credentials and justification for being part of this test drive since Y&Y aren’t typically a motor-based blog. However the everyday user of a car isn’t necessarily a car enthusiast and may not pay deep attention to the very technical aspects of car craftsmanship and it is these consumers whom this is aimed at.
Let’s start with first impressions. I walked into the press center took my first glance at the car and immediately smiled. It’s small, sexy, stylish and elegant in its own way. The aesthetics of a car are very important this definitely doesn’t disappoint. The aim for this car was to appeal to both men and women something that Peugeot felt was lacking in the previous 207 models. I feel Peugeot have somewhat managed to successfully reach their desired target, although I do feel colour choice does have a huge impact. The darker colours i.e. black, blue, grey help project a more masculine aura with the chrome details adding a touch of style and feminine elegance. Without the darker colours the car looks very female destined.
The interior is superior haha sorry I just wanted to make that rhyme. On a serious note the style conscious theme continues within the car just as much as it was apparent on the exterior aesthetics. The car that I initially set off in had a black interior which appeared to be leather, although I’m entirely sure if it was indeed leather, and had visible stitching reminiscent of stitching you would see on the seams of a pair of jeans. This added to the interior and gave it a more expensive aura to it than you would usually expect to see in a car of this type.
The most exciting aspect of this car is its touch screen. The fully integrated system is the central feature of the interior combining a wonderful navigation system with music, radio and other media functions including the forthcoming Peugeot Connect Apps.
A fully integrated solution, Peugeot Connect Apps gives the user the option of starting guidance to a POI (Point Of Interest) presented by the applications, or to call it, via their telephone’s Bluetooth connection. For example, the POI could be a restaurant, a tourist site, a service station, a Peugeot Dealership, or any of a number of other services.
Modern, fluid, and specifically designed for motor vehicles, this service is not restricted by country borders, and operates in 17 countries. With Peugeot Connect Apps, the driver travels with complete autonomy and freedom in his environment: traffic, parking spaces, tourist sites, weather conditions, known addresses…
Test driving the car for four hours driving around Portugal gave us a great chance to really understand what it would be like to own one of these cars. Personally I didn’t drive all that much, I wasn’t interested in dying lol. Driving on the other side of the road is one thing but driving a car that has the steering wheel on the opposite side from what I was used to just took the piss. I was fully confused and disorientated. I tried to change gear only to realise that my natural instinct were to change with my left hand however instead of grabbing hold of the gear stick I was clinging onto the door, not cool.
Overall the car is a great improvement on the 207 and will appeal to both men and women. It has a look that fresh and modern with a touch luxury if selecting a higher end trim. It drives well and can handle tight corners, bumpy roads and high speeds oh and rain (it bloody rained on the one day that I test drove the car, bad luck right?). Peugeot mentioned that this car is to be a perfect second family car and I completely agree. My step-dad currently drive a Jaguar XKR while my mum drives a raggedy old Peugeot 206, I think this new 208 will be the replacement. I don’t know who’s gonna buy it for her because I certainly won’t be but it definitely would be an ideal second car for my family and many other families.
I would like to give a special shout out to Mario and Elodie from Buzz Paradise for inviting us to participate in the event and for hosting us so well. Elodie was supremely helpful and informative. Thank You!
