Test drive Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008 and VW Tiguan.

Compact SUV models compete with each other in the second generation

Peugeot is positioning the second generation of the 3008 more clearly. Therefore, it should attract more buyers. But will it work? We invited the Peugeot 3008 Puretech 130 for a comparison test against the Nissan Qashqai 1.2 DIG-T and VW Tiguan 1.4 TSI.

Exactly in the year of the anniversary of motor sports and sports, you can expect a few words of reflection from us. For example, to state, in a spirit of self-criticism, that for the past 70 years, our old colleagues and I have performed excellently in our tasks. However, once or twice, we did not realize in time a single fashion trend, for example, today's hobby for "soft" (soft) SUV models.

So it was in 2007 when the Nissan Qashqai was first tested. There you could read that in life we ​​constantly make compromises - for example, in professions, housing, spouses, so we don’t need a car, and this is a compromise. Two years later, the first Peugeot 3008 came to the test, and in the article we allowed ourselves the bold expression that the car casts "the shadow of a pregnant hippopotamus." Now this will give us a good opportunity to spread the word that, in addition to the press offices of the affected companies, animal rights activists have also called to express their dissatisfaction with this comparison. On the other hand, it was impossible to misinterpret the VW Tiguan when it first appeared in 2007. It has been called "The Harsh Environment Golf" but primarily because of its higher driving seat.

It remained the same in the second generation proposed this spring. As far as the Qashqai concept goes, almost nothing has changed since the model change in 2013. The situation is completely different with 3008. It is more clearly positioned, more precisely stylized and more modernly furnished. Will that make him a winner? Let's look for the answer by releasing basic petrol versions.

Peugeot - safety in everyday life

Maybe it was so hard for us to accept the first 3008 because we used to expect such ideas earlier than Renault or Citroën - because these brands have a rich tradition of confusing customers. On the contrary, Peugeot has long stood out for the understated elegance we sought in vain in the first 3008.

However, the new one is different. Like the 308 and the seven-seater 5008 due in the spring, it is based on the versatile PSA EMP2 platform. Its length is 4,45 m, which makes it only four centimeters shorter than the VW model. Inside, however, the space offered is on par with the shorter Nissan. The low-slung rear seat, which lacks much lateral support and comfort, can comfortably seat two adults, though there's little headroom due to the large panoramic sunroof. Here, two child seats can be easily secured using Isofix fasteners, and another can be placed on the driver's seat. Because the 3008 really takes the needs of everyday life seriously: its trunk floor can be fixed at different heights, the rear seat back splits and folds remotely, there is plenty of room for small things, and the Allure level is equipped with a wide range of assistants. – From compliance and lane change assistant to the collision warning and emergency stop system.

Digital controls on only two screens

The rest of the 3008 is a model without analog devices, but exclusively with digital devices. All information on a high-quality and solid instrument panel glows on two screens. The indicators behind the small steering wheel can be combined into four preset options or selected individually. For the touch screen, which, along with music, controls the air conditioning and vehicle settings, there is also a panel with keys for direct access.

Particularly successful is the 3008 three-cylinder engine

We press the start button - hard and for a long time, this is the only way to start a gasoline turbo engine, which, however, subsequently makes a strong and lasting impression. Economical 1200 cc engine cm (7,7 l / 100 km) - a particularly successful three-cylinder unit. It starts evenly and powerfully, picking up speed quickly, but without much noise and far beyond 6000. Then you need to select the next of six well-adjusted gears with a small shifter that moves a little softer than necessary. And then you continue. In tight corners, the engine even challenges the 3008's front-wheel drive clutch. But that's less of an issue. The larger one is a combination of a small steering wheel and a responsive steering system. Both qualities imitate agile behavior, which is contrary to the true talent for handling. That's why the Peugeot model moves in corners, which is strongly prevented by the ESP system, and with little sway. At the same time, the steering system creates a sense of urgency, rather than feedback from the road, when transmitting shocks.

More successfully 3008 copes with the tasks of a comfortable ride. For short bumps, the suspension reacts a little harshly, and for longer ones it is quite smooth. Finally, it should be noted good brakes and rich equipment. In the new model, almost everything is different, much better - but is Peugeot really the best of the three rivals?

Nissan concentrates on the essentials

What Qashqai initially knew better than anyone else was the rejection of features that are hardly used. High clearance outside? Complete dual transmission kit below? Fashion adventure attributes inside? It is not necessary. Instead, the model turns other advantages of the SUV category into everyday life - a lot of luggage, a comfortable fit, a high seating position, a good view of the street. Moreover, in its 1,2-liter base gasoline version, it is content with only front-wheel drive, and in the second junior line of Acenta equipment, only the most suitable. These include a decent arsenal of support systems, heated seats and, if desired, an easy-to-operate, albeit with small buttons, infotainment system. In any case, what's in every Qashqai is more important, regardless of performance.

This is, for example, a well-used luggage compartment, which can be divided and arranged in different ways with the help of a moving floor. In the comfortably furnished rear, two adults travel according to the width. The pilot and navigator sit - this should always be mentioned - in seats developed by Nissan in conjunction with NASA. However, this fact does not make you want to travel around the planet in a space shuttle, because the thinly padded seats do not provide enough back support.

Otherwise, everything is as expected on a solid dashboard. Only the complex menus of the on-board computer, from which the auxiliary systems are controlled, take time to get used to. But otherwise, the control of the rest of the functions is obtained the first time, although Qashqai prefers traditional solutions. With ignition key, etc.

Phlegmatic but economical Qashqai

We turn a little and start the 1,2-liter four-cylinder engine. The gasoline unit, which is used in many models of the concern with direct injection, is reinforced here by a turbocharger with a modest 0,5 bar to 115 hp. / 190 Nm. With it, the car does not go very cheerfully, but it is economical (7,7 l / 100 km) - as the low weight helps the Nissan SUV model to keep up with others, at least on straight sections.

Because in corners, the authoritarian ESP suppresses any manifestation of dynamics in its infancy and strictly regulates the direction of the SUV model along the curve. This is somewhat logical, because with poor feedback, the indirect steering system will not make much of an impression anyway. In addition, rigid chassis settings significantly impair driving comfort rather than affect road behavior. However, this fits well with Qashqai, who has never looked for big adventures but has found many clients.

VW earns points for space and flexible layout

Although the Tiguan is still brand new, we have detailed it already. Suffice it to mention here that in addition to maximizing passenger and luggage space, it also offers many tricks for flexible interior design. The rear seat moves back and forth within 18 cm, folds in parts and from afar, the seat back next to the driver can be folded down to a horizontal position, and for 190 euros an additional movable floor levels the steps in the boot.

We can also note the high quality of materials and workmanship, a rich arsenal of support systems and easy-to-understand control functions. However, with the additional digital devices (€ 510, navigation only), this also means a certain quest for discovery if we want to learn how to manage and control everything.

Let's focus on the transmission - however, so far the Tiguan has only been in our tests with a dual transmission and a dual clutch transmission. Both of them are not available for 1.4 TSI and this is not a problem. As with the Qashqai and 3008, the Tiguan's base petrol unit is a special engine that deserves a special recommendation. Its 125 hp they reach the front wheels via a well-matched, precise six-speed gearbox – even a little too unrestrained in tight corners. Then, when driving fast, the Tiguan first slides with understeer, and then exits the corner with tires scraping on the pavement. However, traction control and ESP handle these situations adeptly. In addition, thanks to its precise, direct yet silently responsive steering system, the VW model informs you ahead of time when traction is starting to decline.

Tiguan base petrol engine better than expectations

In everyday conditions, the advantages of the basic drive prevail. The 1,4-liter engine pulls evenly, stays quiet for a long time and only gets louder at high speeds. He rarely needs them, because with a slightly more abundant but much earlier maximum in terms of torque and temperament, he is not inferior to the Qashqai, despite his greater weight. At the same time, the VW model consumes slightly more fuel - 8,2 l / 100 km, which, however, is 1,1 l / 100 km less than the consumption of the 180 hp petrol version, DSG and dual transmission.

Tiguan shows more advantages over rivals in the field of comfort. The front seats are high but pleasantly comfortable for long trips. At the same time, VW, equipped with adaptive suspension, completely neutralizes even the roughest bumps. Of course, these shock absorbers are an additional cost, as are 18-inch wheels. Thus, the price of the winner in the test is again the highest. But - and we've known this for 70 years - it goes without saying.

3D Navigation in Peugeot 3008

With the help of the so-called. Connect Box with built-in SIM card Peugeot 3D navigation provides online services such as real-time congestion data and works great with your smartphone. Here we see how useful a few keys can be - instead of accessing all functions via the 308's touch screen, the 3008 has practical direct keys for the most important basic functions such as phone, audio and navigation, which can be turned on blindly. and therefore almost not distracted from the road. In addition, the menu structure is much clearer than before, and most functions can be found intuitively. The touchscreen has a good resolution and its eight inches are large enough to show routes clearly. The €850 3D Navigation accepts a variety of online services via mobile radio, some of which include accurate TomTom traffic data, as well as fuel prices at nearby gas stations, parking spaces in multi-storey car parks or weather forecasts. All this is presented directly on the navigation map and does not require a search in the submenu. Applications from a smartphone are transferred via Carplay or Mirrorlink interfaces, but the popular Android Auto is not supported by 3008. There is also no connection to an external antenna that improves reception; however, eligible mobile phones can be charged inductively, i.e. wirelessly (at an additional cost), provided that they are placed in the box in front of the gear lever. I was double-impressed by the voice control, which does accept whole addresses at once, but requires a certain sequence (first the street, then the city), and at times it is difficult to catch the orders.

There is almost everything important

Logical menu structure, quick response touch screen and the most important online functions – Peugeot's new 3D navigation is worth the money. Those who often talk on the phone would also like to connect an external antenna, there are opportunities to improve voice control.

Text: Sebastian Renz

Photo: Hans-Dieter Zeifert

Evaluation

1. VW Tiguan 1.4 TSI - 426 points

Maybe there are more interesting compact SUVs, and many cheaper ones. But in the basic version, the comfortable, spacious and versatile Tiguan makes an especially good impression.

2.Peugeot 3008 Puretech 130 – 414 points

There may be less exciting compact SUVs, but along with extravagance, style and ergonomics, the 3008 showed better drive, flexible layout and comfort.

3. Nissan Qashqai 1.2 DIG-T – 385 points

Perhaps there is almost nothing interesting about this compact SUV. But the cheap Qashqai also has a place with an economical engine in terms of temperament and cost, but with little comfort.

technical details

1.VW Tiguan 1.4TSI	2.Peugeot 3008 Puretech 130	3. Nissan Qashqai 1.2 DIG-T
Working volume	1395 cc cm	1199 cc cm	1197 cc cm
Power	125 k.s. (92 kW) at 5000 rpm	130 k.s. (96 kW) at 5500 rpm	115 k.s. (85 kW) at 4500 rpm
Maximum torque	200 Nm at 1400 rpm	230 Nm at 1750 rpm	190 Nm at 2000 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	10,9 with	10,3 with	10,7 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	36,0	34,3 m	34,8 m
full speed	190 km / h	188 km / h	185 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	8,2 l / 100 km	7,7 l / 100 km	7,7 l / 100 km
Base Price	28 575 EUR (in Germany)	28.200 € (in Germany)	23.890 € (in Germany)