Test drive city cars: which of the five is the best?
Daihatsu Travis, Fiat Panda, Peugeot 1007, Smart Fortwo and Toyota Aygo offer undeniable advantages in urban traffic. Which of the five automotive concepts will be the most successful for use in large cities?
Being able to quickly slip into the first possible parking space and be able to get out of there almost instantly is a discipline in which small city cars undoubtedly have huge advantages over more comfortable and sophisticated, but much larger and irreversible ones. elite models. But times are changing, and customers today demand much more from their city assistants than compact size and maneuverability.
For example, buyers want safety and comfort for their children. Also more space for your shopping or luggage. With a little style and a little extravagance, it's even better. In addition, this type of car does not have to use the classic front-engine, front-wheel drive transverse layout that Sir Alec Isigonis discovered half a century ago.
A good example in defense of the latter thesis is the Smart Fortwo, which in its second generation draws on a concept that uses a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive and two-seater cab, designed to radically answer the harshest urban traffic challenges. With the 1007, Peugeot is also opening up its own niche in the small class, while the Toyota Aygo and Fiat Panda remain true to the classic small car ideas.
Convenience that doesn't have to be too expensive
That such a recipe does not have to be too expensive is demonstrated by the Daihatsu Trevis, which is available in Germany with a rich package for 9990 euros, and at the same time the car allows you to enjoy a playful “smirk” that seems to be taken straight from the mini. The model boasts excellent visibility from the driver's seat, as well as relatively decent driving space - thanks to the offset almost at the corners of the wheel body, Trevis provides interior space that looks amazing for its external dimensions. This impression is further enhanced by the wide-angle windshield. It wasn't until the second passenger sat in front that it became clear that the car couldn't be any bigger inside than outside: 1,48 meters outside and 1,22 meters inside, Travis was the narrowest of them all. five candidates in the test.
The base price of Panda is the lowest in the test - the model is even slightly cheaper than the most affordable Aygo modification, as well as Smart Fortwo. In terms of versatility, the Panda's shape may be debatable, but the vehicle's practical qualities are undeniable. The view from the driver's seat is magnificent in absolutely every possible direction, even the position of the rear end is easy to determine, and passengers about 1,90 meters tall can see the front cover - adding to all this and the City-function Steering system, which makes the "guiding" of the baby even easier, we get a really great offer for busy city traffic.
Smart and Peugeot show significant flaws
Extremely expensive in its category, the Peugeot 1007 was the largest car in the test. At 3,73 meters long, 1,69 meters wide and 1,62 meters high, it surpasses all four rivals. At the same time, however, with a weight of 1215 kilograms, this is the heaviest model in the test quintet. The disastrously poor visibility from the driver's seat deserves serious criticism, and the large turning radius can quickly freeze hopes of quick parking in any small niche.
Given the overall Smart concept, it's only natural to expect internal flexibility to be definitely not a priority here. But the two-seater car is rewarded with a beautiful view through a large glazed area, as well as excellent maneuverability. Along with the Aygo, the Fortwo offers the smallest turning radius in this test, but its agility suffers somewhat from the rather indirect and uneven steering system. While it performs better than the first production model, the automatic transmission still attracts criticism.
What is the conclusion from this comparison? In fact, all five vehicles are attractive for use in busy urban environments. According to the points classification, Fiat Panda, Daihatsu Trevis and Peugeot 1007 occupy the first three places respectively, followed by Smart Fortwo with a significant lead over Aygo. Clear evidence that a small exterior size alone is not enough for a really good city car. At least for now, Toyota's smallest model simply cannot compete with the optimal set of qualities that Panda has to offer.
Text: Jorn Ebberg, Boyan Boshnakov
Photo: Uli Ûs
