New vs. Old is an age old dispute, so I thought I’d settle this one myself. How does the Peugeot 207 compare to the Peugeot 208. Specifically the THP models, which sit one below the top spec GTI.Having the two side by side you immediately notice the 207 looks a bit old fashioned, everything about the 208 is more sculpted, it has more design flare about it. Peugeot have kept the classic 205 style rear window shape, only this time on the 208 it has become angled once again. They have also reintroduced the 205 inset behind the rear window, however it doesn’t hold a badge; except on the GTI model.The arches are well filled on the 208, rather than the stilt like look of the 207. Even though the 208 is a smaller car in length, its only 68mm shorter, which is hard to tell even when parked side by side. This does mean though that Peugeot have cut down on the front overhang, which makes the car look a lot neater.Everything about the 208 is more upright and compact, the 207 is long and sloping which gives it a faster look, but also makes it dated in comparison.Both of these cars have the same 1.6 THP engine, but that’s where the similarities in the drive end. Peugeot have tweaked the newer THP’s slightly, they now have 6BHP more as well as an extra 20 NM of torque over the old 207, making 153BHP and 260NM of torque respectively.I love the power of the 207 THP its always got more to give, you press the throttle pedal and it will just pull and pull. The 208 is the same, but the 84mm increase in width, along with the decrease in weight (by a massive 237kg) have given the THP engine a new lease of life!Put your foot to the floor in the 208 and it picks up so much quicker than its older brother. You’re pinned back in the seat and launched into the distance with so much more punch. Due to all the weight saving and slight engine refinements, the 208 THP will get to 60 in 7.1 seconds compared to 8.4 in the portly 207.One thing that is a real annoyance in the 207 THP is the gear change from first to second. Any time you accelerate hard and try to change up from first you are met with a massive crunch, you have to wait for the revs to drop significantly before resuming your journey. It’s a design issue with the lower rear engine mount, its present across many THP 207’s. I’m glad to say that in the 208 the change from first to second is flawless!The 208 also features a 6 speed gearbox, another gripe of mine is that the 207 desperately needed that extra gear. It only cuts the revs down by around 500 at 70MPH, but it makes such a difference.Another major change is the handling, the 207 THP feels weighty when you’re driving down a country road, or going through a corner with any gusto. Body roll is pretty bad which also doesn’t help. Fling the 208 into a corner or through a chicane, and you are rewarded with a relatively flat setup, body roll is minimal and the weight issue has gone. It really feels as though you can push the car a lot further without ending up in a field.This is where the 208 blows away the 207, build quality inside is amazing. If you have ever sat in a Peugeot 206 and then in a 207 the difference is unbelievable, and Peugeot have done it yet again.From the built in touch screen, to the light up dial surround, everything is so fresh and modern. Gone is the deep dash and push button radio of the 207, along with the huge steering wheel; the whole interior looks rather archaic in comparison.Some things have been kept on the newer model though, the Aluminium pedals (which were originally used on the 206 GTI 180), the window switchgear, and steering wheel control stalks. The only exterior item that has been kept from the 207 are the door handles.One new feature that I’ve always yearned for on the 207 is an arm rest, and the 208 THP is fitted with one. It does hinder gear changes when down, but cruising along the motorway its bliss.Both have panoramic glass roofs, which I think looks great; especially on white models.It’s obvious that a car built in 2013 is going to outperform a car built in 2007, but the leap that’s been lept from the 207 to the 208 is huge. Peugeot have upped the game in every way possible, acceleration, build quality, tech, and external appearance. This latest 2 0 model now feels like a premium car, and Peugeot have fixed all the little bugbears that I live with as a 207 THP owner. 

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So take 60 bloggers from 6 different countries, a wet Ascari race track, an Audi TT fitted with Bridgestone’s new Potenza Adrenalin tyres RE002 and ask them to write a blog at 200 KMH! Scary huh? Personally I think I would have been throwing up, I’m not one who can look at text while moving, and by the look on some of the bloggers faces they too look a little worse for wear at times!Well by the looks of the experiment the Bridgestone’s performed excellent in the wet - they are rated C in wet weather and have been created with a special 'In Groove Deflectors' to help guide the water through the tyre; inside the groove deflector is another clever design - the 'Pulse Groove' a small rubber segment that helps push the water away before it gets under the tyre.In the dry they also aim to handle with poise and precision, the RE002 shoulder blocks are stiffer and linked to the internal tread pattern. The middle tread line has also been stiffened for high speed stability and sporty handling. Bridgestone claim these are the perfect tyres for “unprecedented levels of precision, stability and control across all levels of driving”.Tyres aren’t normally a thing to get excited over but with the Potenza Adrenalin's all those small tweaks look to point to better handling all-round. In this country wet handling is almost more important than dry and after watching the below video they do look rather confidence inspiring!Take a look for yourself, the new Adrenalin RE002's are available in a range of sizes from 195/50/15 to 254/40/18. Check out the website for more info.Sponsored Post

Suzuki have been making the Vitara since the late 80’s, always being positioned as an affordable fully 4WD capable vehicle. We have tested the latest version, the Grand Vitara. With a 1.9 DDiS Diesel engine, pushing out 129 BHP and 300Nm of torque, the 1.6 ton 4x4 will get to 62 in 13.2 seconds. The model we tested was in top SZ5 spec with metallic “Phoenix Red” paint and parking sensors, together adding an extra £750 to the list price. At £24,624 our car sat about £100 above a poverty spec 4WD Land Rover Freelander 2. Suzuki has stuck with this current body design since its launch in 2005, meaning that yes, you are getting pretty much the same looks as an 05 plate model. However that’s not a bad thing, the car has a rather handsome, purposeful look to it, still looking as fresh as it did when it launched. For 2013 Suzuki have revised the front bumper, grille and headlights adding HID’s along with revising the front fog lamp position. Another thing to be changed is the inclusion of a rear mounted spare wheel, a feature that was removed from the previous model revision. SZ5 trim features bigger 18” alloys, along with rear tinted glass; which helps set the car off nicely. Now with a 0-60 time of 13.2 seconds you may think this car is underpowered, but it doesn’t feel so at all. The lower down gears will launch you to 40MPH very quickly, it’s once you start getting to the mid and top range gearing that things slow down. Luckily you rarely notice the top end sluggishness, due to the amount of torque the Grand Vitara has. Over 210 miles with mainly city driving we only achieved 30 MPG, some way off the claimed 36.2 Urban figure that Suzuki quote. Off road performance cannot be faulted, there are 3 different modes to choose from 4H, 4H Lock and 4L. 4H is the normal all round driving mode, it splits power 47:53 ratio to the front and rear. 4h Lock is a high range mode, it locks the centre diff to ensure all 4 wheels are travelling at the same speed, giving best traction in deep snow or mud. 4L is a low range, this sets the final drive ration to 1.970 meaning it nearly halves the speed of each gear, this gives excellent low end traction. We tried out all the different modes over some mild off road terrain, the 4L setting was particularly impressive in deep sand. We tried as hard as we could to get the wheels to slip and slide, but the Grand Vitara just gripped and got on with the job, even with the standard road tyres. On road the Suzuki was rather surprising, the ride is very firm for a 4x4. You will notice potholes and bumps, even with the chunky 225/60 Dunlop tyres. Strangely enough there is still a fair amount of body roll considering the stiff setup, although it’s only really noticeable through tighter turns. Steering is very direct and well balanced, due to it being hydraulic rather than electric. The Grand Vitara does feel very composed and car like when on main roads, toward higher speeds the lack of a 6^th gear is more evident; as the revs climb engine noise is slightly more noticeable, but not intrusively so. All round disc brakes provide firm, accurate braking, both on and off road. Whilst gear changes can get a little lost at times due to the amount of room between the gears. Vibration is rather severe on the gear stick, it’s very prominent when sitting at junctions with the clutch in. Inside the Grand Vitara things are functional, this is by no means a luxury vehicle. Simple, large buttons provide controls for the ESP and Air con, whilst the Bluetooth hands free and audio controls are mounted conveniently on the steering wheel. A strange grey wooden/marble effect trim surrounds the gaiter and door window switches, unfortunately this is standard fit. It looks a bit tacky and dated, some nice brushed aluminium would be so much nicer. On the SZ5 trim level you get leather throughout as standard, heated front seats, auto air con, and cruise control. The best part though is the Garmin touch screen navigation system. Simple to use, clear buttons, and faultless iPod connectivity. Even though it isn’t a bespoke Suzuki unit, it is easily one of the best systems we have used. You can plug in all manner of connections, AUX Cable, USB, SD Card, iPod or Bluetooth streaming; leaving all bases covered, perfect! One thing that the owner should be able to disable though, is having to agree to the warning message that pops up whenever you start the car. It’s rather morbid to be warned about death every time you begin your journey! Some manufacturers don’t even have it at all, but pressing “Agree” before it will disappear is just annoying. Sound as always with Suzuki’s was great, 5 speakers and 2 tweeters provided clear loud audio with nice bass levels. At the back there is plenty of leg room, the rear bench seats can also be tilted back slightly which is a good feature. A middle seat arm rest is a nice touch and adds to the comfort. Open the large rear door and you find a boot with 398 litres, there is also a removable floor section to give you a little more space. With the rear seats fully folded the capacity nearly doubles to 758 litres. Large wheel arch covers eat into the boot space though, making larger items tricky to fit in length ways. £23,875 gets you a top of the range 1.9 Diesel, SZ5, Grand Vitara. Putting that in perspective against the competition, the most basic Land Rover Freelander 2 with 4WD costs £24,505, whilst a basic 4WD Nissan X-Trail would set you back £26,215. A Kia Sorento 2.0 Diesel AWD starts £850 cheaper than the Suzuki at £23,035. These are all base spec cars, but for under £24k you can have a fully loaded SZ5 Grand Vitara. It may be getting a little long in the tooth, interior wise not a lot has changed since it launched 8 years ago. However if you can look past that, you will have a full time 4x4 machine, fully kitted out with today’s creature comforts. Suzuki’s Grand Vitara is excellent value for money!  

Carwitter Summary:

Suzuki Grand Vitara – Good looks, great infotainment, dated interior, superb 4WD, excellent value!

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