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03:34Last update on: 12 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Mon 12 Aug 2013
SMS Of The Day * MINISTRY of Gender and Child Welfare, TEARS are rolling down as I write this SMS. The killing of women in Namibia is now like reciting a poem. Are we really getting the protection we deserve while women not being treated as part of this c Food For Thought * SO the Zimbabwe elections were free and peaceful and not free and fair? Bouquets And Brickbats * NURSES at Katutura Hospital must stop wearing those big plastic sandals at work because they are not the official working shoes. We want to see you looking smart and beautiful with your full uniform. SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf
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TOP REVS - CAR TEST
| 2013-07-31
Peugeot’s GTi is a softer hot hatch
Peugeot’s GTi
The new 208 GTi is Peugeot's attempt to return to the core values of the legendary 205 GTi, which South Africans sadly never got to savour.
Tipping the scales at 1160kg, it's not only lighter than its 207 predecessor, but its 1.6-litre turbopetrol engine has also been beefed up to the tune of 19kW.
Tipping the scales at 1160kg, it's not only lighter than its 207 predecessor, but its 1.6-litre turbopetrol engine has also been beefed up to the tune of 19kW.
Now pushing 147kW at 5800rpm and 275Nm from 1700, the direct injection motor in the 208 certainly has the power to make it a top contender in the Polo GTI-Fiesta ST-Corsa OPC tug of war.
Yet, according to our Star Motoring correspondent Jesse Adams, Peugeot’s hot hatch wrestler is somehow just a little more congenial.
Peugeot claims it'll shove you from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds, which is the same amount of time it'll require for an 80-120km/h overtaking rush. Keep the pedal planted and you'll eventually reach 230km/h. Lose all the former ambitions and it'll sip just 5.9 l/100km on the combined cycle, according to Peugeot.
To keep things tidy through the bends, Peugeot stuffed the arches with shiny 17-inch alloys and completely reworked the braking, steering and suspension systems. In the latter case that entailed fitting stiffer springs, recalibrating the damper settings and fitting thicker anti-rollbars. Peep underneath and you'll also see a modified front subframe and a more rigid rear cross members.
Smooth Cruiser
Yet none of this has turned it into a harsh, hard-core machine, as Jesse explains:
"The 208 handles well, although it's not quite as extreme as its tautly sprung rivals.
"Yet I think it works as a nice alternative because of this. It's quite comfortable on the road, even when pushing quite hard on uneven surfaces.
"It absorbs road harshness nicely, but there is quite a lot of wind and tyre noise that comes into the cabin. Yet at inner city speeds this is obviously less of a problem, and I'd say this is very liveable day-to-day hot hatch.
Snazzy Cabin
It trades trick differentials and a tail happy suspension setup for touch screen infotainment systems and vibrant colour-fading paint jobs on interior trim embellishers - which might not be a bad thing in a market segment dominated by machismo.
As Jesse puts it: "The interface for the sound, navigation and connectivity systems is by far one of the most modern and snazzy-looking in this segment, with fun graphics like you'd find on tablet devices today.
"It's actually quite tricky to work through the menus though, but I do think that young owners could grow more accustomed to its inner workings over time.
"There is one flaw that baffles me though, and I wonder how Peugeot managed to develop this car with the inability for many drivers to see the gauges through the steering wheel. It's a problem the normal 208 has, but in the GTi - with its extremely small diameter steering wheel - it's even worse."
What is certainly impressive, though, is the feast of standard kit you'll find in the cabin. The aforementioned touch-screen display also incorporates satellite navigation and in addition to that you'll find cruise control, dual zone climate control auto lights and wipers and even a semi-autonomous parallel parking assistant.
All its performance and luxury is yours for R259 900, which includes a five-year/60 000km maintenance plan.
Hot hatchdom needs a soft side, and this is it.
* These are South African prices.
Rivals
Ford Fiesta ST (134kW/290Nm)
- R254 500
Opel Corsa OPC (141kW/266Nm)
- R284 000
VW Polo GTI (132kW/250Nm)
- R289 600
Yet, according to our Star Motoring correspondent Jesse Adams, Peugeot’s hot hatch wrestler is somehow just a little more congenial.
Peugeot claims it'll shove you from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds, which is the same amount of time it'll require for an 80-120km/h overtaking rush. Keep the pedal planted and you'll eventually reach 230km/h. Lose all the former ambitions and it'll sip just 5.9 l/100km on the combined cycle, according to Peugeot.
To keep things tidy through the bends, Peugeot stuffed the arches with shiny 17-inch alloys and completely reworked the braking, steering and suspension systems. In the latter case that entailed fitting stiffer springs, recalibrating the damper settings and fitting thicker anti-rollbars. Peep underneath and you'll also see a modified front subframe and a more rigid rear cross members.
Smooth Cruiser
Yet none of this has turned it into a harsh, hard-core machine, as Jesse explains:
"The 208 handles well, although it's not quite as extreme as its tautly sprung rivals.
"Yet I think it works as a nice alternative because of this. It's quite comfortable on the road, even when pushing quite hard on uneven surfaces.
"It absorbs road harshness nicely, but there is quite a lot of wind and tyre noise that comes into the cabin. Yet at inner city speeds this is obviously less of a problem, and I'd say this is very liveable day-to-day hot hatch.
Snazzy Cabin
It trades trick differentials and a tail happy suspension setup for touch screen infotainment systems and vibrant colour-fading paint jobs on interior trim embellishers - which might not be a bad thing in a market segment dominated by machismo.
As Jesse puts it: "The interface for the sound, navigation and connectivity systems is by far one of the most modern and snazzy-looking in this segment, with fun graphics like you'd find on tablet devices today.
"It's actually quite tricky to work through the menus though, but I do think that young owners could grow more accustomed to its inner workings over time.
"There is one flaw that baffles me though, and I wonder how Peugeot managed to develop this car with the inability for many drivers to see the gauges through the steering wheel. It's a problem the normal 208 has, but in the GTi - with its extremely small diameter steering wheel - it's even worse."
What is certainly impressive, though, is the feast of standard kit you'll find in the cabin. The aforementioned touch-screen display also incorporates satellite navigation and in addition to that you'll find cruise control, dual zone climate control auto lights and wipers and even a semi-autonomous parallel parking assistant.
All its performance and luxury is yours for R259 900, which includes a five-year/60 000km maintenance plan.
Hot hatchdom needs a soft side, and this is it.
* These are South African prices.
Rivals
Ford Fiesta ST (134kW/290Nm)
- R254 500
Opel Corsa OPC (141kW/266Nm)
- R284 000
VW Polo GTI (132kW/250Nm)
- R289 600
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(August 12)
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