TESTCENTRE
ThecontendersKWCarens1.7CRDi134 3
Listprice£23 ,895
TargetPrice£23,895A revelation next to itsantiquepredecessor ,
butcanthesleekandpracticalCarensbeat thebest?
Peugeot50082.0HDi150AllureListprice£24,395
TargetPrice£22 ,167
Sharpdynamicsand a flexibleinteriormakethe5008anappealingoption.
SeatAlhambra2.0TDI140Listprice£25,035
TargetPrice£23,150
OurreigningMPV of theYear,
buttheAlhambra is stingilyequippedcomparedwiththeserivals.
VauxhallZafiraTourer2.0CDTi130SEUstprice£25,420TargetPrice£21 ,635Thisversioncomeswithlots of
equipmentandbigdiscounts.
FEWCARSHAVE a harderbriefthanMPVs
; theyneed to bepracticalandsturdyenough to
copewitheverything a familycanthrow
atthem.
Theall-newKiaCarens is thelatestcar to try to tempt thosewhoneedsevenseats
,
but it' ll needto
bemuchmorecapablethanitspredecessor to
beattheserivals.Herewe' re testingthe
range,
:
toppingdieselmodelagainsthigh-specversions of thePeugeot5008andVauxhallZafiraTourer
,
whiletheSeatAlhambra is a
slightlydifferent takeontheMPV,
offeringmorespacebutlesskit.
48l JUNE2013whatcar.com
NewKiaCarensvsrivals
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Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation1 / 13
SEVEN-SEAT MPVs
=Mg
,
4 - .. "-7. nffla I Ail it .1' ,1 A" re , ,t. ilmar ,
"
--
--
, i
?
,
fif
i
/
......VAliiLvsiorgspir-'
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.
,
, ,
,
, .........? :.
,.
.
'___--ilikicalla
PhotographyWillWilliams Thanks to Ikea, Southampton www.ikea.com / gblen / store / southampton
Whatwe're lookingfor
: Buyersexpectcomfort,safety,
flexibilityandlowrunningcostsfromtheirseven-seatiVIPV
.WillMa'snewcontendertroubletheserivals?
whatcancom JUNE2013149
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Page : 49Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation2 / 13
TESTCENTRE
SpaceandpracticalityKla
* * *00
PeugeotSeatVauxhallC.; ...;
Six-footerswillhaveenoughspace in
thefirsttworows of alltheseMPVs . However
,
a raisedhumpgets in theway of a
centralpassenger' s feet
intheAlhambra
andZafiraTourer,
whereastheCarensand5008haveflatfloors.
TheAlhambracountersbyofferingextramiddle-rowlegroom ,
soeventhetallestdrivers shouldbeable
tofit
a rear-facingchildseatbehindthem . Meanwhile
,
theZafira' s
central seatfoldsinwardsandupwards to create a
centralarmrestandgivetworearpassengersextraspace.
TheAlhambra continues to
impress in tightspaces ,
becauseit hasslidingreardoors
.What'
s
more,
theAlhambra' s twooutermiddlerowseatstiltandslide
"! rightout of theway toalloweasy
access to thethirdrow . The5008alsoscoresprettywellhere
,
buttheCarensandZafira leaveyouwith a
muchnarrowergapto climbthrough.
Onceyou'vegot tothethirdrow
,
theAlhambracontinues tohave
theadvantage ,
thanksto a
raisedseatingpositionandgenerousspace . Itsrivals'seatsaremountedcloser to thefloor
, forcingoccupants to sitwiththeirknees
pushedup , plusthe5008 isshort
onlegroom ,
evenwhenthose in
frontslideforwarda
bit.Ourmeasurements suggestthat
the5008alsohaslessthird-rowheadroom thanitsrivals . However
,
in reality it's theCarens that' s
tightestbecauseitsroofdropsawaymoredramatically ; anyoneaboveabout5ft8inwillfindtheirhead
isclose
tothecentral
middle-rowseatbeltmounting if
theysitontheleftside of thecar.Morepositively ,
it' s a doddleto foldtherearmostseats
inthe
Carensand5008 ,
whereasyouhave
to flipoverthebases
separatelywhenraisingtheAlhambra'
s .Thisisn'
t necessary in
=
= theZafira,
butitsseatsrequire" moststrength to
fold.
I
Oncethethirdrowseatsareflat,
" eachcarhasa bigrectangularboot
,
withtheAlhambra' s particularlyimpressive ; you' ll havenotroublefitting a pushchairlengthways.
O
I Themiddlerow of thesecarscanalsobefoldedflat
, although1
. there' s a gap in themiddle of theZafira'
sextended floor.
50JUNE2013whatcar.com
Peugeot5008
SeatAlhambra
MITIMEITEEDIT
Thesmallestboothere,but it'
s stillfarfromtight
BIGGESTBOOTSPACE
The5008' s rearseatsare a doddle to foldup or down
Alhambra' s boot is longeranddeeper thanitsrivals'
You' ll have to put in a bit of effort to folddowntheseats
Bootcapacityna
/ 492 / 1650 * litres
Bootcapacityna / 679 / 2506litres
Bootcapacity267
/ 658 / 2297litres
Bootcapacity152
/710
/1860litres
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Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation3 / 13
KiaCarensvsPeugeot5008vsSeatAlhambravsVauxhallZafiraTourerSEVEN-SEATMPVs
There' s nocentraltunnel to get in theway of a middlepassenger' s feet
BESTREARSPACE
Tourer' s middleseatcanbeturnedintoanarmrestandfreesupspace
Leastrearlegroom , but a six-footercanstill fit behind asimilar-sized driverStandardelectric seatsmake it easy to find a comfortabledrivingposition
Backrest moves in steps ,
sosomepeoplewillfeel it' s at thewrongangle
BESTFRONTSPACE
Threeadultscan fit acrossmiddlerowandyou' ll gettwomore in thebackAlhambrahasverysupportivefrontseatsand isbestforfront legroom
Matches theAlhambra forlegroomandoffersalmostasmuchheadroom
whatcar.com JUNE2013I51
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Page : 51Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation4 / 13
Performance
Kia
PeugeotSeatVauxhall
1 Thesecarshaveto
beableto haul
aroundsevenpeoplewithout toomuchdifficulty ,
andhere the5008impresses most . Likeitsrivals
it
has a four-cylinderdieselengine ,
but it hasmorepowerandtorque ,
whichhelpsmakeit
fastestwhetheryou' re accelerating hard
Carens is outpacedbyonly5008;itsthequickest to stopfrom70mph
WHATCAR?TestfiguresWeather conditionsDampAcceleration30-70mPh10.4secthrough thegears
30-50mph3
4.3secin 3rd / 4th / 5th
/6th
50-70mphI
in 3rd / 4th / 5th /6th 3 6.5sec 4
6.5sec5 8.lsec 6 11.2sec
TESTCENTRE
Alhambrais ultimatelytheslowestcarhere
, although it' s stillfairlyflexible
WHATCAR?Testflgureso60phTa0WedWeather conditionsDampAccelerationaticmph30-70mph 115secthrough thegears
3°-5°InPh3
4.8secIn 3rd / 4th / 5th /
6th
i 50-70mphIn 3rd /
4th/ 5th
/ 6th 37.4sec
52JUNE2013whatcar.com
46.Osec
5 9.7sec 6
19.9sec
4
71sec5
125sec6
22.0sec
4 81sec 510.6sec
6
14.6sec
throughthegears or justrelyingontheengine' s
low-revmuscle.TheCarensandZafiraTourer
arealsocapable of reasonablylivelyacceleration
,
butwhere theCarenspullsstrongly fromabouti600rpm ,
theZafiratakesalittle
longer to getintoitsstrideandhasa pronounced flatspotbetween3000and35oorpm .
Thismeansyouhave
to changegearmorefrequently to keepupwithtraffic.
Youget a smootherflow of
power intheAlhambra
,
and it's
lesslikely to need a downchange
10.9 1171
Braking30-0m08.6m
70-Omph47.2m
as114Braking30-Omph9.7m
70-Omph492m
TheCarenspullsfrom600r m
;
theZafiratakes a
littlelongerto getintoitsstride'
onthemotorway . However,
it' s heavier thanall of itsrivals,
sotakeslongest to getup to speedin thefirstplace - somethingthatcanbefrustratingwhenyouwant
to getpast a slow-movingvehicleon
a countryroad.TheAlhambra'
s weightalsocountsagainst it
whenyouneedto stop in a hurry ;
it needsmostspace to come to a haltfromboththeurbanandnational limits . Thatsaid
,
thedifferencesbetweenthecarsaren' t huge ,
andallfourhavebrakesthatareeasy to modulate.
The5008is thefastest of thefourcarsand themost flexibleperformer
WHATCAR?TeatimesWeatherconditionsDampAcceleration30-70mph 8.8secthrough thegears
30-50111Ph3
3.6sec4
5.4sec5 8.3sec
in 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th
50-70mphIn 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th 3
5.6sec 4
5.7sec5
7.2sec
"
- VIEME5
ZafiraTourertakes longest to getgoingandrunsout of puffearliest
WHATCAR?TestfiguresWeather conditionsDampAcceleration3040112Pb10.7secthrough thegears
304011103
4.8sec4 7.8sec
5
In 3m1 / 401 / 501 / 6th15.7sec
50-70mphIn 3rd / 4th / 5thffith 3
6.5sec4
7.4secs
10.2sec
6 15.0sec
6 9.4sec
6
26.0sec
MOSTFLEXIBLEENGINE
040InphTopspeed
9.1120secmph
Braking30-Omph91m
70-Omph48.2m
Braking30-Omph9.5m
71: Hkooph6
15.2sec47.8m
0 60mohTopspeed
10.6116
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Page : 52Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation5 / 13
KiaCarensvsPeugeot5008vsSeatAlhambravsVauxhallZafiraTourerSEVEN-SEATMPVs
RideandhandlingKb
* **
( D.DPeugeot * * OCKDSeat *
* * * *
Vauxhall **
** 0
KiahasgiventheCarenssupplesuspension thathelps it
soakupbigbumpsandpotholeswell.However
,
it canbecome a bitunsettledoverscruffysurfaces
,
andthere' salot of body lean
in
bends . Limited front-endgripandrathernumbsteering furtherundermineyourconfidence
in
thecaronwindier roads,
butthesteering is always lightandeasyaroundtown.
The5008is a muchsportierproposition . It gripsstronglyandresistsbodyrollsuperblyforsuch a tallcar . Unfortunately ,
thesteeringcanweightupsuddenlymid-bend
,
andyoupayforthetightcontrolwith
aridethat
seems to pickuponeveryminorimperfection in theroadsurface.The5008also thumpsabruptlyoverspeedbumpsandpotholes ,
so it' s theCarens thatstrikesthebetterbalance.
ForproofthatanMPVcanofferthebest of bothworldsyouneedlooknofurtherthantheAlhambra . It' s able
to ironoutmost of thelumpsandbumpsBritain'
s roadscanthrowat it
,
yet it stillremainsrelativelycomposedoverundulationsandthrough tight twistsandturns.True
,
thesteering is a littleheavierthantheKia'
s
,
but it's
notoverlyweightyandis more
preciseandreassuring.TheZafiraTourer'
s steeringhas
a similarweighting to theAlhambra' s
,
and it offersconsistent responses , althoughitsself-centringaction
is alittle
onthestrongside . TheZafiraalsoshimmiesaround
abit
at lowspeed . However,
it' s neveruncomfortable
,
there' s littlerollin
bendsandthehigh-speed rideis welldamped .
Overall,
then,
theZafirais a goodthing to
driveor bedrivenin.
`TheSeatis proofthatanMPVcanofferthebest of
bothworlds'
211 : 47177117
Soaksupbumpsandpotholeswell
;
shame it' s
notasgood in bends
Turningcircle
,11Dm
Lock to lock2.7turns
Peugeot5008Resistsbodyrollwell
,
butitsride is generallytoofirmandunsettled
Turningcircle
.11.6m
Lock tolock
2.7turns
SeatAlhambraRide
is verycomfortable,
yettheAlhambrastillhandles withcomposure
Ct .-
Turningcircle11.9m
Turningcircle11.4m
Lockto
lock2.9turns
VauxhallZafiraTourerGood to drive or
bedrivenin
,asidefrom a bit of
shimmy at townspeeds
whatcarcomJUNE2013153
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Page : 53Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation6 / 13
KbPeugeotSeatVauxhall
TESTCENTRE
Behindthewheel*
*
* 0
* * * 00*
* * **
*
* * * 0
Thesteeringwheels in theCarensandAlhambraaretiltedawayfromyou ,
whichmakesyoufeela bitlikeyou' re driving a bus
,
whereasthewheels in the5008andZafiraToureraremoresaloon-like.
Fortunately , yougetreachandheightadjustmentwhichevercar
54IJUNE2013whatcarcom
youchoose,
sothetop of thesteeringwheelneverblocksyourview of theinstrumentsandyourarmsareneveruncomfortable.
Onceyou' re used to theangleof itswheel
,
theCarensactuallymakes it
easiest to find a gooddrivingpositionbecause it' s theonlyonewithseatsthatmoveelectrically . What' s more
, you' ll
staycomfortable,
evenonlongdrives
,
thanks to itsstandardlumbaradjustment.
TheAlhambraalsogets lumbaradjustment to fendoffbackache
,
andwhiletheZafiraTourermissesoutonthisfeature
,
itsseatstilloffersgoodsupport . In fact
,
if
you' remuchoversix-feet tall
you' ll probablyfind it themostcomfortable of allbecauseitsseathasthelongestbase.
Onlythe5008disappointsa littlebecauseitsseatsareoverlysoftandyoucan'
tfine-tunethe
backrestangle to thesamedegreethatyoucan in itsrivals . Tomakemattersworse
,
therestforyourclutchfoot is positionedtoohighrelative to thepedals.
All-roundvisibility is bestin theAlhambra
,
thanks toits
comparatively uprightwindscreen
pillarsandunusually largesidewindows
. Bycontrast,
therearmostsidewindows in
theCarensandZafiraToureraresmall
,
andtheKia' sthick
,
forward-setwindscreenpillarscanobscure
yourview at times.TheAlhambra' s instrumentsare
easiest to read,
because it' sthe
onlyonewithall of thecommonUKspeed limits
(3o ,
6o, 7omph )
dearlymarked.
Audio, connectivityandsat-nay
Infotainmentsystems
KiaPeugeotSeatVatodiall
*
*
: ? CX*
* * OC
All of theseMPVshaveanaux-insocketthatletsyouplay themusiconyourMP3playerthroughthecar' s
speakers .However
,
theAlhambra missesoutonaUSBsocket
,
soyoucan' t
chargeyourdeviceonthegoor
control it usingthestereounlessyoubuy a £26cableand a £1050packthatincludes
a bespoke iPodport ,
sat-nav,
a
touch-screen stereoandanSDcardslot.
Thispack isalsotheonly
way to get a DABradioontheAlhambra
,
butKiaandPeugeotdon' t evenofferDABasanoption.
OnlyVauxhall fitsDABasstandard . Unfortunately ,
it
hasbeenstingy in otherareas;
theZafiraTourer is alone in
missingoutonBluetoothmusicstreaming ,
a Bluetoothmobilephoneconnection andvoicecontrol.
TheAlhambra' sstereohas
themostspeakers ( eightcompared withitsrivals'six
),
butthisgivesit noadvantagein
soundquality.Allof the
systemsarereasonablebutnomorethanthat
,
andwhile
Infotainment featuresceplowJ Standard
XNotavailable
KfaCarens?
Peugeot 5008 ?
SeatAlhambra ?
VauxhallZafiraTourer ?
KiaCarensSteeringwheel-mountedphonecontrolsaresimple to useonthemoveand3-speccarsget a user-friendlytouch-screenasstandard
Peugeot5008Stereocontrols areon a stalkthat' s partiallyhiddenbehindthewheel
,
while thestereobuttonsarerathersmalland fiddly
SeatAlhambraColour touch-screen is part of Seat' s £1050MediaSystemPlus
,
butyoudogetwheel-mounted audiocontrolsasstandard
VauxhallZafiraLiketheCarensand5008,
theZafiragets a USBsocketasstandard
;
shame centreconsole is overloadedwithbuttonsandknobs
`Vauxhall is
theonlyoneto fit DAB
,
but it'sbeen
stingy in
otherareas'Peugeotdoesoffer a stereo
upgrade ,
we're
stillto trythis£650dealer-fitsystem.
OurAlhambra camewiththeoptionaltouch-screen
,
andthis is easy to use,
thanksto
itssimplemenusandhandyshortcutbuttons . Eventhestandard stereoworkswell
,
though ,
because itfeaturesbig ,
dearlylabelledbuttons.Thebuttonsonthe5oo8' s
stereoarequite a bitmorefiddly.However
, theyare at leastgroupedtogetheronthedashboard
,
whereastheZafira' s
aremixed in withthecontrolsforothersystems ,
soyoufrequentlyhave to lookawayfromtheroadforlongerthanyoushould in order to find a
specificbutton.OnlytheCarensmakes life
assimpleastheAlhambra . Themodelwe'
re testinggetsa largetouch-screen asstandard
,
andthisofferswell-orderedmenusandlarge , easy-to-hit icons.
35mmUSB/ UpgradedDABSteeringVoiceHardNavigationNumber of
BluetoothInputIPodaudioradiowheelcontroldrivesystemspeakers
" Momcontrols?
?
/
XX
X ? ?X X 6
?
?
?
/
X £650 X? X X £735 6
?
?X
/
£26"X
£1050' ??
X £1050 * *
8?
??
/
XX
? ? £220 "
X £855 " "
6E220"
" OnlyavailablewithMediaSystem Plus "" Part of MediaSystem Plus " £220Bluetooth systemIncludesvoicecontrol "" Part ofa packthatalsoincludesanSDcardslotandanextraspeaker
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Page : 54Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation7 / 13
KiaCarensvsPeugeot5008vsSeatAlhambravsVauxhallZafiraToureri
SEVEN-SEATMPVs
BESTDASHBOARDLAYOUT
StrangeangleWheel is tiltedforward
,
making it feela
bitbus-like
QualitybuildKia' s fit andfinishhavecome
a longway in a shorttime
Ergonomic issuesSomebuttonsare a stretchdue to steeplyangleddash
MixedreportPlenty of wheeladjustment ,
butfootrest is toohigh
Q
"17=1Z1771Premium feelAlhambra is trimmedwithclassymaterials throughout
SimpleswitchgearControlsareclassicVWGroup ; easy to readanduse
CTEMECEITIIITE7117711
StylishtouchesMetallictrimhighlightshelp liftZafira' s dashboard
TallstoryLongseatbases willbewelcomedbysix-footers
whatcar.comJUNE2013 1 55
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Page : 55Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation8 / 13
TESTCENTRE
QualityandreliabilityKia *
* 0
Peugeot rr
:
tr
: 4(
1
)(: )
- Seatr.
) 0
0
Vauxhall - -%%00
56l JUNE2013whatcar.com
ThepreviousCarensalwaysfelt-
; .
likethebudgetoffering itwas.
However,
thisnewcarhasa much
smarterinterior( especiallythe
range-topping 3
model)
,
withslickswitchgear andappealingplastics.
It' sat leastasplushasthe5008
andZafiraTourer, although the
SeatAlhambra ?
Alhambra isclassierstill
,
becausetheplasticsonitsupperdashboardaresquishierandthere' s less of
adifferencebetweenthematerials
upfrontandthosein
therear.None of theseMPVswas
included inthelastJDPower
customersatisfactionsurvey(
WhatCar?, July2012
)
,
butKiaandSeatfinishedequal13th in
themanufacturer' s table,
whereas
Peugeotwas17thandVauxhallsecondfrombottom in
26th.Vauxhallwasalsotheworst
performer of thefourin our last
£495Xi?£500
£210 / ?
?
X
`TheCarensis at leastasplushasthe5008andZafira
,
buttheAlhambra is
classierstill '
reliabilitysurvey (
WhatCar?,
September2012)
,
witha 40%%
failureratethatput it 24thoutof 36manufacturers
,
whileSeatwaslothwith
a 39%%failurerate,
Peugeot15thwitha 35%%rateand
Kiaiithwitha 26%%rate.
Vauxhalldoes at leastofferthereassurance of a ioo,000-mile ,
unlimited-timewarranty.TheCarenscomeswith
a seven-year ,
ioo-000-milewarrantythat' s fullytransferable
,
whilePeugeotandSeatgiveyoujustthree-years or
60,000miles.
Equipmentandsafetyandsecurity
EquipmentKiaPeugeotSeatVauxhall
* * * **
r'
,.
* 0000
Allfourcarscomewithalloywheels
,
climatecontrol,
rearparkingsensorsandfourelectricwindows
,
whileallbuttheAlhambrahaveautomaticheadlights , rain-sensingwipers ,
frontfoglights ,
cruisecontrol
,
rearprivacyglassand a leather-trimmedsteeringwheel.
Overall,
then,
theSeat is
themoststingilyequipped.However
,
it' s one of onlytwocarshere
( alongwiththeVauxhall
)
thatgetsfrontparkingsensorsasstandard
;
thesecost£210onthe5008and£150pluslabour
(
it' sa
dealer-fitoption )
ontheCarens.BoththeCarensand5008
providepanoramic glassroofs
,
frontseat-back traytablesandsunblindsfortherearwindows
,
whiletheCarensgoesevenfurtherwithheated
, part-leatherseats
,
a heatedsteeringwheeland a reversingcamera.
ThePeugeotcounterswitha head-updisplayand is alsotheonlycarhere fittedwithxenonheadlightsasstandard.XenonsareanoptionontheZafira
,
butaren' tavailable on
theCarens orAlhambra.
Optionsprices?
StandardX
Notavailable
KlaCarens
/ Uloywheels
Peugeot5008 ?
KiaCarensRange-topping 3 Luggagecovercanbeneatlymodelgetsheatedsteeringwheelstowedbeneath thebootfloor
Peugeot5008Electricparkingbrake freesupspaceondash
SeatAlhambraButtonsforminorBootfeatures12vpowersocketfunctionsarelowdownondashand a hookforshoppingbags
MetallicAlmon /
paiddknatecontrol
? £495
Parldngsensors
front/rear
X
/?
Pramicroof
Extramirrorallowsyou to seewhatthekidsareup to in theback
VauxhallZafiraPlenty of storageFold-out floormatlevelsouttheoptions , includingtwogloveboxes loadareawhenseatsarefolded
Rear
privacyglass
Frontseat-backtrayTablas
RearLuggagesunblindsnet
Safetyandsecurity* * *
J
* *
* * *
*0
** *
* 0
PeugeotSeatVauxhall
Each of thesecars isfittedwith
a stabilitycontrolsystemthatcanbrakeindividualwheels to
helpcounteractskids . TheAlhambra alsohastyrepressure-monitoringandfatigue-detection systems.
Shouldyoubeinvolved in
anaccident,
frontsideandcurtainairbagsareonhand
in allfourcars .However
,
thecurtain ' bags in theCarensandZafiraTourercoveronlythefirsttworows of seats
, leavingthird-rowpassengersunprotected . In
the5008andAlhambra theseairbagsrunthefulllength of thecabin.
TheAlhambra is best if youneed
to carrylots of youngchildren
,
withIsofixmountingpointsonallfiverearseats.The5008hasthemonallthreemiddle-rowseats
,
buttheothertwohavethemononlytheoutermiddle-row seats.
TheAlhambra scoredbestforprotectingadultoccupantsin
theEuroNCAP test -
see
page6ofor a fullbreakdown.Eachcarhasdeadlocks
,
anengineimmobiliserand a
Thatcham-approvedalarmsystem ,
but it'stheSeatand
Vauxhallthatgettopranking.
RearsideTyrepressureFatigueairbagsmonitordetection
X?
.?£215£300 *
?£230X £325 +
VauxhallZafiraTourer ? £525Xi?III £600?X £100£85
" Part of storagepack ,
whichalsoaddsadditional cabinstorage pockets + Part of cargopackwhichalsoIncludesmulti"position netpartition
£170
X £115
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Page : 56Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation9 / 13
KiaCarensvsPeugeot5008vsSeatAlhambravsVauxhallZafiraTourer =SEVEN-SEAT MPVs
Refinement
: 00000Peugeot 0 * 00SeatVauxhall00000Kiascansufferfrom a
lot of roadnoise
,
butthenewCarenskeepsthis
to aminimum .
Thereis a
bitof patterfromitssuspensionoverbrokensurfaces
,
buttheonlysignificant intrusion
isthewind
noise thatentersthecabin at
motorwayspeeds.TheZafiraTourer is
betterat shuttingoutwindnoise
,
butoverall it' s a
lesscivilisedcar,
anditsengine is themainculprit.Evenaroundtownyoucanhearit grumblingaway,
whileanyattempt to
accelerate is
accompanied byclatterandvibration . True
,
theenginedoessettledownonceyou' re settled
ata steadymotorwaycruise
,
butthere' s quite a
bit of roadnoiseat 7omph.
Roadnoise isalsoanissue in
the5008 ,
ontop of whichyouhearclonksfromitssuspensionoverbumpsandfeel a bit of buzz
through thepedalswhenyouaccelerate
. Fortunately ,
theenginesoundscoarseonlywhenyourev
it hard,
andwindnoise is alwayswellcontrolled.
Overall,
the5008 is onlysignificantlybetteredbytheAlhambra
.In ourtests
,
thisrecordedthelowestdecibel
reading at both3omphand7omph ,
which is hardlysurprisinggivenhowgood it is at keepingoutroad
, engineandsuspensionnoise .
TheAlhambraevencutsthroughtheairprettyquietlyforsuch a big , boxycar.
Allfour of theseMPVshavelightclutches thatstilloffera decentamount of feel to helpyoupullawaysmoothly ,
butyouhave to putupwith a frustratinglynotchygearshift if yougofortheCarens or
Zafira . The5008andAlhambrahavemuchsmoothershiftactions.
`Roadnoiseis
anissuein the5008
,
on toof
whichyouhearclonksoverbumps'
QUIETESTAT70MPH
Lessroadnoise thanotherKias
,butwindcanbeheard
at motorwayspeeds
Noise at 70mph
0-
705des
Noise at 30mph(
7062.9dlle
Peugeot5008Roadnoise is thebiggestissue
;
otherwise 5008 is a
refinedhigh-speedcruiser
Noise at 70mph
Noise at 30mphU
SeatAlhambraAlhambraoccupantsarewellisolatedfrom theoutsideworld
Noise at 70mph
Noise at 30mph0
Noise at 70mph
U
1021.1
113.01111s
[ jOBAdlls ; 00
41211s
Noise at 30moh632dlls
100
100
VauxhallZafiraTourerLetdownbyroughenginethattransmitstoomuchvibrationintocabin
0171.0des 000
whatcar.comJUNE2013157
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Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation10 / 13
I KiaPeugeotSeat
IVauxhall
o.
g
cn( u
1" EC
g
KiaCarensPeugeot5008SeatAlhambra
Buyingandowning
TheZafirais thepriciestcarhere
,
althoughthat' s beforeyou'veconsidered the£3785discountthat'
s available fromanyVauxhalldealer . True
,
thissavinghasto
beoffsetagainstfairlyheavydepreciation ,
buteventhentheZafiraworksoutcheapest to
ownover a three-year period.
KiaCarensNoearlydiscountsmakeCarensthepriciest to
own
Prices
£23,895£23,895
ListpriceTargetPriceCompanycartaxpermonth
( 20 / 40%%) £83066Contracthire( permonth
)
Residualvalue ( byyear )
1
2
3
4
na
£13 ,85953%%
£11 ,23047%%
E908038%%
£788533%%
Three-yearcost Depreciation InsuranceServicingRoad taxGov' t MPG
Emissionsandeconomy
OurTargetPriceshoppersweren' t
ableto haggle a
discountontheCarensandthis
, alongwithcomparatively weakresalevalues
,
explainswhy ithasthehighest
three-yearownershipcosts.However
,
weexpectKiadealersto startnegotiatingonprice in
thenot-too-distantfuture.Companycardriverswill
sacrificetheleastamount of
theirsalaryeachmonthbychoosing theCarens
, courtesyof itsrelativelylowcarbondioxideemissions . As
a 40%%taxpayeryou' ll payanextra£19 a
month
Peugeot 5 OOPLowest leasingratesandstrongresalevalues
51.3mpe
£24,395
Q%%tfil : 1
Gov' t MPGFirst-yearroadtax
£97/£194
£320
Fik140
04%%
VauxhallZafiraTourer
`TheZafiramighthavethehighestlistprice ,
butit'
s thecheapestoverthreeyears'
SeatAlhambraNotthebestchoiceas a companycar
50.4mpgeII
£25,035
ZOO ]
£99/£199
£358
CO2 Taxliability
Ello
ilk
To24%%
SEVEN-SEAT MPVs
to drivetheZafira,
£28moreforthe5008andanadditional£33fortheAlhambra.
TheZafirais themost
tempting if you' re planning to
lease,
because it' ll costyoujust£312 a
month . That's £8lessthanthe5008and£46 lessthantheAlhambra . LeasingratesfortheCarensweren' t availableaswewent to press.
Each of thesecarscanaveragemorethan5ompgofficially . TheAlhambra is theleastefficient
,
at
50.4mpg ,
whiletheCarens is themostfrugal , achieving 56.4mpg.
CHEAPEST TOOWN
VauxhallZP+HugediscountsmakeZafiracheap to buy
£1503
£25 ,420
EfiLtE£93
/
£185
£312
£1035£4316
whatcarcom JUNE2013I 59
1411111.11010111110111111111111111M111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
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Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation11 / 13
TESTCENTRE
Stats, specsandratings
KiaCarens1.7CRDi134 3
Listprice£23 ,895TargetPrice£23,895
fek3asurementsFigures in boldarebest in testDimensions in cm
TurningCircle11.0m
11756-791\
.--[2751
".14531-
Spacena-492-1650 * litres
EngineandperformanceSize1685cc
, 4cyl ,
TDPeakpower134bhp@4000rpmPeaktorque244Ibft@2000rpm
0-60mphTopspeed
10.9114secmph
BuyingWebsitewww.kia.co.uk
Carpictured KiaCarens1.7 CRD134 In Europeanspec
RatingsPerformance
Ride & handlingBehindthewheel
Infotainment system
Quality & reliability
Equipment
Safety & securityRefinement
Space & practicality
Buying & owning
EconomyAverage ( Govt ) 56.4mpgTank58litresEmissions132g / km
,
21%% tax
0TI ir1PGaveragena
Real-world rangena
SafetyEuroNCAPcrashratingNottested
0
* 00
0
*
;
'
*
*
;
:
*0000
00
Peugeot50082.0HDiAllureSeatAlhambra2.0TDI140S
Listprice£24,395Listprice£25 ,035
TargetPrice£22 ,167TargetPrice£23 ,150
.r
I
1-9-7 88, 86-dr[2011
awe
"---12731 "
45jT
Spacena-679-2506 litres
Size1997cc, 4cyl ,
TDPeakpower148bhp@375OrpmPeaktorque2511bft@2000rpm
Websitewww.peugeotco.uk
Performance
Ride & handlingBehindthewheel
Infotainment system
Quality & reliability
Equipment
Safety & securityRefinement
Space & practicality
Buying & owning
Average ( Govt ) 513mpgTank60litresEmissions145g / km
,
24%%tax
Cf. TrueMPGaverage51.5mpg
Real-world range680miles
EuroNCAPcrashrating + 44 + +
a 89%% 4
. 79%% kt 37%% C197%%
CarpalmedPeugeot 50082.0HDi150 Allurewithoptional heatedseatswith GreyLuxuryLeatherupholsteryandlumbarsupport ( E15705 PeugeotConnect3Dmedianavigation withcolournay
, aux.Bluetooth and30GBand 10GBmusicharddrive (
£1465 )
:
xenondirectional headlights ( E5255 and frontparkingaidwith parallel parkassist ( E210 )
-.000®-'00*
: .00* * 00
*
*
;
.' ,000*
000
* * *0
lommisisom
11.9m
4851
1
;
Space267-658-2297 litres
Size1968cc, 4cyl ,
TDPeakpower138bhp@4200rpmPeaktorque2361bft@175Orpm
11.5 Top speed
Websitewwwseatco.uk
Performance
Ride & handlingBehindthewheel
Infotainment system
Quality & reliability
Equipment
Safety & securityRefinement
Space & practicalityBuying & owning
Average (Govt
) 50.4mpgTank70litresEmissions146g /
km,
24%%taxAliTrueMPGaverage462mpg
Real-world range711miles
EuroNCAPcrashrating 43; 04%%B+ +
1&
96%% 4.
. 80%%®46%% ®
71%%
Carph : bredSeatAlhambra 2.0 TDI1405with optionalpower-operated tailgateandsliding reardoors ( E9953.
and one Integrated childseat ( E195 )
* 00
* *
* * * 00O
* * 000
* * *
* * *
0
Vaux'Zafira T' 2.0CDTiSEListprice£25 ,420TargetPrice£21 ,635
Tur ringcircle11.4m
0-60mphTopspeed
10.6116mph
Websitewww.vauxhallco.uk
Performance
Ride & handlingBehindthewheel
Infotainment system
Quality & reliability
Equipment
Safety & securityRefinement
Space & practicality
Buying & owning
iii
Space152-710-1860 litres
Size1956cc, 4cy1 ,
TDPeakpower129bhp@4000rpmPeaktorque2211bft@175Orpm
"
Average (Govt ) 55.4mpg
Tank58litresErrissiors134g /
km.21%% tax
TrueMPGaverage 48.1mpgReal-world range614miles
EuroNCAPcrashrating i&giu& *(
ii
94%% 4
. 83%%xt 53%%®86%%
Capictured Vauxhall ZabraTourer2.0CDT-1130
TechLinewithoptionalspace-saver sparewheel ( E95 )
0000
* * 000* *
* * 0
* * *
;
.0
Verdicts k?,111,C1.11,"111/
"
AILUUUUUk.ft,111t.lttt..1 it
: i _ , )0411
60IJUNE2013whatcancom
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Page : 60Size : 80 %7684 cm2
Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation12 / 13
KiaCarensvsPeugeot5008vsSeatAlhambravsVauxhallZafiraTourer
Ourverdict
1
SeatAlhambra2.0TDI140 S
* **
*
ForSpacious , practicalandclassycabin
; goodrefinementcomfortableandgood to driveAgainstWorstequipped ;
canfeel a bitunderpowered
VerdictAnoutstandingfamilycar in almosteveryrespect
VauxhallZafiraTourer2.0CDTi130SE
**
**
ForSpaceforseven; composed
drive;
lowownershipcostsAgainstNoisy ,
inflexibleengine ;
fussydash;
Bluetooth is extra
Verdict It' s terrificvalueformoney ,
soworthconsidering
THEALHAMBRA REMAINS thebestMPVonsale
, despitefacingsometoughcompetitionhere.
Notonly is it themostspaciousof thefour
,
butitsseatsarecomfortableandrelativelyeasy
tofold
,
and thoseslidingreardoorsare
a godsendwhenyou' re
trying to getthekids in andout.True
,
theAlhambrafeels a bitunderpoweredwhen it' s heavilyloaded
,
andyoudon' t get a lot of
luxuries,
butit' s classier
, quieterandbetter
to drivethanitsrivals,
so it' s a clearwinner.
KiaCarens1.7CRDi134
3
* **
*
ForGenerousspec ;
comfortableride
; strongandquietengineAgainstLeastpractical ; sloppybodycontrol
;numbsteering
VerdictGood,
butcheaperversionsmakemoresense
If youdecidetheAlhambrais justtoobigforyou ,
we'd urgeyou to considertheZafiraTourer.It
is stillroomyenough to seatseven in relativecomfort
,
whilehugedealerdiscountsmake it
a temptingprivatebuy.TheZafira' s noisy ,
inflexibleengine is a majordrawback
,
butin mostotherrespects it' s a nicecar to spendtimein.
There' s a lotto likeabout
Ma' s newCarens,
too . It's great
at soakingupbumps ,
whiletheengine is strongandstandardkit
Peugeot50082.0HDi150Allure
SeehowotherMPVs
11"
----12compare in
ournewcarsA-Zp11.5
ForStrongengine ;flexible
seating ;
lots of luxurykitAgainstFirmride
;
third-rowlegroom ;
worstdrivingposition
VerdictThe5008' s flawsarenowhard to excuse
at thisprice
`TheKiais
theleastpracticalMPVhere.Cheaperversionsmakemoresense'
MPVs
generous . However,
theCarensis alsothesmallestandleastpracticalcar in thetest
,
sowecan' t helpthinkingthatcheaperversionswillmakemoresense.
It's a similarstorywiththe
5008 . We're fans of
thecar' s wellthought-out interiorandstrongengine ,
butitsfirmrideandcompromiseddrivingpositionarehard to forgivewhenyou' re
spendingthissort of money.Thatrideseemsparticularlyout
of place in anexpensiveMPV,
sothe5oo8 finishes last.
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Copyright (What Car) No reproduction without authorisation13 / 13