Compact MPV - multipurpose vehicle. Universal high capacity. A small mini-van or minibus. Hatchback universal destination ... How many more definitions have been given the Renault Megane Scenic, when the fall of 1996 he appeared in public? None of them has not been widely ...

We can not say that the body of Renault Megane Scenic was something revolutionary. Yes, and not in the formal classification of the case. More importantly, his emergence this car has created essentially a new market niche, which itself is fully occupied - nearly two years. Whether such a decision the body's in the air, whether competitors reacted quickly enough, but now in this niche becomes closely. How to stop - that no one bus is not, it comes just a few. Opel Zafira, Mercedes A-Class, Nissan Tino, Citroen Picasso, Mitsubishi Space Star, Mazda Premacy - similar machines sprinkled from the horn of plenty. But on the approach and other models.

What are these cars attract buyers? First and foremost, an internal volume, much greater than that of the same size on machines with other bodies. Indeed, the possibility of «for the same money» to carry more passengers and luggage, even the owners appreciate that 360 days a year traveling to work in a company only with its own case. And suddenly in the remaining five days will want to go on a picnic with family or friends razvezti home after a protracted events?

Vertical side of body, high and low door sills provide easy access to seats. High horizontal and on almost the entire length of the ceiling allows the rational place chairs for maximum comfort of all passengers. A recent designers, design shops and transformers available from the broadest possible self-organization of the interior.

This car is good and as commercial - through the highly rising back door on a flat cargo floor can be placed, for which previously would have had to buy a bigger size of the car.

These advantages contribute to the rapid increase in popularity of compact mini-venov (let's call them so). Car marketers confidently predict a significant increase in their sales in the coming years, and producers, encouraged by brighter prospects, rushed together in this niche. Fortunately, with today's approach to the design to put on a conveyor car easy. And not very expensive.

The recipe looks simple: take a ready sedan platform, it is designed odnoobemny (sometimes with a small bonnet) body, then «sly» salon (with a variety of possibilities of transformation of luggage and passenger compartments) - and the car is ready. «Mechanics» such mini-venov is not very different from the basic sedans or universals, only enhanced suspension and braking mechanisms - for a large car boot. But in order to cope with the many competitors, especially with the leader - Renault Megane Scenic, - in the model must be something special ...

We got on the test car Mazda Premacy, most recently ïîïîëíèâøèé army of compact mini-venov. Actually, he designed a long time - the concept Mazda CU-X was shown to have a European audience in 1995 in Frankfurt, the machine serial debuted in spring 1999 in Geneva. So Premacy us.

Whatever said Corporation Toyo Kogyo (it belongs to brand Mazda) of their independence from the company's Ford, in a car outside, clearly visible design elements Focus: Parts front and rear glass, a characteristic form of wheel arches. At the same time, horizontal proshtampovki with rounded edges on the sidewalls of the body and grille shape are typical for models of Mazda.

Experiments on a combination of different styles in one body - the case ungrateful, designers immediately start blaming a lack of imagination and a violation of the integrity of the shape. Premacy But such criticism is not threatened. Conservative style Mazda great elements îæèâëåí New Edge. A clear boundary and tsirkulny wings cut edges do not look a bit alien elements in the amorphous body.

The door is wide open, sit down behind the wheel and look around. All the above advantages of compact mini-venov in Premacy available. The car is built on the platform of the 323rd model, but the size of the body at the height and length increase. Very spacious lounge with high large area of glazing, straddling the front seats and do not close the rear. In the driver's seat, you can change the angle and the stiffness of the lumbar cushion stops. Vertical Landing, which provides an excellent overview of forward and allowing you to feel the dimensions of the car.

On the assessment of the situation behind the car situation somewhat worse: in the mirror vnutrisalonnom perfectly visible only to the rear seat head restraints, and all that behind them, the driver has to scan through the semicircular clearances in these headrests. While the rear passengers do not have - more tolerant, but if the seats are occupied, only to have to navigate through the exterior mirrors. This is the payoff for «theater» - this is the type of salon, in which the back row of seats is located above the front.

Otherwise, the driver is not satisfactory. Left shoulder and elbow on the door and not ends, and when properly adjusted chair, steering wheel, pedals and handle PPC are the right places - at your fingertips and under the foot. The instrument panel is rather laconic and legkochitaema as symbols on the climate control panel installation.

Move back. Each of the three separate seats that make up the second row, you can recline in advance (pre-folded back), thus increasing the luggage compartment. If you want a seat at all be removed, folded form, they resemble small suitcase. Chair weighs 12 kg, and the work can easily cope alone. The central seat transforms into a table, if it is dismantled, the extreme, you can move closer to each other, respectively, increasing the already considerable space of right-left. Note that the five-car, but there are also six-and semimestnye version, however, in foreign markets Mazda does not offer them.

Elevated at the rear of the cabin floor actually was lifted only from the location of seats - rear legs are on the same level as the front. Behind the seats is a horizontal niche for full «reserve» and a large box with tools. At the bottom edge of the load compartment is covered glass plate, the shutter, which, when it is not needed, rolled in a roll, or removed altogether.

The back of right front seat has two axis of rotation. First, as usual, at the junction with a pillow, and the second - a little higher, so that when the back forward to its rear side is formed a horizontal table with two recesses for cups. Two more cup holder located on the center console.

The salon is designed in black and gray tones, perfectly suit with a dark-blue body. All seats skinned good cloth with a small pile, the front are heated. Torpedo, the steering wheel and door panels are made of nice to look and feel of plastic which resembles a natural skin texture.

Engine start instantly and consistently keeping up the required 1500 revolutions. (The instruction manual for modern cars are increasingly indicating that the motor does not need to warm, and you can start immediately after the launch. Thus, it is true, but neprogrety engine under load is still more prone to wear than the one that brought up to operating temperature . References to needlessness up are more likely to care about nature, because a cold engine emissions more toxic than hot, and the movement he progreetsya faster than at idle. I'm ashamed to admit, but my motor is more important than the environment - so start as soon as needle thermometer reaches 50 degrees and single sales are falling.)

Quite high on the margins of snow sangar overcome easily. Select from the road and quickly moved to the third transmission, pour in the transport stream. Home dynamics liked - not race, of course, but for a city car. All transfers are long, with a large mutual overlap. If you want to unladen vehicle can be used only even or odd. With four passengers, this number does not take place, three additional hundredweight to 115 hp - too much. But the elasticity of the engine - at a height: he easily removes Premacy from 30 to 80 km / h in third gear, or from 40 to 100 - in the fourth. And - «not raising voices».

From a car with such an appearance ponevole expect more than, for example, the rigidity of the suspension sedans. Do Premacy is it even softer than that of the 323rd and 626 th models, which used to drive past. This is a positive impact on the smooth progress and the ability to handle the road of different terrain, but negatively - to roll the body in the corners. Controllability in the light of the appointment of the car is quite decent, and this contributes to a slightly longer wheelbase.

Standard Premacy includes ABS and APS. The first is a very lightly, only in extreme cases - when the car loses its stability under braking. The rest of the time the ABS prefers not to interfere by offering driver to work independently with a strong and effective braking system.

AAR was able to trigger the inclusion of left-right wheels on the frazil along the edge of the road and has pressing «gas». In the first moment the car led to the right, but has stabilized and that he eventually came to the margins of no more than 10 cm with a sharp start to ldistom cover can be seen as AAR takes over the management of the engine, limiting its power - by oscillating needle tachometer.

After driving Premacy half of the day, I tried to sum up their feelings, take stock of the test. The main trump card machine - universal. The necessary qualities of urban car - dynamism, flexibility and efficiency - the proportion of cross-handsome, much-needed Russian winter. Plus, capacity. In the range Mazda has already been (and is) a model, which beat rivals, as they say, one left and blindfolded - Miata (MX-5), for example. It is possible that in this role will be able to speak and Premacy.