The Lion King in the Metropolis – Peugeot Metropolis 400 Review

The cars designed by the French Peugeot company have been familiar to everyone, and have formed a more unique European style in everyone's mind that is different from Germany and Italy. Peugeot's series of city scooters further deepen this impression. German cars are more rigorous, Italian cars are more passionate, and the style of Peugeot motorcycles is somewhere in between, with a little more romance. . As the flagship model, Peugeot Metropolis 400 is a luxury model with high configuration and high-tech content.

The word Metropolis can be translated as "metropolis". It can be seen that the designer wants to build the car into a luxurious city car. This can also be seen intuitively from the appearance of the car. The headlights and air intake grille of the Peugeot Metropolis 400 are shaped like a smiling face. They don’t look so combative, rather friendly and not too provocative.

The height-adjustable front windshield visually makes the vehicle look much taller. As for the actual effect, we will test it in more detail next. What’s even more eye-catching are the two thick front wheels at the bottom, which must be a bit uncomfortable for motorcycle enthusiasts who are used to seeing two-wheeled vehicles. What’s more, there is a bright LED daytime running light between the two wheels.

Viewed from the side, the Peugeot Metropolis 400 still looks like a large-displacement luxury scooter. Due to the elimination of the side brackets, the lines at the bottom of the side appear smoother. To facilitate future maintenance and repairs, the central bracket was retained. Large armrests are designed on both sides of the rear seat, coupled with wide folding rear footrests and folding rear backrests, the comfort and safety of rear seat passengers are guaranteed.

The visual effect of the rear is more eye-catching than that of the front, thanks to the car-like trunk lid and the eye-catching electroplated little lion logo on it.

The trunk lid is designed like a three-box car and can be flipped up. When the seat is flipped up, the capacity is larger and can accommodate two helmets and a backpack. What’s even more convenient is that the two volumes are connected, allowing you to carry other long items that are difficult to carry on a motorcycle, such as tripods. A cigarette lighter and USB power supply are also designed in the small storage box on the front.

The instrument panel and the entire front operation panel borrow the design of many cars. If a Peugeot owner rides on this Peugeot Metropolis, he will definitely not feel unfamiliar. On the left side of the instrument panel is an analog speedometer with both metric and imperial scales printed on it, with the highest scale being 180 km/h. On the right is an analog tachometer with a maximum scale of 8,000 rpm. The various warning lights for high and low beams, handbrake, engine oil, and engine failure below are exactly the same as those on cars. The central LCD screen displays more information, such as fuel level, water temperature, tire pressure, mileage, remaining mileage, etc., and is equipped with a backlight, which is still clearly visible under direct sunlight. But why we need to set up a temperature display is difficult for the editor to understand. Did the designer forget that this is a motorcycle?

Peugeot Metropolis is equipped with a smart key, which is very convenient to carry around without taking it out. In the traditional key position are the circuit switch and direction lock knob. The electronic handbrake must be released before starting. The electronic handbrake and double-flash warning light buttons are located in the most eye-catching position in the center of the handlebar, which is larger than those of ordinary cars.

The electric start is instantaneous, and the sound is deep and calm, with the unique rhythm of a single-cylinder engine. As a three-wheeled motorcycle, the Peugeot Metropolis does not require the driver's feet to touch the ground when starting or parking, and it also eliminates the need to retract and retract the side supports. However, a button operation for locking the front suspension is added before parking, which is something I am used to. Two-wheeler riders need to take note.

Compared with a two-wheeled motorcycle, the steering handle of the Peugeot Metropolis will be slightly heavier when turned in place, but this heaviness will disappear immediately after starting, and everything becomes very easy, including turning the throttle. For some new car owners or gentlemen riders who are accustomed to keeping their feet off the ground, the operation after starting should not be too violent, the power output will be relatively uniform, and the front suspension of the Peugeot Metropolis will lock when the speed reaches 11 kilometers/hour or the rotation speed reaches 2800 rpm. It can be automatically unlocked after driving, so it cannot be tilted during the first few meters of driving. It is best to ensure that there are no obstacles or slopes within these few meters. If you are a skilled rider and have strong arm strength, you can start by releasing the front suspension lock. There are no restrictions, and you can even turn around immediately.

Compared with two-wheeled motorcycles, three-wheeled motorcycles have one more wheel, which has stronger grip and braking power and better stability. At least it eliminates the risk of falling on the spot. But for traditional three-wheel motorcycles and side three-wheel motorcycles, a serious flaw is inevitable, and that is the loss of cornering performance. It is almost impossible to negotiate corners at high speed, and corners are a very important and even indispensable part of the driving pleasure for motorcycle enthusiasts. The emergence of the early "two in front and one in back" inverted three-wheeled motorcycles filled this defect, making high-speed cornering possible and making three-wheeled motorcycle riding sporty, but it was different from two-wheeled motorcycles that could lean into corners. Motorcycles are still less fun than motorcycles. Peugeot Metropolis perfectly solves this problem.

Peugeot Metropolis is positioned for urban luxury and comfort. The driving feeling can be described as smooth and stable. The front suspension is adjusted just right and grips the road more reliably than a two-wheeler, but it doesn't feel inflexible. The leather of the seat cushion has high friction and is not smooth, so it does not support the driving method of moving the body left and right to change the center of gravity. If you don't slam the accelerator, the exhaust sound will not be loud.

Raising the windshield can effectively reduce wind resistance, but the field of view will move forward accordingly.

What surprised the editor even more is that when the front wheel on one side passes an obstacle, the car body does not tilt or shake too much, so you don't need to worry about one side of the wheel hitting the stone. It gives you a sense of security better than if the front wheel hits the stone. block of two-wheeled motorcycles. Therefore, the Peugeot Metropolis is perfectly capable in urban traffic conditions. Its power will not lag behind that of cars, and it can take advantage of motorcycles in traffic jams.

The Peugeot Metropolis has a net weight of 256 kilograms, reaching or even exceeding the level of a liter-class two-wheeled motorcycle, so its braking system is particularly powerful. The three front and rear wheels are hydraulic disc brakes with ABS, and the right-hand brake handle controls both wheels. The left-hand brake handle controls the braking of the rear wheels, while the right-foot brake pedal controls the braking of three wheels at the same time (SBC linkage). Even under emergency braking, there is no serious dive like a traditional motorcycle. The front and rear are equipped with world-class Michelin tires and Nissin hydraulic brake pumps, and the braking effect is impeccable.

Peugeot Metropolis also comes with a TCS tracking control mode to prevent sideslip under special road conditions. However, due to site restrictions, the editor did not test it too much. In short, it should be regarded as the motorcycle closest to a car among the motorcycles I have driven. It does not support stunts such as lifting the front wheel and tilting the rear wheel. It will win people's hearts with its stability and elegance.

If there is a shortcoming, it should be that the seat needs to be flipped up to open the fuel filler. If you encounter a careless refueler, you may drip gasoline on your luggage.

It should be noted that the approved driving type of Peugeot Metropolis is D. Riders whose driving license is approved for two-wheeled motorcycles need to increase their driving license before they can legally go on the road.

Main technical parameters of Peugeot Metropolis400

Engine type single cylinder 4 stroke 4 valves

Bore size×stroke 84mm×72mm

Exhaust volume 400mL

Cooling method water cooling

Fuel supply method: electronic injection

Maximum power 26kW (7000r/min)

Maximum torque 38N·m (5250r/min)

Overall dimensions 2160x745x1445(mm)

Wheelbase 1555mm

Seat height 780mm

Net weight 256kg

Fuel tank capacity 13.5l

Tire size 110/70-13 (front) 140/70-14 (rear)

Brake disc diameter 230mm (front) 240mm (rear)