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Peugeot

Tuesday, 14th of October 2008

Power comes from a lively 1.4-litre petrol engine – giving the 207 a zero to 62mph of 14.2 seconds while the small family car has a top speed of 112mph. The power plant produces 90bhp, which makes the car very nippy in the urban jungle. On long haul runs it will sit happily at motorway speeds and comes close to makers claimed economy of 46.3 on the combined cycle – our best was 41mpg. The VTi engine is mated to a smooth shifting five-speed manual gearbox.

The 207 rides better than the majority of its rivals, and the engine noise is quite quiet until you push on – that’s when you know you have a VTi engine under the bonnet. Peugeot know how to make cars that handle really well and the 207 is no different. Body roll is minimal, while there is lots of grip and good balance. It is a capable and composed car on the majority of journeys and the steering is well weighted. The 207 is a massive step up from the 206 – the boffins should be congratulated.

The interior quality and ergonomics have taken a giant leap forward as this was the 206’s Achilles heel. The seats are comfortable when on long journeys while the driving position has been improved. The plastics on the dash are of good quality although some of the controls switches are looking a tad dated. However, the shut lines fitted well and there were no large gaps in any of the panels. The cabin has an airy and welcoming feel to it.

The 207 achieved a five-star rating from Euro-N Cap for front and side impact collisions. It was also awarded three stars for pedestrian safety while it achieved four stars for child protection. The 207 SE that we had on test was equipped with ABS with EBFD and EBA to help you get stopped quicker. In the event of an accident there are plenty of airbags to protect you, up front you have driver and passenger airbags, while there is also side airbags for added protection. To help secure the 207 – it has remote central locking with deadlocks fitted as standard.

You can fit four adults in the 207 in relative comfort unless you are all over six foot. Move to the boot and you’ll find that it has 270-litres of stowage space – not the biggest in this class of car but not the smallest either. But if you do need to fit awkward items in the rear seats, you can fold them with a minimum amount of fuss and this should let you carry your goods with relative ease. We really enjoyed the panoramic glass as it added to the airy feel we got from the cabin and it made the car a lot brighter inside.

The Peugeot 207 is a popular car in the UK and after having it on test we can see why. Not only does it undercut one of its biggest rivals in the price stakes – the Renault Clio the 207 also has good residuals. It should be quite good on fuel economy as the maker claims you’ll get 46.3 – we were averaging high 30s low 40s – not bad at all. The 1.4-litre VTi engine emits 145g/km of CO2, which means it falls into a tax band of C and VED will cost £115 per annum.