2010 Peugeot 207 arrives

Peugeot has just released the 2010 model year 207 small car, and has pushed the model slightly upmarket with added convenience and safety features, including six airbags on all models. The updated range is available now, and starts at $22,490 for the XR 1.4-litre manual, topping out at $41,390 for the CC Turbo manual model.

Every vehicle in the 207 range -- hatch, Touring, CC and GTi -- has been updated for 2010 with a new look and new features, while a new variant has been added to the wagon range, the Outdoor Touring.

More than 1.5 million Pug 207s have been sold globally since its launch in 2007 and the car is the most popular vehicle in its segment in Europe. While its success in the EU hasn't translated into local sales, the improved spec levels of Australian variants will work in its favour.

On top of new look 15, 16, and 17-inch alloy wheels named after Australian cities (Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne respectively), the updated Peugeot 207 models get new front end styling with separated fog lights. Hatchback and CC variants score LED brake lights -- "something of a rarity in this market segment," according to Peugeot.

The 2010 Peugeot 207 benefits from a revamped interior, with all models seeing a redesigned HVAC control panel and rotary controls. Entry-level XR, mid-level XT and CC models are upgraded with metallic detailing "reminiscent of the vintage world of aviation". The seats are finished in a sports cloth upholstery and all 207 models have been fitted with new look instrument panels. For the sporty 207 GTi models, the bucket seats are now finished in a black Alcantara trim accented with leather and a mesh cloth.

Some of the specification upgrades on various 207 models include six airbags across the range, from XR to GTi, but it's the mid-level XT models that pick up the bulk of the new kit -- with glass roof, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and dual-zone climate control as standard.

Four engines are offered in total, with five different power outputs spanning from the 65kW 1.4-litre engine to the 128kW 1.6-litre turbo powerplant in the 207 GTi. The entry-level 207 XR models are available with a 1.4-litre petrol engine -- outputting 65kW/133Nm -- coupled to a five-speed manual transmission, and a 1.6-litre unit developing 88kW/160Nm offered with a four-speed auto. The 1.6-litre engine is also available on the 207 XT and CC models but can be ordered with either five-speed manual or four-speed auto. XT models are available with a 1.6-litre HDi turbodiesel engine, which produces 80kW/240Nm and can only be had with a 5-speed manual transmission.

The range topping models, such as the 207 CC Turbo, feature a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine producing 110kW/240Nm, and the king of the hill, the GTi, gets the same 1.6 turbo albeit with a higher state of tune, cranking out 128kW/240Nm. All 207 models, except the 1.4-litre petrol XR variants, feature cruise control as standard.

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