Peugeot 207 2006 Review - International

Not so much
>> Insensitive steering
>> B-road ride
>> Road and wind noise in cabin

OVERVIEW
Twin-turbo cars are hot topics right now because they deliver similar horsepower and more torque than cars with bigger-capacity, naturally-aspirated engines but aren't as demanding at the fuel pump. Peugeot's contribution to the debate is the 1.6-litre petrol twin-scroll turbo -- as opposed to twin-turbo -- engine that's just been added to the 207 range in Europe.

In 1.6 THP (Turbo High Pressure) 16v form, that engine powers the flagship of the Peugeot 207 range which goes on sale here after February's Melbourne motor show. Dubbed the 207 Griffe in Europe, but likely to be called 207 GT here, the three-door turbo Pug is the top-shelf successor to the highly-successful Peugeot 206. Then again, it's not...

Just as it will in Europe, Latin America and Asia, Peugeot will continue to sell the 206 here for the next 12 months or so. After all, the car's still selling well just about everywhere it's on sale, and it's only just been introduced in China and Iran (where it's uniquely built as a small sedan).

The 207's bigger than the 206, too -- "half a size" bigger, as they say in the business -- which means it's midway between 206 and 307. So the 206, probably in basic-spec 1.4-litre form only, will remain the entry point to the Peugeot range.

Apart from offering bigger interior space, the twin-scroll turbocharged version of the 207 also offers plenty of performance. Not so much because it boasts big horsepower -- although 110kW at 5800rpm in a car which weighs 1281kg with a full tank of fuel isn't to be sneezed at -- but because it has plenty of torque on tap. And from low revs. In fact, the 1.6 THP engine delivers a maximum 240Nm at just 1400rpm.

Peugeot claims city fuel economy of 9.3lt/100km and 5.6lt/100km on the highway, for a fairly impressive combined 7.0lt/100km.

We sampled the car in its natural habitat in the west of France over a combination of country, city and autoroute driving and came away impressed.

Also expect standard ESP, auto aircon, rear parking sensors, electric-fold mirrors, tyre-pressure monitor, Citroen-style in-dash fragrance dispenser and the 17-inch alloys -- with full-size alloy spare -- that were on the launch cars. Full leather trim should be optional, unlike, we're told, the sat-nav system that was on the launch cars.

COMFORT
The 207 is bigger overall than the 206. In terms of the key dimensions, it's 195mm longer, 65mm wider and 44mm taller. All of which adds up to more interior room, especially shoulder room. There's adequate head- and kneeroom in the rear, too, although you wouldn't park two 183cm-ish adults in there for too long without complaint.

That big, smoked glass roof, together with the car's big windscreen and stylish dashboard also makes it feel more spacious inside. Like most modern cars, the wide A-pillar is the only real downside to good visibility.

The good-looking, white-faced instruments are housed under an eyebrow-style binnacle, while the LED display panel under a squarer second binnacle mid-dash.

Seats are firm but comfortably supportive, especially when it comes to living up to the turbo 207's sporting potential. Lateral support is especially good, although some drivers wanted a longer cushion. We didn't have a problem with it.

Freeway -- make that "autoroute" -- ride is terrific, and probably what you'd expect from a car-maker acknowledged as a leader in the field. Same goes for progress on decent suburban and country roads. However, thanks partly to its 45-series tyres on 17-inch wheels, the whole thing can get busier on lesser B-roads. Never uncomfortable, mind you, and well in keeping with the car's sporty nature. Also surprising was the fact that there was noticeable wind noise around those big A-pillars.

The airconditioning works well in our experience, although we'll have to reserve our judgement on just how warm the cabin becomes under that big glass roof until we've driven the car during an Aussie summer.

The car will only be available with three doors at launch. A five-door version is on the cards.

Expect front seatbelt pre-tensioners and driver, front passenger and front side airbags when the 207 gets here in February-March.

On the active safety front, the car gets ESP (electronic stability program) as standard and tyre-pressure monitoring. With the latest Teves Mk60 ESP system comes anti-lock braking (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBFD), emergency brake assist (EBA), traction control (ASR) and stability control (CDS), which kicks in at the first sign of under- or oversteer.

Peugeot gets to use the 110kW/240Nm version first in this car, while MINI gets the more potent 130kW version in its new Cooper S. The more powerful engine will slot into a performance version of the 207 due in Europe mid-year and here later next year.

The beauty of the THP engine is its low-rev torque delivery and a torque curve that's virtually flat for most of the rev range from a low 1400rpm. Peugeot says it aimed to get 2.0-litre performance without 2.0-litre fuel consumption. To understand what it's achieved with this engine, you just have to look at the engine's power and 0-100km performance compared to the 2.0-litre S16 engine in the 206.

Where the 1.6-litre THP engine develops 110kW, the 206's 2.0-litre produced 100kW. Peugeot claims the turbo 207 accelerates from 0-100km/h in 8.2sec, while the 2.0-litre 206 managed 10.1sec, even though it's 150kg heavier than the newer model.

Gearbox choice is no choice for now: the turbo 207 comes only with five-speed manual. Gear ratios in the turbo car are closer than in the non-turbo 207s.

Brakes are vented discs up front and solid discs at the rear, and suspension is basically the same as the standard 207's, with MacPherson strut-type front and torsion beam rear. The front suspension mountings have been stiffened on the turbo car, together with the stiffness of the rear torsion bar and the damping characteristics of the hydraulic shock absorbers.

The turbo 207 also uses "brushless" electric, rather than the more usual hydraulic power steering.

COMPETITORS
Thanks to its fairly unique combination of a turbocharger and smallish petrol engine, the new 207 flagship won't face too much competition when it lands here.

At $29,990, Mitsubishi's 1.5-litre Colt Ralliart will be a bit cheaper and will offer 3kW more power -- with significantly less torque -- but offers a less refined drive, with demonstrably inferior ride.

Holden's 2.0-litre Astra SRI Turbo coupe trumps the Peugeot in both power and torque -- and adds a six-speed manual gearbox -- but is more than $3000 more expensive than Peugeot's target price for the turbo 207. The Astra's also a more overtly sporty car than the Pug, which may not be what some potential Peugeot buyers will want.

ON THE ROAD
If ever there was a clear demonstration of the real advantages of torque over power in the driving experience, the turbo 207 supplies it in spades. From just 1.6-litres, this car delivers smoothness and immediate throttle response without even a hint of old school turbo lag.

Underway, the car feels responsive from low revs and well balanced, the body tight and the electrically-assisted steering better than we'd expected but in our opinion not as precise or sensitive as a well-tuned hydraulic system.

There's a muted rorty engine note when you accelerate, but on country roads especially, the car isn't as quiet as we'd expected, with noticeable road noise and some wind noise from around the A-pillars. It's not in any way offensive, but there's just more of it than we'd expected.

We'd expected the ride to be compromised by the big-wheel/low-tyre equation, but it's surprisingly good on half-decent roads and the autoroutes, where the turbo 207 cruises in fifth with 3600rpm on board at the obligatory 130km/h speed limit. Buttoning off for our real world, top gear 100km/h limit translated to 2800rpm.

The ride gets busier on bumpier B-roads but the car remains entertaining and responsive with the kind of seamless engine response you'd probably expect from something that's come out of a collaboration with BMW.

Thanks to its well-sorted chassis and terrific tyres -- 205/45 R17 Pirelli PZeros on our test car -- handling is exceptionally good. Peugeot says the car isn't a "purely sporty car" -- and the "purely sporty version" will come when the more-potent, R-line version appears mid next year. But they could've fooled us.

Of course, we'll need to see what it's like on Australian roads, but on the strength of our drive on its home turf, we're prepared to say the turbocharged 207 is the most capable and exciting small Peugeot since the 206 GTi 180. And this car will offer more torque than the 206 GTi while being bigger, cheaper and, importantly, less demanding at the fuel pump.

Bring it on.