Peugeot 207 HDi 2007 Review

Launched: Peugeot 207 HDi

In the specialist field of long-range frontal brand recognition, Peugeot's designers are surely among the best. Weirdly widemouthed and strangely slant-eyed, the company's recent cars are unmistakable from hundreds of metres away.

The new 207 is no exception, but in addition to the almost grotesque face, it introduces a similarly courageous approach to its side profile. It's the wheelarches that catch the eye, especially when the 207 is wearing lighter colours. It looks like the design department finished its work, then found the car was a fraction too wide to fit through the studio door. A couple of passes on a bacon slicer and voilà, problem solved. The effect is odd, as the resulting sharp radius emphasises the contours of the front and rear bumpers.

Design aside, the 207 is a technically conventional little car: transverse four-cylinder engines at the front, teamed with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, strut front suspension and semi-independent torsion beam at the rear. This last item would look more at home in the tech inventory of a Japanese car. Small Peugeots of the past, including the 206, usually featured properly independent trailing-arm rear suspensions that worked really well.

The 207 is a significantly larger than the 206, though not so large that it will tread on the 307's toes. Compared with the eight-year-old 206, the 207 is much longer (200mm), wider (65mm) and taller (56mm). Wheelbase contributes almost half the length increase, with the remainder from greater front and rear overhangs. Peugeot claims the car's big nose, which houses a crash structure similar to that developed for the 407, contributes to the safety of occupants and pedestrians. While the 207's crash credentials may be excellent, they're also partly responsible for a hefty increase in weight. Depending on model, the 207 is 113 to 123kg, or more than 10 percent, heavier than equivalent 206 models.

Although the greater interior width is immediately apparent - and appreciated - the Peugeot's cabin isn't a masterpiece of space-efficient packaging. The front footwells are a little cramped, and the rear seat is not suitable for larger adults - there's precious little knee room, and head room is very tight. There are some cute interior design touches, such as the shape of the outboard face-level air vents mimicking the car's tail-light clusters, but not much in the way of user-friendly features. The glovebox, for instance, is a minuscule joke, and the door trims are very plain, lacking even handgrips.

This might be forgivable in a bargain-priced car, but the 207 isn't exactly cheap. The price list starts at $19,990, but buys a basic XR three-door with an old eight-valve 1.4-litre engine. With only 55kW, it's easily outgunned by smaller engines in cheaper cars. Honda's eight-valve 1.3-litre four in the base Jazz, for instance, delivers 61kW. The $21,490 XR five-door gets the 16v version of the 1.4-litre, with a reasonable 65kW. The fivedoor XT models are expected to account for the majority of 207 sales in Australia. For $24,990, the petrol version promises decent performance. Its 1.6-litre engine, jointly developed with BMW, features the German brand's effective Valvetronic technology and makes a competitive 88kW. The same engine powers the $32,490 top XE five-door model, while the $31,490 GT has the 110kW turbo version of the 1.6-litre four.

The most interesting member of the 207 line-up is the $27,990 XT HDi, with a turbocharged 1.6-litre diesel. This was the model sampled at the national launch of the car in Tasmania. The drivetrain isn't bad for a diesel. It's not exactly lively from standstill, but the effect of turbo boost can be felt from 1800rpm or so and it spins happily, if not quietly, to beyond 4000rpm. The fivespeed manual - no auto is available - is pleasant, too.

But driving the 207 XT HDi isn't a great experience. The car's ride is unsettled at low speed and crashy at high speed. The electrically assisted steering is lifeless, too light at parking speeds, and unevenly weighted at higher speed. Refinement isn't great either, with high levels of road noise on anything but perfect surfaces. Peugeot's past may be full of memorable models, but the 207 stands out for the wrong reasons.

HDi
Peugeot's sustained investment in turbo-diesel research and development is obvious in the engine of the 207 HDi. The aluminium-block four has a 16-valve head, common-rail injection, a variable-geometry turbocharger and a particulate filter. Official fuel consumption is an impressive 4.8L/100km.

Peeking under the Pug
The 207 uses simple strut front suspension and even simpler torsion beam arrangement at the rear. Seen from underneath, it could be almost any small car from anywhere in the world. Engines are more impressive, especially the 1.6-litre petrol burners, developed with BMW and the 1.6-litre turbo diesel.