Peugeot 207 Sedan – First Driving Impressions
The new Peugeot 207, just launched yesterday by Nasim is an interesting car. Although it is a 206 modified with a rear boot, there are some changes that are noteworthy – the engine is now upgraded to a 1.6 litre capacity, and has an output of 110 horsepower, and 147Nm of torque. In addition, there are some additional goodies such as an auto light sensor, and an automatic air-conditioner system – all for the very attractive price of RM72,888. It can’t get any better than this.
The 207 Sedan fits right into the B segment cars, and is pitted directly against the likes of the Ford fiesta, the Mazda 2, the Toyota Vios, the Honda City, and the Suzuki Swift. It has an excellent price position, and if I am not mistaken, the only car priced below the 207 at RM71+k. Next up is the Ford Fiesta 1.4 litre manual at RM74+k.
Prior to the launch, I had a very rare opportunity to try out the Peugeot 207 sedan – no doubt some of our readers may have seen a video about the 207 sedan circulating on YouTube – one of the drivers in the video was me, but professional etiquette forbade me to publish anything about it until now, after the launch. Here are my initial driving impressions.
As a car, the Peugeot 207 can stand on its own as a 1.6 litre sedan. With 110 horsepower, it is not more powerful than any other 1.6 litre sedan in its class, but it is also not the least powerful either. It drives like any 1.6 litre car with an automatic transmission would, and you would not be short changed in any way. I did not have enough time to do a fuel consumption test, but based on the engine configuration and horsepower, I would venture to guess that it will not be far off from any other car of the same capacity.
The fact that it does not have variable valve technology will explain why some of the 1.5 litre Japanese engines develop around the same horsepower, but this also means the 207 engine is far simpler to maintain and is probably cheaper to repair, although I have not made any parts pricing comparison at this point.
On the road, I found the Peugeot easy to drive – nothing outstanding, but just about middle-of-the-pack type of behaviour – not bad, considering the price you pay for one. Handling is as expected – normal, safe and secure type of behaviour that would suit Mr. Joe Average very well. The sporty types may find the 110 horsepower lacking, but these same fellows would find all the cars in this power category lacking too. It is not a Golf GTi, but you cannot get a Golf GTi for this price.
You can push it into a corner if you like, and still come out clean – the sideways driving in the YouTube video was induced. Even when the tail was out of line ( a deliberate action, not accidental action), it was easy enough to put it back, which means the Peugeot 207 is actually quite an easy car to handle.
I expect that in time, they will get around to giving me a car for a longer test drive, but for the moment, all I can say is that it feels very normal, just as any car should. There are no surprises, and if you ask me, that makes the 207 a good car. For the price tat Nasim is asking, I would add that it does make a great value for money package, and is definitely worth a trip down to the showroom to check it out, if you are in the market for a car in this price bracket – remember that it is a continental car, after all, and it comes from a world-renowned French maker known for making cars with good ride and handling characteristics.
