Peugeot 207 1.4 VTi Sport

Governments in Korea and Thailand last month made announcements for their damage limitation policies after the worldwide fuel price escalations.  Crucial industries such as food-fish producers and the transport industry will receive 8% tax breaks during this period of uncertainty, and citizens were advised not to panic-buy fuel.  Our Government makes a similar "do not panic" announcement, but because we are a nation of whittering chimps, we all rush down to Asda and cram as much unleaded as possible into our overflowing tanks. 

I took on a light fuel load this morning, and seeing as my wages will not clear until Friday, I am on a three-stop strategy for the week.  It’s times like this that one stops dreaming about Koenigseggs and suddenly develops an interest in mailshots about finance offers on small-engined hatchbacks.

How fortunate then that a colleague offered her 207 VTi Sport for the lunchtime Subway Sprint.  It’s a good looking car, this.  Chic, but stopping short of cheap Cheshire Nightclub Chintz.  At eleven and a half grand, Peugeot’s offering seems to offer economy, space, spirit and value.  With memories of elephant-effect vinyl and a flaccid clutch still resounding from my every drive in the old 206, we shall see.  With the promise of 46mpg and a more lively chassis, I was keen to find out.

Peugeot Sport Interior

The height-adjustable seat and a fully adjustable wheel offers settings for both reach and rake, so it’s easy to be comfortable in the driver’s seat.  Getting there is more of a mission due to the vast door length, which makes tight parking spots a no-go, unless you are some kind of polyeptyrus and have a fully adjustable spine.  The standard fabric looks good, but seems to have an eternal grasp on pasty crumbs and all manner of canine follicle fallout.  The doors close with a reassuring German-esque thud which bodes well for future durability.  The 207 also boasts five-star NCAP and ranks top for pedestrian safety too.  If your job in accounts proves too much and you decide to end it all by walking onto a busy road, then just hope you’re not hit by one of these.

The interior is a pleasant place to be, apart from the high door sills which seem to envelope you as you peer over the dash at the road ahead.  If you have the driver’s seat set very low, you will feel like a toy clown peering out of a child’s ottoman.  Generally though the driving position is good, the dash is nicely styled and well executed, and the standard toys include air con and a trip computer.  The latter is fun briefly, if only to monitor your poor mpg when accelerating uphill in third. 

VTi Driving Impressions

That’s kind of the only thing with this car, it’s lack of torque.  The sporty dials encourage you to hold the gear longer, but the engine is whisper-quiet, and early upshifts make the (quite bulky) Peugeot feel like a slug in a saltshaker.  Around town, the 1.4-litre engine is eager and fun though, and it’s only on sweeping dual carriageways that the keen driver will yearn for more thrust.

The clutch is light and user-friendly, with a super-positive syncromesh which irons out any erratic inputs on downshifts, and the steering has a reasonable weight.  If you press on, you will find a touch of passive understeer to push against, and it stays reasonably flat on negative camber dips and switchbacks.  The ride is far better than I expected, maintaining a good balance between stiff and slush.  Interior room is good for the class, and covering big miles in this car would be no chore.

All in, this is a cracking hatch for the money.  It is more convincing  than a Punto, less gimmicky than the Citroen C3 and less likely to disintegrate in several weeks than Alfa’s 147.  It’s took a while for Peugeot to get it’s small car Mojo back, but it’s here now, and it’s good value.