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12/03/2007
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Peugeot is selling a staggering variety of models in its 207 range in Australia. Which hardly comes as a surprise because the 207 is a major player in the European market and the French maker wants to offer something for just about everyone.
 Australia is a big beneficiary of this white-hot competition in Europe. Local representation of the marque has been strong in this country for over 50 years. A continuous push has seen the marque gain confidence while many other Euro brands have dithered around the edges of our market as the years have gone by. This faith in Australia is really paying off for the importer and we make no apologies for coming back to the large 207 range for the second time in only a couple of months.
The high-performance 207 GTi is just the thing for the Aussie buyer who wants acceleration, and chassis dynamics combined with that certain something in the prestige stakes. Many who would have previously opted for a V8 performance car have rationalised their desires down to smaller machines due to the ongoing fears over petrol prices.
Typically this Peugeot GTi will use about seven to eight litres per hundred kilometres in moderate country driving, and around nine to ten litres per hundred in the suburbs. These figures aren't a lot more than half of the petrol usage of the aforementioned big V8 performance car.
The Peugeot 207 GTi’s nose has an even bolder look than that of the standard models in the 207 range. There are foglights that sit partly inside and partly outside the grille and bright-metal touches abound throughout. Lowered ride height and a rear spoiler also contribute to the sporty appearance.
 Power comes from a turbocharged variant of the 1.6-litre engine used in other Australian Peugeot 207 models. It peaks at 128 kW. The torque reaches 240 Nm at a very low 1600 rpm and continues at that high level to around 5000 before tapering away. So almost all torque is available pretty well all the time to make the engine particularly useful in the daily commuting grind. There's an over-boost function that can provide an additional 20 Newton metres for a few seconds in third, fourth and fifth gears for safer overtaking.
The engine is happy to rev after a minimum of lag and provides exciting, safe performance virtually all the time.
Inside, there are two large sports seats in the front. These have plenty of side bolstering for support, but we found them to be on the wide side for our tastes, therefore support isn’t as good as we like during sporting cornering.
Cleverly, the two rear seats are designed in a similar manner to those in the front, making this a four-bucket seat car rather than having a family-bench unit in the back. A sensible move on the styling front, but those with three kids and a love of sports machines will have to look elsewhere.
Entry to the back seats through the front doors is never easy, but the Peugeot seating system works nicely and even adults shouldn’t have a hassle if they're even moderately supple.
Boot space is impressive for such as small car and the 207 GTi really can be used as a small-family car.
Noise, vibration and harshness are generally kept to a minimum and this really does make an excellent long distance touring machine. Just the thing for that long promised holiday to the scenic roads of Australia. If you don’t take a 207 GTi to Tasmania, or Victoria's Great Ocean Road at least once you are doing the car and yourself a disservice.
 Handling is brilliant for a front-drive car, with a near neutral feel and plenty of feedback through the steering wheel. At the limit the hot little Peugeot really does communicate what it’s doing to the driver and it’s simple to keep it all safely under control.
This is a true hot hatch, not a pretend sports machine so the suspension leans very much in the direction of competent safe handling. So ride comfort suffers at times on rough roads, though on moderate roads it’s considerably better. Smooth roads see it feeling almost as good as a standard model.
Those who love the best in automotive styling and enjoy driving, yet who have the need for a practical car that can be used on a daily basis should certainly add the Peugeot 207 GTi to their short list.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
207 GTi 1.6-litre three-door hatch - $33,490
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Stability Control: Standard
Traction Control: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Peugeot 207 GTi 1.6-litre three-door hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.598 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: NA
Bore/Stroke: 77.0 mm x 85.8 mm
Maximum Power: 128 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 240 Nm @ 1600 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4030 mm
Wheelbase: 2540 mm
Width: 1748 mm
Height: 1472 mm
Turning Circle: 10.6 metres
Kerb Mass: 1325 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 50 litres
Towing Ability: 1080 kg with braked trailer
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, helical springs, hydraulic dampers
Rear Suspension: Torsion beam, helical springs, hydraulic valve dampers
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 7.1 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 15.2 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.2 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km |
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