CoverCars - Car Reviews | News | Pictures

WHISKED AWAY

Exotic; well perhaps not but the driving quarters of the Peugeot 407 coupe are very Four star and the general refinement is a stress buster in itself…

The new 407 coupe offers many a good reason to get yourself to a Peugeot showroom this spring and now with a starting price of £19,995, this novel-looking family car is as attainable as we’d hoped. The latest 2.0-litre HDi 136 Diesel engine joins a line-up of three other units; the 2.2-litre petrol, the 3.0-litre V6 petrol with manual transmission and the 2.7-litre V6 HDi automatic. The latter is our engine of choice as it has enough torque to heave you up mountain roads as well as the mild manners to make a motorway driving relaxing. However the entry level diesel is still as refined but will only cost you £140 for a year’s tax; it emits just 156g/km of CO2 and it will average 48mpg. Sure 136bhp isn’t going to make the earth move but it’s decent enough. There isn’t many occasions when you’ll need to accelerate faster than 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds and not many roads you could sustain a top speed of 129mph on without finding yourself the wrong side of a hedge.

There’s just one Sport spec level across the range which includes alloy wheels, xenon headlamps, cruise control and a rear parking aid. The headlights and wipers are also programmed to become active when you need them and you’ll also be reminded when your tyre pressure is low. ESP comes as standard, as does dual zone climate control and an auto door locking system. Spend £2,000 extra though and you can have a limited edition Bellagio model. This model extends the goodies to include sat-nav, Bluetooth connectivity and a 30GB hard drive for storing music. Two new colours are available; Flamenco Red or Nera metallic Black and you also get unique 18” alloys and twin chrome exhausts. The Bellagio model is fitted with the 2.0-litre 136bhp diesel engine which means its cheap to run and is well worth putting on your company car shortlist.

The Mercedes C180 also fits in to a low tax bracket and returns over 40mpg but you’ll pay a few thousand extra for the privilege of Sat-nav and Bluetooth. Of course what you’re really paying for is the badge and 20 more horses but can that price be justified when the cheaper BMW 318 is the more entertaining of the two? The Mazda6 though undercuts the Germans in price but has superb standard equipment and built quality and it has to be said is a lot easier on the eye than the Peugeot 407 Coupe but then taste is a very individual thing and many people are keen on the 407’s quirkiness.

The Peugeot certainly has character; it also has a five star Euro NCAP rating and will cost you relatively little in insurance payments. Depreciation isn’t too pretty but because running it is so reasonable, you’ll think twice about letting it go too soon. Space is also a plus, well as far as leg and elbow room goes, the back seats may give very tall people a bit of neck ache due to the slopping roof. For the driver though, it’s all good news, the cabin is not only set-up for ease of use but the materials also look and feel more expensive than in the previous model.

Everyone loves to bag a bargain but you don’t usually get quality like this. Quiet, composed and steady isn’t everybody’s agenda but if you’re driving regularly you may well be grateful to slip in to easy mode.

Verdict

FOR: Refinement, originality and standard equipment
AGAINST: Many rival models offer a sportier drive
CONCLUSION: What you see is what you get with the 407 Coupe; it’s great value for money, well equipped and serene…perhaps too much so compared with German and Japanese rivals.

Spec

ENGINE: 2.0-litre HDi
Co2 (g/km)/tax: 156
POWER: 136bhp
TORQUE (lb/ft): 240lb ft
0-62mph (sec): 10.1
TOP SPEED: 129
MPG: /-/-/48 (urban/extra-urban/combined)
PRICE: £21,995
RIVALS: Renault Laguna, Saab 9-3, Vauxhall Vectra, VW Passat, Volvo S40, BMW 318, Mercedes Benz, C180, Mazda6