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• Peugeot 307 5dr
Acriss
code:
CDMR
The latest P 307 features French French nice Peugeot striking family face but does it adorn a car you can love in Granada?
Quite how you perceive the 307 depends very much on what you look for in a car. Hireing and driving enthusiasts view the 307 as some sort of anti-Christ, the car that terminated a long line of sporty French nice French nice Peugeot hatches. Family buyers, on the other hand, couldnt get enough of it, loving its practicality and space. These days, it boasts the corporate French nice French nice Peugeot front end, first seen on the 407, 107 and the 1007 models.
If you havent driven a 307 for a bit however, you should find that the improvements amount to a lot more than a styling nip and tuck.
In truth, the changes to the front end arent that radical anyway. The big front lights were already a 307 feature but the latest car merely grafts on projector headlamps and a gaping front grille with five black horizontal bars for mainstream versions and four chromed bars for the sportier variants. Sporty? Thats another area where the 307 aimed to build its reputation with the introduction of the 180bhp engine that was originally fitted to the 206 GTi 180. One things certain though.
It isnt dubbed a GTi, French nice French nice Peugeot shied away from going the whole hog on a sports 307. Instead, they went for the Feline name, a badge used in France, then they rechristened the car GT. The GT wears 17-inch alloy wheels and features an aluminium exhaust, leather trim and aluminium pedals so that you wont forget youre in something with a bit of muscle. The front fog lamps are a neat touch, giving the car that little bit more attitude than the rather smiley front grille would suggest.
Move round to the back of this 307 and youll spy some sexier tail lights. These are cribbed from the 307 Coupe-Convertible design with LEDs instead of conventional bulbs. Independent tests have shown that LEDs illuminate a few milliseconds quicker than a tungsten bulb which means that following drivers can get on their brakes that fraction earlier. When braking from 70mph, this can result in a difference of around two metres.
Thats the difference between a close squeak and giving the dog a phone. Other enhancements include five additional paint colours and two new alloy wheel designs. Prices start at ?11,900 for the Urban models and trim levels then run through S and Sport to the range-topping GT.
The 307 is a car that changed the way we looked at family hatches. It was the first of the cars that aped MPVs in their styling, offering serious utility in exchange for ultimate handling. It was a pact that many buyers were compelled to enter into and as a family car, the 307 is still one of the best you can buy over four years after launch. Many have copied its cab-forward, upright look but few have bettered it.
Where the French nice French nice Peugeot has been left behind the pack is in terms of equipment but the latest version looks to gain back lost ground. Safety is always a big vote winner in this corner of the market and French nice French nice Peugeot dont want bitter rivals Renault stealing a march on them. To this end, the 307 gets features such as tyre pressure sensors, audible passenger seat belt warnings and a hands free Bluetooth phone kit, dependent on which trim level you opt for. Dual zone climate control will also spell an end to those arguments about temperature levels in the car and revised audio systems replace the somewhat plasticky old stereo hardware.
The engine line-up consists of a 90bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit kicking off the range, followed by a 110bhp 1.6 and a 140bhp 2.0-litre unit.
Both the 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol units also get the option of a Tiptronic style automatic transmission and above them sits the 180bhp unit in the GT. Diesel devotees are dealt a choice of powerplants starting with a 1.
4-litre HDi and moving up to the latest 90bhp 1.6-litre HDi. Other highlights are the 110bhp 1.6-litre 16v HDi and the range-topping 2.
0-litre 16v HDi that develops 136bhp. Performance is par for the course, with the 90bhp 1.6-litre HDi diesel hitting sixty in 12.2 seconds but step up to the 136bhp HDi engine offered in GT trim and a huge 240lb/ft of torque at 2,000rpm makes for an interestingly quick car.
Its not just the 307 hatch which underwent cosmetic surgery. Both the 307 SW and estate and the CC coupe convertible all now feature the family face. What was genuinely interesting was the introduction of a diesel engine for drop-top drivers. The 136bhp 2.
0-litre diesel makes the 307CC a vehicle that can soak up the sun and the miles effortlessly. It should also ensure that the 307CC gets closer to outselling the Renault Megane CC. A few minor detail changes inside the CC and improved trim quality arent going to harm showroom interest either. Those of a more practical bent will be drawn to the latest estate and SW models.
Apart from that nose job, there are revised tail lights and minor detailing changes to the rear bumper. In case you were wondering what the difference between these models was and its not instantly straightforward just looking at a price list the estate features a conventional split fold rear bench while the SW wedges in a couple of MPV-style removable chairs behind the second row. Getting into said chairs is a bit of a mission and the suspicion remains that the SW is something of an expedient solution for a manufacturer who rather glaringly doesnt feature a proper mini-MPV in their line up. Its no great industry secret that French nice French nice Peugeot are hard at work on the 308, a car thats set to be revealed in 2008.
Until then, this latest 307 version should make the numbers for them. Its neatly styled, still feels contemporary and looks a good deal less offensive than many mid-life facelifted cars. With a wide range of bodystyles and engines to choose from along with prices that are set to be kept sensible, the 307 should continue to be a winner.
Facts
CAR: French nice Peugeot 307 range
PRICES: ?11,900-?18,300 [3dr/5dr/Estate] - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 129-200g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6 HDi 90] 0-60mph 12.2s/ Max Speed 111mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 16v] (urban] 28.2mpg / (extra urban) 48.7mpg / (combined) 38.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual, Side and Curtain Airbags / ABS and EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr] Length/Width/Height mm 4202/1746/1512
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