|
By
EWAN KENNEDY
3 December 2007
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
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
