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The Peugeot 307
The Prometheus concept
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Peugeot has always been known for the most comfy seats in
the industry. This and the company's bold line-up of hatches
- 106, 206 and 306 - has given the company much clout in the
marketplace.
The latest model to hit Australia, the revised 206 GTi, is
a great car and deserves to do well. But what next?
Sure, we've seen glimpses of Peugeot's sought-after 206 CC
and other prototypes, but what is next on the drawing board
for the French auto maker?
The 307.
We managed to get a sneak peak at the new vehicle that will
be on sale no earlier than 2002 in Australia.
The first showing of the stylish new vehicle will be at the
Geneva Motor Show in March and, if initial reactions are anything
to go by, the European response should be much to Peugeot's
liking.
Peugeot states that the new hatch has been designed around
customers' expectations of what a 21st Century hatch should
be. As such, the auto maker is touting superb levels of functionality
and dynamism.
As you can see from the comparo shots, the new 307 takes
many visual cues from the prototype codenamed 'Prometheus'.
The large windscreen and distinct front end showcase this
point.
Peugeot says that the 307 will be chock-full of useful technological
goodies. First and foremost, the telematics system. This will
comprise of satellite navigation, which is a huge drawcard
for a hatch. The car will also take advantage of voice recognition
and even automatic calling of emergency services in the event
of a crash.
The 307's safety features put it on par with other, more
expensive, sedans. For instance, potential buyers will get
ABS with electronic braking distribution, emergency braking
assistance, ESP stability control (sounds like another anti-burnout
device), active rear seat with anti-subsidence headrests as
well as seatbelt pre-tensioners plus front, side and curtain
airbags.
Will the new 307 be the world's leading hatch in terms of
safety? It looks this way.
There will be three engine configurations available on the
307. A 1.6-litre, 16-valve petrol engine, a 2.0-litre, 16-valve
petrol powerplant and a highly refined diesel HDi variant.
No word on power-output yet, but we would hope triple digit
kWs.
There are even murmurs from the Peugeot camp of a high-performance
version appearing at some stage after the vehicles initial
launch. We're willing to bet the house on it.
Peugeot is pitting the new 307 against such models as the
Honda Civic, BMW 3-series compact and Audi A3.
If first impressions are anything to go by, Peugeot could
be right on target with the new 307.
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