Road Test: Peugeot 207 GT

Review by Feann Torr - 1/Aug/2007

The archetypal 4-cylinder hot hatch can hardly be labelled a 'gas guzzler', yet with the advent of this new era of performance hatchbacks with sub-sized engines, fuel economy and performance have rarely been so harmoniously combined. 

The Peugeot 207 GT is the second such fast-but-frugal hatchback we've had the good fortune to test -- the TSI-enabled VW Golf GT being the first. 

And you know what? They're very impressive.

Not only fun to drive, they're cheap to run, and for the most part they look pretty swanky too. The perfect solution to modern day driving, really. Like the 1.4-litre TSI Golf, the new Pug 207 GT is miserly, comfortable, and with the kinds of performance tweaks that five years ago would have added dearly to the sticker price. These cars are not at the budget end of the market by any stretch, yet they still represent decent value.

The major drawback with cars such as these becomes interior room, but judging by the state of the small car market in Australia at the moment, the whole 'interior space' argument is something that people are willing to live with. 

This new 207 Pug is about $3,000 cheaper than the Volkswagen Golf GT that it rivals, yet is kitted out just as opulently. Moreso in fact. It gets leather seats, which the Golf offers as optional, and it looks much sportier. With an all-new design, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and a chrome exhaust outlet, the Peugeot sends all the right signals. It's also packed with a range of premium features, such as ESP, six airbags, dual climate control and reverse parking sensors. It can even be optioned with a glass roof.

So, the frugal-but-fast hatchback invasion has well and truly begun. The VW Golf GT and now the Peugeot 207 GT have started the ball rolling, and it's likely to keep on rolling until hybrids are the norm. But they're not cheap. These vehicles are 'premium' small cars by nature. Their high tech engines are tiny but powerful, and still somewhat of a novelty in Australia by offering the the best of both worlds in terms of performance and fuel efficiency and without the diesel preconceptions. The ultimate small car? Let's find out: 

Powered by a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine, I was expecting the 207 GT to be a bit of buzz box - all revs and no guts. I can happily report that these expectations were not met. 

From the get go, it was clear that the 207 GT had plenty of mumbo. There's a fat wave of torque that cascades over the front wheels via the 5-speed manual transmission and it hits so low in the rev range, you almost expect to hear the clatter of a diesel engine below.

As such driveability is improved significantly, not to mention acceleration. Peugeot reckons the 0-100km/h dash takes 8.1 seconds, and I've no reason to argue with that.

The turbocharging is the secret to this car's very marketable combination of performance and fuel economy. From standstill the car accelerate remarkably rapidly when you sink the foot, as the turbo begins to work it's magic from about 1500rpm. By the time the engine's reached 4000rpm the 207 GT is sprinting along, and with a couple of snicks of the smooth-shifting 5-speed manual you'll be pushing the legal speed limits.

At the same token, the cars feisty nature can be left behind for a far more frugal drive. If you don't jab the throttle vehemently, the turbo won't spool up as rapidly which means less air and fuel is being squirted into the cylinders and very impressive fuel consumption figures of around 7.0L/100km on the combined cycle.

The 207 GT can be a very fuel efficient drive thanks to its small 1.6-litre engine, with the figures dropping to as low as 5.5L/100km on the highway cycle when using 5th gear. But I wouldn't call it a relaxed drive.

Peugeot has instilled the GT with all the mannerisms of the GTi model, and it's devilishly quick through the bends. But the ride is quite harsh and unless the road is smooth and unpocked, you'll be feeling many of the bumps through the cars firm suspension setup. The sporty Pirelli P Zero tyres also quite firm, adding to the stiff ride.

Though the ride is rather firm, the hot Peugeot 207 is a great city car. For one thing, it's very compact and with fairly sensitive steering the car can be effortless guided through right-angle corners and round various obstacles. Though the reverse sensors aren't standard across the 207 range, they do a great job in the GT, offering both audio and visual representation, the latter of which adds side as well as rear obstacle indications.

There is a fairly hefty blind spot in the car at the rear C-pillar, but very few compact cars are not without such rearward vision impediments. The parking sensors make the car a joy to park, and the gusty engine ensures you're never left struggling.

The impressive torque development improves everyday driveability considerably, as you'll rarely have to opt for a lower gear because torque hits so low: the twin-scroll turbo ensures that peak torque of 240Nm arrives at 1400rpm and remains constant until 3500rpm. 

A good test of a small car's gumption is to see how it goes up a steep incline. A lot of small and even not-so-small petrol cars really struggle, because they make decent power at higher engine speeds, but bugger-all torque at lower revs. Even at low revs the 207 GT's rapid-spool turbo ensured that the car never bogged down, pulling strongly even up steep hills with multiple passengers on board.

In general operation, and particularly when you start to really wind it out, the engine feels more like 2.0-litre turbo than 1.6-litre turbo. It's a fairly refined powertrain too, and won me over with its flexibility. At idle the 4-pot engine makes itself known with a low burble (the turbo plumbing makes for a deeper exhaust note than the naturally aspirated 1.6), but in general it's a quiet little performer.

In everyday conditions, the 207 GT is a consummate, if firm, driving machine. The controls are easy to operate, the car is responsive and fleet of foot, and it feels solidly put together. It's evengot 'side lights' that activate when you turn the steering wheel past a certain point, lighting up a small area.  Though there is one glaring omission that Australian drivers will be all the poorer for - cruise control. Where is it? Not there.

It does have automatic dual zone climate control, but you'd want expect so when the vehicle costs more than $30,000. The 207 range kicks off at just under $20,000 for the 1.4-litre XR model, and while exceedingly frugal, it won't appeal to the booming hot hatch demographic, with just 55kW -- half that of the GT.

Walking around the new 207 GT, there's a lot to like about the hatchback's European design. It's silhouette is very sporty with a pointed, angular front end, a curving roofline, and squat overall proportions. The short front and rear overhangs make the Peugeot's wheels appear pushed out to the corners, and the GT model gets a deeper body kit and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The only issue I took with the design was the front apron, the part below the grille. It's suits the car in some ways, and though the headlights above it appear sleek and sporty, the huge front air dam looks like a gaping mouth and the fog lights are a bit gaudy. The Peugeot designers clearly wanted to make a statement, as it certainly attracts attention.

From the cockpit, the 207 looks great. It's one of the finest small car I've piloted, and though the GT is one of the top-shelf models in the range, even the standard 207 models look pretty good. The benchmark small car of the moment? It certainly in the top three.

Strapping in was no problem, nor was adjusting the drivers seat manually, which provided a very good view of the road ahead. I did find that the pedals to be narrow and quite close together, which doesn't help when you've got bulky shoes - though do yield effortless heel-toe actions.

If the exterior is attractive, then the interior has to be described as gorgeous. It's a fantastic looking interior. There's nothing particularly innovative about the overall design and placement of controls, features and so forth, but everything has been tastefully crafted. It's simple and elegant, and it works.

The vents look sensational with almost ellipsoid designs, the textured dash pad is stylish, the plastics aren't too bad, and build quality appears good. Faux carbon surrounds the vents, centre console and upper info screen and adds sports cool, and the HVAC and stereo controls are straightforward. 

The instrument cluster is modelled on the previous GTi's sporty design, with chrome rims and white dial faces. Textured rubber-ish dash coverings are pleasing, and it's clear the French are doing some very stylish things at the present time. Though I'm not sure about the new look 207 'face' with it's gaping-maw-mouth, the interior is the epitome of high culture.

And safe too. Six airbags are standard on all models except the entry-level XR models, which have been awarded top marks with a 5-star rating by EuroNCAP. The 207 is significantly larger than the 206 model, and this is felt inside the car with more rear seat and boot space. It's no limo, and is quite narrow at1748mm, so shoulder room will hamper stocky types. 

Head room is pretty good, and the seats are finished in a leather-cloth combination. I've always thought Peugeot seats were some of the best in the biz, and the new 207 doesn't disappoint, with supportive cushions and impressive leather-finished side bolsters with overt stitching. Sporty but comfortable.

The 207 GT also gets curious features such as the fragrance diffuser built into the heating-cooling system, and mirrors that automatically fold away when you lock the car keylessly.

With a decent 270 litre boot, the stout Peugeot 207 can swallow a fair amount of junk, especially when rear seats are folded back. That said, you have to remove the under thigh cushions to get them to fold completely flat, which can be fiddly. There are far more innovative rear-seat solutions out there and it's surprising Peugeot hasn't followed Honda's 'magic seats' lead.

Our test model had the optional glass roof which adds immensely to the journey. And the sticker price. The GT also comes with ESP whichis a really nice addition, but it is switchable in the event that you want a raw, unadulterated hell-for-French-leather driving experience.

With its turbocharged 110kW engine singing, the 207 GT is plenty quick, and not just in a straight line. The aforementioned stiff suspension can be annoying on rough roads, but on almost any corner - wide open to hairpin tight - the GT excels. 

With it's firm suspension and Pirelli P Zero tyres, the Peugeot 207 GT has a temerity that sometimes defies logic. It accelerates through corners exceedingly well and though the steering sometimes feels a bit lifeless, the chassis is rock solid. Throw it around with wild abandon and it'll just laugh maniacally right back at you. 

The combo of stiff sports suspension and 205/45 R17 Pirelli tyres makes the car very rapid and self-assured through corners, with grip levels that would make Fangio weep.

It turns well, but sometimes feels a bit deadpan in terms of feedback. You do get feedback, just not in any great detail. But it is fun to drive, there's no denying that. It's got plenty of squirt, with 240Nm hitting the front hoops at just 1400rpm, and though it's not quite as balanced as VW's TSI-enhance Golf GT, it seems to handle slightly better, which is probably due to its light weight: 1254kg.

The gearshift and clutch pedal work well in a performance sense, allowing you to feel connected with the car. It did feel a touch loose, especially into first gear from neutral, but beyond that minor quibble it was easy to row through the gates, and quite involving too. The electronic stability program (ESP) doesn't totally spoil the fun either and is very useful in the wet, and all told the Peugeot GT makes a very good impression. 

But it also adds a dilemma - will it erode the GTi's reputation? The GTi uses the same 1.6-litre turbo engine and an almost identical chassis setup, but outputs 18 kilowatts more than the GT. We'll give the GTi a test soon, but methinks the GT may deliver an improved bang for bucks ratio.

Overall: 3.5/5

Boasting impressive fuel economy, decent performance, a well equipped interior, and a chassis that may completely undermine the more powerful 128kW Peugeot 207 GTi, this new-to-Australia GT model ticks a lot of boxes. It's involving to drive, particularly for a small car, and with a 50 litre fuel tank has a very good cruising range.

The only problem I can see for this model is the price. $31,490 is a lot of money to ask for a 1.6-litre small car. Even though it's technologically advanced, with direct petrol injection and a responsive twin scroll turbo, featuring plenty of cool gadgets and extras, it may have trouble finding a market initially. On the road it feels more powerful than the Ford Fiesta XR4, but it does cost $6,500 more than the Ford.

The ultimate small car? Well, it's not a diesel, which will appeal to a wider range of buyers yet it's still very effecient and powerful. It has some elements of what the ultimate small car could be, though the price is a sticking point for me. Perhaps if Peugeot priced it at around $28k it would have more appeal.

Nevertheless, the new 207 is far from a budget car. If you're after a European hot hatch packed with low emissions and high performance technology, the Peugeot 207 GT will warrant a very close inspection. It has a firm ride and if, on the other hand, you're looking for something with a smoother ride and have no interest in sailing through corners at high speed, check out the XT or XE versions of the Peugeot 207. 

All told, the new 207 makes a good first impression, and the GT has staked it's claim as a premium hot hatch with all the trimmings.