Peugeot Challenges 'Slow' Diesel Stereotype With Twin Turbo V6

By Motoring Channel Staff - 20/July/2006

Sydney, Australia — Following the surge in demand for diesel-powered cars in Australia in the last 18 months, Peugeot has made the decision to import its stump-pulling 407 SV HDi into Australia, priced from $61,990 for the sedan and $64,990 for the wagon.

Not only is this new model part of a growing range of performance diesels, but it also takes its place as the new range-topping 407 model in Peugeot's intelligent mid-sized luxury car line-up. The Ed has already reviewed a pair of 407 models, the 3.0-litre V6 petrol sedan and the 2.0-litre L4 diesel wagon, and if you take a quick look at the overall scores, both cars scored very well, with the 2.0-litre diesel model scoring a half wombat higher than the petrol model.

These increasingly popular high-powered turbo diesel vehicles are taking off in Europe, where German car makers like BMW and Audi are releasing powerful diesel models to tempt buyers who are looking for performance that isn't compromised by fuel consumption. The new Peugeot is a French example of the emerging 'performance diesel', designed to reward drivers with its powerful and sporty properties, while delivering levels of fuel consumption to rival 4-cylinder runabouts.

The numbers talk for themselves: Peugeot claims the new 2.7-litre V6 diesel twin turbo 407 drinks just 8.4L/100km on the combined city/highway fuel cycle. To break up the numbers, the new top-spec Peugeot slurps 11.7L/100km during the city cycle, and a miserly 6.5L/100km for the highway cycle. The French car company reckons this gives owners a range of about 800km per tank (66 litre capacity), giving new meaning to the old catch-phrase about frugal cars being able to run on the fumes of an oily rag. 

And for drivers wanting to reduce their carbon footprint, diesel and hybrid technology are best ways to go in anything larger than a super mini, and it's fitting that the 2.7-litre motor found in the new Peugeot is equipped with a particulate filter (standard on all Peugeot diesel engines), and the French company maintains that the SV HDi's emission levels meet Euro 4 requirements.

The car is a mite expensive however, costing a bit more than $60,000 for the sedan, but Peugeot has made sure the car is as well-equipped as a top spec BMW, and there are huge savings to be had from running a diesel car, which will make themselves felt after even six months and particularly for drivers who clock up big odometer numbers each year. 

The car's other selling points include a 5-star NCAP safety rating - the highest rating possible - featuring six airbags, two of which are body length curtain airbags, protecting rear seat occupants as well as front. Peugeot's new twin turbo diesel luxury car is evidently frugal and safe, but what about performance? 

How does 440Nm of torque sound? The 24-valve engine features two exhaust gas driven turbochargers to reach this level of torque, which hits the front wheels @ 1900rpm for effortless drivability, and is coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission. 

The 2.7-litre V6 biturbo diesel engine records peak power of 150kW @ 4000rpm, resulting in a 0-100km/h sprint of 8.5 seconds, and the 150 kilowatts of power are delivered to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic gearbox built by Aisin. This 8.5 second sprint time and also the fuel consumption figures are made all the more impressive when it turns out the sedan model weighs a hefty 1854kg, heavier than the BMW 530d and Audi A6 3.0 TDI. The wagon (Touring) model is even heavier, weighin more than 1900kg.

In addition to the state-of-the-art high torque diesel engine, the Peugeot 407 SV HDi has the kind of features befitting a luxury performance car. Peugeot explains that xenon headlights, cruise control with speed limiter, rear parking sensors,dual zone digital air conditioning with climate control plus automatically adjusting headlights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers are all standard features. Leather upholstery is a given as is the sports leather steering wheel, and the electric heated front seats come equipped with memory functions for different driver profiles, and features like the JBL hi-fi with 6-disc CD auto-changer, tinted side glass windows and a trip computer with a colour illuminated display screen do nothing to harm the vehicle's prestige standing.

Sitting on sporty 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels (with tyre pressure sensors) shod with 235/45 R18 aspect ratio tyres, the new Peugeot is expected to deliver high levels of grip through corners, while the 45 series tyres will ensure that ride quality isn't completely compromised. These new 18-inch wheels also look special, and give the SV HDi a degree of difference when compared to the 3.0-litre petrol V6 in the 407 SV (it gets 17-inch wheels), as do new body coloured front, rear and side rub strips with chrome inserts and chrome cross bars in the front grille section. Chrome highlights also work their way inside the cabin with a new look alloy finished front centre console, door trims and air vents.

Safety is always a big deal for French car makers, and this new 407 is no exception scoring a maximum 5-star result in ENCAP/NCAP testing. Peugeot claims this is due to the excellent behaviour of the 407 structure, which features dual track absorption to stymie forces working against the car in the event of collision. The car's reinforced body structure is augmented by a number of active and passive safety features, including:

• Latest Generation Electronic Stability Program (ESP)

• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

• Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)

• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) 

• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)

• Six Airbags (Driver and passenger SMART airbags, front side airbags, full length curtain airbags)

On top of these major safety advances, there are the secondary safety systems that, combined, help give the sporty 407 its unbeatable safety rating, including a retractable steering column in the event of an accident, active front seat headrests, pre-tensioning and force limiting front seatbelts, automatic door unlocking in the event of an accident and the automatic activation of hazard lights under emergency braking.

The impressively equipped new performance diesel 407 has two major competitors, not surprisingly from European marques BMW and Audi. The interior space of the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 are slightly larger than the 407, yet the cars are similar in some performance respects. As the table below reveals, the new 407 is not far behind the two Germans in terms of power development, but at almost $40,000 less than the Audi and costing $53,000 less than the BMW, Peugeot is confident its new twin turbo 407 will entice more buyers to the luxury performance diesel segment.

At the time of writing, the 407 SV HDi had just reached authorised Peugeot dealerships across Australia.

Pricing:

 Peugeot 407 SV HDi: $61,990
 Peugeot 407 SV HDi Touring: $64,990