Peugeot 4007 Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Peugeot 4007 range
Prices: from £23,345 - on the road
Insurance Group: 12-13
Emissions: 191-192g/km
Performance: Max Speed 129mph / 0-60mph 9.9s
Fuel Consumption: [16" wheels] (urban) 29.7mpg / (extra urban) 47.8mpg / (combined) 39.2mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, ESP
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4645/1805/1715

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

The efforts of Peugeot's 4007 7-seater SUV to conquer a new market for the brand will be aided by the availability of an automatic gearbox. Jonathan Crouch checks the car out.

The distinctive chromed nose of the Peugeot 4007 stands out amongst the growing cluster of compact 4x4 models. Offering seven seats, Mitsubishi-developed off-road ability and hi-tech Peugeot diesel power, it’s an appealing package as long as you get the right price and you’re not a hard core mud-plugger. If you’re tired of MPVs and want to run the family about in something with a little more attitude, then a 4007 could fit the bill.

It took Peugeot rather a long time to get around to bringing us a compact 4x4 but at least now we’ve a credible one to consider. Having no prior experience in this market, the French company sensibly turned to Mitsubishi, a brand who had. The result has brought us a common design badged variously as the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Citroen C-Crosser and in this case, the Peugeot 4007. The car was launched in 2007 and since then, it’s done reasonable business for Peugeot, but it’s prospects have been somewhat blighted by the lack of an automatic gearbox option.

That’s now been put right – and very thoroughly too. Buyers of the Auto DCS (Dual Clutch System) model that will henceforth account for the majority of sales get a refined 6-speed electronic DCS gearbox that perfectly suits Peugeot’s powerful 2.2HDi 16V 156hp DPFS engine. This transmission provides both Automatic and Manual driving modes, with paddles behind the steering wheel. Thanks to the dual clutch design, smooth and efficient gear shifts are made without interrupting power delivery, with the engine applying torque to one clutch the instant it disconnects from the other. A ‘Sport’ mode can also be selected for even more responsive performance.

All Peugeot 4007 models come with this same diesel engine – and the six-speed manual gearbox version remains for those who want it. This unit will generate 156bhp and 380Nm of torque and is even capable of running on a 30 per cent mixture of diesel biofuel without resort to modification. The engine has been modified from that found in the 407 saloon range to offer additional lugging power but much of the basic architecture is the same - which is no bad thing.

Optimised for on-road use, the all-wheel drive system on the 4007 is enough to maximise traction on slippery roads and muddy tracks, although those looking to tackle more arduous terrain would be best served looking for a vehicle with a proper low-range transfer case and a little more in the way of overall ground clearance. The 4007’s ‘on-demand’ 4WD system enables the driver to select three modes of drive, while on the move. First is ‘Permanent 2WD’, intended for normal tarmac use, with all power directed to the front wheels. In ‘Automatic 4WD’, engine torque is delivered automatically to wheels that require the most traction at any time.

Should you find yourself in a sticky situation however, you might need to select ‘Permanent 4WD’. This set-up splits torque 50:50 between front and rear wheels. The idea of all this technology is to give the 4007 what Peugeot call ‘the best of both worlds’, enabling it to tackle reasonably rough terrain, yet still provide acceptable on-road dynamic behaviour and competitive fuel economy.

Given the need to stand out, not only from its design stablemates but also a marketplace clogged with compact 4x4s, it’s not surprising that Peugeot’s stylists at the company’s Velizy studios insisted on a bold look for this car. Certainly, this is a front end you’d see coming from the white cliffs of Dover without having to put 20p in the telescope. There’s no mistaking, in other words, that the 4007 has presence and it’s not a car you’ll overlook in a sea of lookalike 4x4s in the Waitrose car park.

Though there’s enough chrome on the front end to make a Maybach feel under-endowed, it’s actually a look that grows on you – and certainly one that can make other motorists scurry for cover, the front air intake and bumper detailing being things you probably wouldn’t want to main beam while approaching on a country lane. The roof is interestingly finished too with ribbed detailing, while the back end features a brushed aluminium trim that runs be