Peugeot 407 Coupe Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Peugeot 407 Coupe range
Prices: £22,990-£27,490 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-16
Emissions: 140-189g/km
Performance: (3.0 V6 HDI)0-60mph 7.9s / Max Speed 151mph
Fuel Consumption: (3.0 V6 HDI) (urban) 28.2mpg, (extra urban) 50.4mpg, (combined) 39.2mpg
Safety: Twin front, curtain & side airbags, ABS, ESP
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4815/1868/1399

PEUGEOT’S HEAVY HITTER

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

Peugeot's 407 Coupe offers sleek styling and some serious presence. Steve Walker reports

Distinctive can be an underrated quality in a car. So many of the vehicles we drive are so similar visually that having something that stands out has obvious appeal. Of course, given the choice, most of us would prefer something beautiful but true beauty is a rare and expensive commodity and in its absence, distinctiveness can be a rewarding substitute. If Peugeot’s 407 Coupe had a mother, even she’d have to admit that its looks are more interesting than drop-dead gorgeous but for the kind of money Peugeot is asking, there are few cars with more presence about them.

Peugeot doesn’t have a great deal of direct competition in the market for big coupes without premium badges. That’s partially because many manufacturers have given up on the sector completely, surmising that the first thing on the shopping list of people wanting a large coupe tends to be a premium badge to occupy its grille. It’s true that the likes of Audi’s A5, the Mercedes E-Class Coupe and the BMW 3-Series Coupe have little to fear from the big Peugeot but it could be an option for those who don’t quite have the budget to go German. Renault’s Laguna Coupe is the obvious direct rival and smaller options like Alfa’s Brera and the Volkswagen Scirocco deliver a sportier flavour with less long distance comfort. Peugeot is banking on an advanced all-diesel engine range to give the 407 Coupe a fighting chance.

If you want a coupe to set your heart racing every time the traffic clears and the road opens up ahead, the 407 may not be it. The pair of diesel engines that power it are the first clue to this car’s more laidback nature. Not that they’re lacking in outright grunt: the 2.0-litre HDI has 163bhp and 340Nm of torque constantly available between 2,000 and 3,000rpm. That’s just the entry-level engine too. Peugeot is really proud of its range-topping unit which is a development of the well received 2.7-litre HDI twin-turbo diesel that powered earlier versions of the 407 Coupe and more than a few Jaguar models in the past. It’s a 3.0-litre HDI twin-turbo oil-burner with 241bhp and a whopping 450Nm of torque between 1,600 and 3,600rpm. That’s plenty of engine for a 407. A version of it can also be found in Jaguar’s XF executive saloon, which is a good indication of its quality. It will take the 407 Coupe from a standstill to 60mph in 7.9s and hit a 151mph top speed, while the 2.0-litre HDI engine’s figures are 9.5s and 137mph.

This car’s predecessor, Peugeot’s 406 Coupe, was a right looker and one of the most beautiful cars that sensible money could buy in its day. While the 407 Coupe, launched in 2005, was never going to live with that super model aesthetically, Peugeot were keen - and still are - to stress the improvement in handling it offers. Much of this can be attributed to its double wishbone front suspension, which may not mean a great deal to many but in essence sums up the French company’s commitment to handling excellence. Many cars these days have so-called ‘multilink’ rear suspension, but most persevere with a simple strut front set up. In offering a more sophisticated front suspension system, the 407 clearly states its commitment. Its size and comfort-tuned suspension preclude it from really aggressive driving but this is a Grand Tourer that doesn’t fall to pieces when the going gets twisty.

From certain angles, the proportions of the 407 Coupe look rather odd. Perhaps it’s the mismatch in length between the front and rear overhangs that does it, but it’s a complex shape; one that never rests easily on the eye but rewards repeated inspection. The rear three-quarter is probably the most flattering aspect, a flat side profile exacerbating the unusual relationship between wheels and corners. One thing’s for sure. In a market populated by some very anodyne shapes, the 407 Coupe makes an instant impression. The cabin looks very Peugeot - which is possibly the weakest part of the 407 make up. It’s neat and everything seems to work very nicely but there isn’t a great deal of showroom ‘wow factor’ to it. The latest cars feature chrome on the upper edges of the side window frames and larger door mirrors but as facelifts go, this one was more like an eyebrow pluck.

This is a large car and for a coupe, it’s got a decent amount of space in the back. That ‘for a coupe’ is quite a big caveat though, as so many equivalent models offer seriously stingy amounts of space for the unfortunate