Peugeot 407 Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Peugeot 407 range
Prices: £18,545-£25,045 - on the road [exc Coupe] INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-15
Emissions: 129-214g/km
Performance: [2.7 V6] 0-60mph 8.5s / Max Speed 143mph
Fuel Consumption: [140bhp HDi] (urban) 37.6mpg/ (extra urban) 60.1mpg / (combined) 49.5mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags, ABS, ESP
Dimensions: [saloon] length/width/heightmm 4676/1811/1445

OLDER BUT BOLDER

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

Peugeot’s 407 is one of the longer serving participants in the medium range sector but the manufacturer has put the hours in to ensure it stays fresh. Steve Walker reports.

Boldy styled with acres of space inside and a commitment to quality that will surprise many, Peugeot’s 407 is that rarest of commodities – a big French car you might actually spend your own money on. With some great diesel engines and a brilliant SW estate model, it’s a class act.

Rumours of the demise of the medium range family car market appear to have been grossly exaggerated. The future of the traditional large family car looked a little dicey for a while as buyers deserted their saloons and estates in favour of trendier 4x4s and more practical MPVs but an injection of exciting new blood into the sector over recent times has shown there to be life in the old dog yet. Peugeot’s 407 can’t really be classed as new blood having made its debut in 2004 but the distinctive French cruiser has been subjected to a life-giving transfusion of equipment and styling revisions in its latest facelifted guise.

The market’s cycles appear to have conspired against the 407 somewhat. It arrived as a brand new model at a time when many of its key rivals were entering middle age. Then was the time for the fresh-faced Peugeot to capitalise, something that it never really managed to do. Peugeot described sales levels over that period as "reasonably successful" which was never going to be good enough. Today, the tables have turned and the mid-life facelift version of the 407 must compete for hearts and minds against all new versions of Ford’s Mondeo, Renault’s Laguna, Citroen’s C5, Honda’s Accord and the Vauxhall Insignia. It’s a tough task but will the 407 be up to it?

The 407 has long been regarded as a long distance mile-muncher par excellence that also has the ability to entertain, but if you want something sporty, there are other models which will probably be a better bet. What the 407 can deliver is a genuinely big car feel and big car features for a relatively modest price. The engine range, although overwhelmingly diesel, is usefully diverse and well-suited to the various demands that 407 owners are likely to make of their cars. Proceedings open with a 110bhp 1.6-litre HDi unit. Then comes a 2.0-litre 140bhp and a 2.2-litre 170bhp HDi. All feature FAP diesel fuel particulate filters and manual transmission as standard. If you want to be the alpha-green,

The 407 doesn’t feel as planted or responsive on the road as its sportiest rivals but buyers who prioritise comfort could easily be persuaded. The car rides poorly surfaced roads very well and is a relaxing drive on the motorway where it displays a high level of refinement. The engines help keep noise level in the cabin down as does the 407’s slippery shape.

The look of latest 407 has been altered but in a very measured, non-drastic way. The chrome grille has been tidied up, there are new bumpers at each end and the one at the rear incorporates a defuser-style insert at its base. Love it or hate it, you can’t have helped but notice the 407 saloon. It’s a car that looks utterly stunning from some angles and decidedly odd from others. Much of this is due to the perceived imbalance between the long front end and the abbreviated tail. Imagine getting shot of the notchback rear and instead stretching the 407 back as if it had been squeezed out of a very big tube of toothpaste. That’s the effect you get with the SW estate version and it looks nothing less than sensational. For those of you accustomed to medium range estates being saloon cars with a hunched fenestration on the back and all the aesthetic elegance of a conservatory mounting your vehicle, it comes as a welcome change.

Inside, Peugeot has gone large with the Piano Black finishes. This lustrous black plastic now features in selected models, adding a touch more class to proceedings. The 407’s interior still feels a little dated with some of the materials not quite living up to expectations and those steering column stalks which seem to have featured in every Peugeot and Citroen product since year dot. The central control panel always looks a little busy with its cluster of small buttons but models with satellite navigation get a modern system with an extremely good display.

Peugeot has been extremely realistic with pricing for the 407 and as a result, it campaigns against a lot of far less talented rivals.