21 April 2011
New car report; Peugeot 207 Premiere - No secrets, no surprises
By offering a high spec one model choice only for Peugeot's baby of the fleet, the 207, Simon Rose the Divisional Manager for the Peugeot brand in NZ is hoping to simplify the buying experience for those walking into ‘blue box’ showrooms around the country.
With no hidden options and price surprises Peugeot believes they have a definite advantage over their competitors who often advertise a base price vehicle and then add lots to the option list.
“The consideration behind the one model 207 XT Auto was simply that our strategy was to have one key model in each segment of the market, with the best possible specification and pricing. Given the volume of business, this allows us to carry sufficient stock to supply customer demand, be recognised as a major player vs our competitors and compete in both private and fleet segments of the market” says Mr Rose.
While the 207 is not new to the market, the revised pricing and marketing policy did present an opportunity for us to reacquaint ourselves with the car and to judge whether or not it does offer good value for money.
Crammed with gear for a sub-$30k European car
The only price up-sell is when an upgrade to leather is required which moves the base price tag from $27,990 to a tad under the 30K mark ($29,990). Included as standard in the 1.6 litre 207 hatch are bluetooth, alloy wheels, cruise control, 6-airbags (5-star safety rating), stability control and steering wheel mounted audio controls; an impressive package for a vehicle in the small class segment of the market.
The 207 is no excitement machine but does a good all-round job for those looking at breaking away from the mainstream pack and wanting a Euro brand without paying an excess for the privilege.
Like the Citroen DS3 Dstyle we reviewed late last year the 207 runs the same 1,598cc, 4 cylinder 16 valve engine which produces 88kW at 6,000 rpm, with a maximum torque of 160Nm at 4,250rpm.
Fuel consumption is a claimed combined figure of 6.8l/100km, a figure most owners will struggle to achieve. The 207 will, we suspect, spend most of its time commuting more within the inner City limits where a more realistic 9.6l/100km is the factory claimed consumption figure. Sounds high but its reality when sitting in slow moving traffic and would compare favourably with those competitors without stop-start or hybrid technology.
Still the old 4 speed auto, but OK for an A to B runabout
The 4 speed automatic transmission is one mild disappointment. It would benefit from another ratio and it will never win prizes for being the most refined transmission ever made. Maybe not a big issue however, especially for those looking at a simple value for money proposition and only wanting to point and steer from A to B.
Rear leg room is not overly generous in the wee Pug and the position of the passenger glove box is a reminder that European design does not always work around practicality. Putting that aside the interior is easy to live with.
Judging by the new car sales figures from 2010, the 207 is an important vehicle for the Peugeot brand in NZ making up just over 21% of their total sales.
While the brand is only a small player in the NZ market overall it does have its place for those wanting to step outside the norm and drive something a little different. Offering a high spec model at a realistic price with no hidden surprises makes perfect marketing and business sense to us.