Peugeot 207CC Range

CC SAVVY
Peugeot’s 206CC was successful beyond the company’s most optimistic projections. Can the much-improved 207CC repeat that track record? Andy Enright reports

Before the Peugeot 206CC appeared back in 2001, the folding hard top convertible was strictly the province of luxury cars, usually with a three-pointed star on the bonnet. Cars like the Mercedes SL and SLK had shown that the technology was relevant and reliable and now all that needed to happen was for a manufacturer to bring it within reach of the masses. The 206CC went on to become the best selling convertible car in the UK for three consecutive years and with more than 360,000 units built, it proved the world’s favourite small coupe-cabriolet. That’s some billing for the 207CC to live up to.

The Peugeot 206 always had a fine array of engines to draw upon and the 207 is no exception. Three powerplants are offered and, somewhat oddly, they’re all 1.6-litre 16-valve units. Two are petrols, the other an economical and refined common-rail diesel.
The entry-level petrol engine is a 120bhp normally-aspirated 1.6-litre. This is the engine that will rack up most sales and it’s a variant of the next engine in the line-up, the 150bhp turbo 1.6, albeit shorn of the turbocharger. Nevertheless it still looks quite punchy, delivering its maximum power at 6,000rpm and its peak torque figure of 118lb/ft at 4,250rpm. One of the notable features of these engines is the flat torque curve with 88% of maximum torque available from just 2,000rpm, giving an almost diesel-like pull from standstill.

The real standout engine in this range remains the 150bhp turbocharged variant. Seen in the MINI Cooper, this powerplant is probably the finest petrol unit this side of Audi’s 2.0T. This THP (turbo high pressure) engine features a beefy peak torque figure of 177lb/ft from only 1,400rpm. The twin scroll turbo and variable valve timing system combines with direct injection to offer a decent compromise between performance and fuel economy. As you may have surmised from its appearance in the MINI, this powerplant is the result of a joint venture between BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroen. There’s also a very creditable 110bhp diesel offered.

"Think of the 207CC as a car that ruthlessly excises almost all of the elements that occasionally frustrated with the 206CC"

Where many manufacturers contract out much of their design work to third party styling houses, Peugeot’s Style Centre has developed a growing reputation for producing some tidy work and the 207CC is no exception. Yes, there has been the odd miss, but few can fault them when it comes to stamping an instantly recognisable Peugeot trademark on their output.

The 207CC doesn’t deviate too much from the template set by the 206CC but the proportions are a little less stubby, the silhouette a few degrees more elegant. With 2+2 seating (although you wouldn’t want to try to lever adults into the back seats), the 207CC is 4.04 metres long, adding 21cm to the length of the 206CC.

The 207 is bigger in most regards than its predecessor, tacking 10cm onto the overall width, although 4cm is deducted from the car’s height, helping render that more swooping look. Body rigidity is always a key priority when designing an open car and Peugeot has worked hard at improving the 207CC’s torsional stiffness. The roof mechanism boosts rigidity by 50 per cent and is built in Madrid.

Operating the roof is simplicity itself. With a similar operation as the 206 CC, the 207 CC roof differs significantly in terms of convenience thanks to its entirely automatic operation. In other words, no more of the manual release handles that ladies used to break their fingernails on. The only manual operation consists of pressing the control button for around 25 seconds, during which time the opening or closing cycle is completed; after all four windows have been lowered automatically. To ensure optimal roof sealing and to assist the opening of the doors, the electric front windows are equipped with an "automatic window drop" system.

When the 206CC first appeared, it had a clear run at the coupe-cabrio market, something that it capitalised on impressively. The 207CC has no such luxury, finding itself up against rivals as diverse as the Vauxhall Tigra, the Mitsubishi Colt CZC, the Nissan Micra C+C and even less direct competitors that nevertheless also feature folding rigid roofs. Cars like the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe and the Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet.

What the 207CC can call upon is the benefit of having what many people will regard as lineage back to the original. Driving a me-too model doesn’t appeal to everybody. Like all modern Peugeot models, the 207CC differentiates itself by offering serious equipment as standard, bringing big car electronics to this section of the market.
The air conditioning system is dual zone, offering the front passengers the opportunity to select their individual ambience and it will detect whether the hood is up or down, adapting airflow accordingly. In-car entertainment options are also very impressive, ranging from a relatively straightforward RDS CD system with or without a Bluetooth hands-free kit right up to a very serious JBL hi-fi system. There’s even colour satellite navigation available as a factory fit option. Trim levels are limited to two: Sport and GT.

None of the three engines available are going to cost the earth to run, although the diesel stands out courtesy of its 54.3mpg combined figure. The petrol engines aren’t exactly fuel hogs either, the normally-aspirated 120bhp unit returning an average of 43.4mpg (or 39.2 if you mate it to the optional automatic gearbox). Alternatively, the zippy 150bhp turbo installation manages 39.2 miles per gallon. Likewise, emissions figures are good right across the board, as you’d expect from engines that are virtually state of the art.

Think of the 207CC as a car that ruthlessly excises almost all of the elements that occasionally frustrated with the 206CC and you’re not far off the mark. Better engines, much improved build quality, a far prettier shape and improved driveability should punt this model back to the top of the sales charts.

Although the 1.6-litre 120bhp petrol engine will snag the lion’s share of sales, the 150bhp turbo engine is certainly well worth a test drive, being one of the standout powerplants of its generation. A relatively meagre 50-litre fuel tank might be an issue for this model but otherwise, the technical specification is very impressive. The acid test of whether the chassis is as good as Peugeot claims will be the introduction of a GTI model but we may well wait a very long time for that. The interim measures don’t look too bad though.