On any day in the great cities of Europe, high-class compact wagons zip down the autostradas and autobahns providing convenience, comfort and performance for families and commercial drivers.
Peugeot’s 207 is one of the best – designed with French flair and delivering European driving dynamics for wagon buyers.
What You Get
Car Showroom has just wrapped a week in the limited edition 207 Touring ‘Outdoor’. Only 150 of the toughened-up member of the 207 Touring family are available for local sale.
Featuring black plastic wheel arch extensions, a raised ride height and meaty 16-inch rubber, the 207 Touring Outdoor has SUV styling cues and looks a bit bulkier than the standard 207 Touring.
There’s some extra kit, including nice leather/sports cloth trim.
We tested the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel version – a 1.6-litre petrol is also available.
For wagon buyers the 207 Touring Outdoor is a competent, stylish European that is worth checking out.
The Engine
Like all current generation European diesels, Peugeot’s 1.6-litre, four-cylinder HDI engine is a quiet, refined performer. Maximum power is 80kW and the peak torque of 240Nm is available from just 1750 rpm.
Fuel consumption is impressively low at 4.8l/100kms – a match for Volkswagen’s similarly economical 1.6 TDI.
The diesel 207 Touring Outdoor as tested drove the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission – the petrol version offers a four-speed auto. Typically European, the five-speeder’s ratios are nicely spaced with handy acceleration in the lower gears and relaxed, quiet cruising in fifth – perfect for those high-speed European freeways (and Australian conditions too).
The Interior
At first glance you think the 207 Touring might be a little tight in the luggage department but surprisingly, with the rear seats in place there is 438 liters of capacity. Fold the 60/40-split rear seat and this grows to an impressive 1,433 litres.
The rear seat folding mechanism is very clever. Just one hand is required to release the lever located at the top of the seat back and it folds against the seat cushion which lowers automatically to provide a flat surface with five load support rails.
Accessing the load area is via the tailgate (with a nice low lip) or you can open the rear window via a dedicated button on the remote control. There are locating rings, retaining straps and storage nets to secure your load.
Up front, the 207 Touring Outdoor gained the same upgrades recently introduced to the rest of the 207 lineup. It’s a stylish Euro-style look – the trim is unique to the Outdoor model - with nice leather/sports cloth trim for the seats, elegant instrumentation and nice chrome accents.
A large panoramic glass roof brings abundant light inside or you can automatically close things up with an electric sunblind.
The in-dash single CD audio system has remote control via a combination switch on the steering column.
Front seats have manual adjustment and the three-spoke leather steering wheel is unusual these days because it’s naked (no switches or buttons).
Cruise control is via another steering column combination switch/dial which takes some acclimatization but is reasonably easy to use (we still prefer steering-wheel buttons for cruise operation).
The Car Showroom juniors were quickly installed in the rear seat which provides reasonable legroom for adults but – as you would expect – isn’t massive.
Exterior & Styling
You certainly stand out from the wagon crowd in the 207 Touring Outdoor. The 207 has been widely praised for it’s funky, modern looks punctuated by the large front grille, steeply sloping bonnet and raked side windows.
Outdoor models gain an increased ride height thanks to larger springs and tyres. The front is 16mm higher and the rear is 21mm higher.
You also get tough-looking black plastic trim for the wheel arches, bumper and sill extensions – it’s not a Hummer or a LandCruiser but definitely a lot chunkier than the standard 207 Touring.
The 16-inch alloy wheels are wider than standard at 6.5 inches. A thicker torsion beam for the suspension maintains the ride and handling package despite the extra ride height.
At the rear, the nicely styled 207 Touring presents a modern look with large red wraparound taillights and curved glass.
Polished aluminium roof rails are part of the Outdoor package and even they are nicely styled units.
On The Road
The 1.6-litre diesel is a solid performer which provides the 207 handy acceleration around town and in freeway conditions. Slipping down a gear or two provides adequate extra urge for overtaking.
Even when pushed, Peugeot’s diesel remains impressively quiet and refined.
Over our high speed mountain roads test route we liked the balance and turn-in of the Outdoor although over some damp stretches we would have liked a bit more feedback from the power steering. All things considered, the Outdoor delivers the same ride and handling as other 207 Touring models – despite the extra ride height and meatier tyres.
Back in the city, reverse parking into tight car parks does require some judgment with the 207 Touring’s high-waisted rear end – but all wagons are the same.
Challenges
We liked the 207 Touring Outdoor a lot and really the only points deductions are for the cumbersome cruise and remote audio controls (must be something about French cars because Renault uses a similar set-up) and the power steering assistance at high speeds.
Verdict
A stylish, well-executed European compact wagon, the 207 Touring Outdoor rates highly for its outstanding design flair, inside and out and its very impressive, fuel-efficient diesel engine.
The Competition
The new Volkswagen Golf wagon is another well-executed European wagon, but it’s a bit larger than the 207 and really competes with Peugeot’s 308 lineup.
Same with Ford’s Mondeo wagon – it’s excellent, but a size up from the 207.
If you can handle the quirky looks, Skoda’s Roomster is a very clever European wagon and it’s handily priced below $30,000.
Thumbs-up:
Beautiful French styling; great diesel; smart packaging
Thumbs-down:
Fiddly cruise and audio controls; power steering is dull
