I’m fickle, I must admit. I was a big fan of the Peugeot 206, so when its successor was launched, and I had a chance to drive it, I was (almost) sold on the 207. Though bigger than its predecessor, with a better quality interior and evolved – opposed to left field – styling, the 207 couldn’t quite win me over and I turned my attention to the local arrival of the other Frenchy, Renault’s Clio 3.
That’s not to say that the Peugeot is a terrible drive – in fact, its rather sweet. As was the case with its contemporaries, the Pug piled on the centimetres and the kilograms, and there are some very quaint idiosyncrasies in the styling, like the “speckled” rear light clusters and different – Sport and Classic – front ends.
To its credit, the little diesel, fitted with the more basic XR specification that translates, among other things, to front electric windows only, manually adjustable side mirrors, no steering wheel adjustment and more hardy plastic finishes, does not feel low-cost. The ergonomics could perhaps have been better (the radio controls are too small), though the information display on the top of the dash and the air-conditioner’s dials were legible enough. Of course, with its increase in size, usable luggage space is up too, but fortunately the 207 doesn’t feel too much like a big car.
But the XR 1,4 HDi’s strongest point is its turbodiesel mill. Producing 50 kW at 4 000 r/min and 160 N.m at 2 000, the flexible and gutsy 1,4-litre PSA unit transforms the 207 into an eager runabout – perfect for those quick zips across town.
However, at its price of R 139 900, the Pug is up against some serious competition in the turbodiesel light car stakes. The Clio 1,5 dCi, sporty Nissan Micra 1,5 dCi Tekna, and Hyundai Getz 1,5 CRDi all cost the same, and, for an extra 50 bucks, you could also toss the entertaining Ford Fiesta 1,6 TDCi into the equation. The Pug is good, but outgunned by a some of those contenders. Essentially it comes down to personal choice, but isn’t the variety great?
