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PEUGEOT’S NEW ‘SUPERMINI’ ESTATE CAR Mystified by the appeal of MPVs, succumbed to the pressures of the anti SUV lobby, hacked-off with a Hatchback, stifled by a Saloon, well you could be ecstatic with an Estate or find an SW simply wonderful. There seems to be no doubt that that estate cars, or SWs, as Peugeot and Kia car their’s, are becoming more popular with customers who are either bored with conventional commonplace hatchbacks, do not need the multi-seat options of an MPV but just need that extra length to satisfy their load carrying needs whether it is for business use or pleasure. The new Peugeot 207 SW potentially fits the bill although it is only 4,156mm in length. The growth in ‘supermini'' sector sales has continued this year and vehicles of this size account for one in three new cars sold in the UK. Last year 752,872 ‘superminis’ were sold in this country. So far this year 633,155 of them have been bought. The new car sales top ten features no less than four ‘supermini’ model ranges, Fiesta, Corsa, 207 and Clio. In the first nine months of this year 54,246 Peugeot 207s have been bought new in this country with the range offering three and five door hatchbacks, the CC coupe-cabriolet and recently joining them, the SW or estate models. The SW now completes the 207 range and it was introduced 11 months after the launch of the hatchbacks. This compares to four years between the launch of the 206 hatchback and 206 SW and this reflects the trend that for some people a ''supermini'' estate is now a better option than a ''supermini'' five-door hatchback. Likely customers range from young families to the active retired couples. Retail buyers are more likely to opt for petrol engined models and business users, who tend to drive more miles, will opt for diesel power. There is a choice of two petrol and two turbodiesel engines, S and Sport trim and equipment levels, and prices range from £11,340 up to £14,365. Only the cheapest model in the range doesn’t have air conditioning as standard. There is a long list of options so the final price of any 207 SW can be much higher. The most popular options include; metallic paint at £350, rear parking sensors at £250, upgraded CD autochanger at £230 and the Comfort Pack of dual zone air conditioning, automatic lights and rain sensitive wipers costs £400. Even the must-have Electronic Stability Programme is an extra cost item at £350. The normally aspirated 1.4-litre VTi 95bhp and the1.6-litre VTi 120bhp petrol engines are the result of the co-operation between PSA Peugeot Citroen and the BMW Group who use them for the new MINI. However the PSA versions differ slightly in their design with variable valve lift timing and a different electronic engine management system. Both engines deliver over 86 per cent of their torque at only 2,000rpm. The two HDI turbocharged, second generation, common-rail diesel engines are solely from PSA and reflect their programme for downsizing capacity, which improves fuel economy, whilst retaining the same or higher power output. Both diesel engines are 1.6-litre units, one producing 90bhp and the other 110bhp. All models are available with a five-speed manual transmission but the 120bhp petrol engine also has the option of an automatic gearbox. Peugeot’s official customer profile and sales figures show they have a sales objective for the 207 SW of 4,500 units this year and 9,000 in a full year. Business and fleet customers will account for 70 per cent of registrations and petrol models will take 60 per cent of sales. The best selling model is expected to be the 1.6 HDi 90bhp turbodiesel version split between the S and Sport specifications. Views So you can see the price adds up. I know Peugeot dealers are already offering deals on 207 models but clearly the 207 SW is not a cheap car and it is not particularly big. If you want and slightly larger estate for more or less the same money, but with better standard equipment, the excellent Kia cee’d SW with a seven-year warranty is really worth considering. The ‘smiling’ face of the 207 models is generally regarded as being pretty and appealing. Adding Peugeot’s stylish SW treatment to the rear of the car has produced an overall attractive visual package. Be warned the Sport specification is not about added performance, it is just about higher equipment and smarter trim levels over the standard S versions. Sport specification adds 16-inch alloy wheels, sports front seats, leather steering wheel and gear knob and an aluminium effect front grille. All 207 SW models have a full length panoramic glass sunroof with electrically operated sunblind, tailgate with a separate opening rear window section, roof bars, fold flat split rear seats, a clever three piece load area cover, air conditioning, electrically operated heated door mirrors, electric windows, trip computer, front, side and curtain airbags, stereo radio and CD player and antilock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist. The overall length of the SW is 119mm longer than the five-door hatchback. The increase in length, and height, also allows for more rear seat passenger legroom and headroom. The load area with the seats in place is 428 litres, 118 litres more than the hatchback models. This increases to a useful 1,433 litres with the rear seats folded. A good feature is that the rear seats easily fold down to provide a completely flat load area. The load area length is 1,694mm and the maximum interior width is 1,414mm. The maximum towing capacity is 1,110kgs. Because of the extra weight to be carried and the extra rear overhang, the suspension has been modified over that used for 207 hatchback models. The anti-roll bar, dampers and spring rates are all changed to give a more compliant ride and to cope with the extra weight to be carried in the rear. The electronic power steering also has revised settings to cope with the extra weight and length. Overall the changes have been well thought out and the SW is equally as nimble as its smaller hatchback stablemates. The ride comfort is excellent, body roll minimal, even when loaded. The huge glass sunroof gives the estate a light and airy feel but for me it is not a necessity, just as long as the car has air conditioning. The load area, and its practical ease of use, is what an estate car is all about. In this area the 207 SW has been well designed especially as the fold down seat operation can be done one handed and the rear head restraints do not need to be removed to get the seat backs down. The 1.6-litre engine is the star of the show for low CO2 emissions and really good fuel economy. The 150g/km of CO2 will cost the owner just £115 per year in road tax, the same as the two diesel engines. However if you choose the automatic transmission option with this engine the CO2 figure jumps up to 173g/km two bands higher, Group E and will cost the owner £165 a year in road tax. The average fuel consumption for my test car is officially 44.8mpg, spot on and exactly what I got. But for most of the week after several motorway journeys, cruising at the legal limit the computer was showing 46.5mpg, so the potential is there for really good fuel economy. With diesel fuel costing more than petrol and with Peugeot charging over a £1,000 more for their 110bhp diesel engine over the 120bhp petrol unit, even high mileage users need to consider whether it is worth paying the extra for a diesel model when the 120 petrol versions are so fuel efficient. Under acceleration the 120bhp petrol engine is no ball of fire but it is adequate enough. The really good characteristic is the delivery of torque because 86 per cent of the 120lb ft of ‘grunt’ is available at 2,000rpm, which makes it a very responsive, and flexible to drive in traffic or motoring along A and B class country roads in top gear. The gearbox is only a five-speed unit and not the SW’s best feature. It could do with a six-speed unit, as the MINI has, for motorways. The gearchange is a bit notchy and not very slick to use. MILESTONES. Peugeot 207 SW Sport 1.6 VTi 120. Price: £13,275 (£14,505 as tested). Miles Better News Agency
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