Peugeot 207 2012 News

Among the extra equipment and cosmetic changes, the 2012 model will now come with Bluetooth phone and a USB port, leather seat trim and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment for no extra cost. Also part of the 2012 refresh are a few cosmetic tweaks. The pint size drop top now comes with the new corporate identification Lion badging as well as black meter dials, a black interior roof colour and "Boyington" dashboard trim accents. The price remains unchanged from $33,490 for the 1.6L man and $35, 490 for the automatic. The 1.6-litre four cylinder engine produces 88kW/160Nm and meets the strict Euro 5 emissions standards. The 1.6-litre turbo automatic is no longer available for 207 CC. The new features are in addition to the already comprehensive level of equipment on the207 CC which includes automatically folding steel roof, cruise control with speed limiter, dual zone climate control air conditioning, electronic stability program, four airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist which applies more braking force in the event of sudden braking to increase the efficiency of your braking.

The newest 207 Touring is called the Outdoor for Australia and picks up 16-inch alloy wheels with an extra 16 millimetres of ground clearance under the nose and 21 millimetres more in the tail, thanks to new spring and 205x55 tyres.  There are also bumper extensions and black wheel-arch surrounds. Of course, it still is only front-wheel drive... But Peugeot believes the boost will encourage more people to tackle typical weekend escape work on gravel roads.  And it only has 150 to sell.  The Touring Outdoor is priced from $30,490 with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and outdated four-speed automatic gearbox, jumping by $1000 for a turbodiesel with five-speed manual. Power is 88 kiloWatts with the petrol motor and the pulling power of the diesel is 240 Newton-metres. Peugeot claims an extensive equipment upgrade for the new 207 without any change to the pricetag. So the list now runs to twin-zone auto aircon, cruise control, leather-cloth seats, auto headlights and wipers, and a glass sunroof.  There are also six airbags. The wagon tail in the updated 207 is impressive, with a lift-up glass window inside the regular tailgate, fold-flat rear seats and a luggage capacity up to 1433 litres. There are also storage nets, locating rings and tie-down straps. AT A GLANCE Peugeot 207 Touring Outdoor Price: from $30,490Safety: six airbags, ESP, anti-skid brakesEngines: 1.6-litre petrol or turbodieselOutput: 88kw/160Nm (petrol), 80kw/240Nm (diesel)Economy: 6.4/7.3L/100kmEmissions: 130/173g/km

That honour went to VW with the Eos. But now Peugeot has joined in, with the 308CC being offered in petrol and diesel variants. Peugeot Automobiles Australia general manager and director Ken Thomas said diesel was important to the company which last month won the Le Mans with a diesel-powered car following on from Audi which achieved diesel victories over the previous two years. Thomas said diesel represented about 60 per cent of their sales and they only offered the 407 in diesel because "that is where customers demand has been". "People are just asking for it in diesel," he said. "National demand for diesel passenger cars is up 35 per cent and represents about 6 per cent of the market." He said 308 diesel represented 37.18 per cent of Peugeot's total sales, while 308 petrol was 19.63 per cent. The 308 hatch and Touring are the brand's biggest sellers by far at 59.7 per cent of sales. Thomas said this year they expected to sell about 6430 vehicles, which is down 824 on last year and a whopping 2377 down on their record total in 2007. Next year he predicted 308 would sell about 3150, 308CC would sell 600, 207 about 750 and 207CC would account for 300.

The newest Pug is expected to hit local showrooms late this year. Peugeot Automobiles Australia spokesman, Mark McCartney, says the company is in the process of working out specifications and pricing. However, he expects the updated 207 range to be close in price to the existing models, which means an entry starter around $20,990. Outside, the car's overall shape is the same but there is a new grille, LED tail-lights, door protection mouldings and more chrome detailing. At the front the car's gaping grille has been cleaned up and softened while the foglights on the upper-spec models have been moved from around the grille to the extreme corners of the front bumper. The XT, HDi, SW and GTi range also boasts a new set of Australian-themed 15-inch, 16-inch and 17-inch alloys, interestingly named "Brisbane", "Canberra" and "Melbourne". Inside there are new materials, a one-touch indicator for lane changing, remote controlled window closing from the ignition key, easier to use air conditioning controls and soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and around the cabin that are designed to lift quality levels. European versions are also likely to get a standard USB connection as well as Bluetooth. In Europe 12 different engines are available but Australia is likely to stick with the existing 1.4-litre entry models as well as the mid and top-range 1.6-litre HDi, 1.6-litre petrol four cylinder and turbocharged units. However, all the 207 engines will now be Euro V compliant. Peugeot has also launched a "green" low-emission 207 for Europe with a 66kW HDi engine, low-rolling resistance tyres and aerodynamic aids. The ultra-efficient HDi FAP has CO2 emissions of just 99g/km and fuel economy of 3.8 litres/100km. The 207 has been Europe's top selling small car for the past two years. In Australia it is the most popular Peugeot after the 308.  

Goodness knows what to call Peugeot's new baby, the 207 Touring. But call it clever, because it manages to be slightly more roomy than a typically petite hatchback, only slightly dearer (at $28,990 for the petrol four-speed automatic and $29,790 for the diesel five-speed manual) and just as enjoyable to drive. It's difficult to know which pigeonhole to park it in. This latest addition to the French car maker's family — joining five-door hatchback and convertible versions in the 207 range — is certainly a handy little thing. Plus it looks interesting, in a funky way. When the French stylists stretch a slick hatchback into a semi-wagon, as they have done here, the result doesn't look like it was whipped up as an afterthought. Instead, there is no shortage of flair about its creases, curves and angles. Practical, too. It has more luggage space (plus extra leg and headroom for back-seat passengers) due to an extended rear end. Peugeot has already applied Touring badges to members of its larger 307 and 407 ranges, but those are close enough to being conventional station wagons. Not so the new 207 Touring, based on the 207 hatchback but given a higher roof plus a longer, taller, and squarer rump. Though its vertical tail bears more than a passing resemblance to the back end of cars such as the Mercedes A-Class, Honda Jazz and Mitsubishi Colt (and everyone thinks of them as hatchbacks) the 207 Touring somehow comes across as a refreshing original. It is not surprising, since many European brands seem to have mastered the knack of creating crossbreed vehicles that aren't exactly SUVs or people movers, wagons, hatches or coupes, but combine some features of each class, searching for a niche of their own. The result in the 207's case isn't huge, just slightly more roomy than its hatchback brother. It offers more space than the hatchback, though the Touring is only $800 dearer and 14kg heavier, with the same turning circle and fuel consumption. Pretty much a win-win proposition; the driver gets a panoramic view of the world behind, and rear passengers fare better than in a 207 hatchback, enjoying a more elevated seating position. Also, the Touring's back seat is a different design to the hatchbacks, much easier to fold down. No need to tip the bottom cushion out of the way here — it slides forward automatically. The Touring is fitted with a big glass sunroof, which is a $1000 option in its otherwise-similarly-equipped 207 XT hatchback. There are several SUVs that offer more room and all-wheel-drive for around the same price as the 207 Touring, but it can counter with its chic Euro style and first-rate dynamics. Some people will find its compactness a virtue, and small size in this case means small thirst. It comes with a choice of 1.6 litre, four-cylinder engines — a petrol unit with automatic transmission, or a diesel with a manual gearbox.  

Over the years, the motoring industry has been slow to latch on to changes in technology – from AM radio to eight-track, to cassettes, digital CDs and now computer files. There are three approaches to computer files. The easiest, cheapest and most prevalent is to play these files burnt on to a CD. Then there is the auxiliary headphone jack to play an MP3 player, or full compatibility through a USB port. The third is to fit a hard drive which can directly download and store your music from a computer or CDs. Chrysler does it and now Peugeot is introducing its RT4 Multi Media System in the Peugeot 207. Peugeot Automobiles Australia public and customer relations manager Mathew McAuley said they had not yet been advised when it would be available in Australia. He said it could be several months before it was fitted in 207s here. The system uses a 30GB hard drive to store up to 180 hours of music tracks downloaded from your computer or CDs. Hard drives are a lot more expensive than an auxiliary jack or even USB connectivity, but they are claimed to have better audio quality and more functionality. It also includes a satellite navigation system, which is also claimed to be much faster at processing a route because it doesn't have to access CD ROM-based mapping information. Being inbuilt, the RT4 system is also less prone to theft which plagues iPods and portable sat nav units left in cars. The RT4 system has evolved from the original Peugeot RT3 system launched in 2002 but uses the next generation technology with the use of a special disk designed to operate in a car environment. It also features an integrated hands-free GSM mobile phone including voice activation. And you can still use your iPod or portable MP3 player via external RCA/auxiliary sockets, rather than inferior quality mini jacks as used with headphones.