Peugeot lands tweaked 207

PEUGEOT Automobiles Australia has released an upgraded iteration of its smallest model, packed with a raft of new standard features and cosmetic updates across the range for no extra money.

The 2010 model year 207 represents a midlife makeover for Europe’s most popular small car, which went on sale in three and five-door hatch guise in February 2007, convertible form in July 2007 and as a wagon in November 2007.

The light-sized French model continues to be available in XR, XT and GTi model grades, with all three body derivatives – including the CC and Touring - receiving styling changes and extra standard equipment.

Including all body styles, the 207 was the top-selling small car in Europe in both 2007 and 2008, when some 423,700 examples were sold there. Peugeot says that more than 1.5 million versions have been sold globally since the latest model’s release in 2007.

So far this year in Australia, however, just 794 hatches and wagons (down 48.3 per cent) and 257 convertibles (down 43.1 per cent) have found new homes.

While prices continue to start from $22,490 for the XR 1.4-litre manual, PAA hopes to arrest that slide with fresh interior and exterior design elements and a more compelling standard equipment list across the range.

Key specification improvements include the fitment of six airbags as standard on the entry-level XR and a glass sunroof as standard on all XT models, which also gain standard dual-zone climate control and an electrochromatic rear-view mirror, plus standard rear privacy glass for XTs the GTi.

Cruise control is now standard on all 1.6-litre models, including the petrol XR auto and XT five-door hatches, and the XT HDi hatch, as well as the petrol XT auto wagon, the XT HDi wagon, GTi three-door and 207CC convertible.

While the latter continues to be available with 88kW naturally-aspirated and 110kW turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engines (and the GTi with a 128kW version of the 1.6), there is now a new version of the Touring wagon badged as the Outdoor, available with 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines.

The base XR continues with non-turbo 65kW/133Nm 1.4 and 88kW/160Nm1.6-litre petrol engines – the former mated to a five-speed manual transmission and the latter to a four-speed auto only.

The 1.6 is available with manual and automatic gearboxes in the CC and XT, which is also available with an 80kW/240Nm 1.6-litre HDi turbo-diesel engine, mated solely to a five-speed manual transmission.

Visually, the 2010 207 is distinguished by a one-piece lower front panel that introduces offset circular foglights (where fitted), located laterally in two aerodynamic recesses, which aim to add the perception of width to the vehicle.

Premium XT, GTi and CC versions add a more premium feel via extra chrome details, while the new 207 hatchback and CC models now have new LED tail-lights comprising two horizontal panels of six LEDs bordered on the inside by a vertical panel of three LEDs. Both the hatch and CC now feature body-coloured rear bumpers with rear parking sensors.

Exterior hatch changes are rounded out by new wheels named after Australian cities, with an eight-spoke 15-inch ‘Brisbane’ wheel cover standard on XR and XT models, a 16-inch ‘Canberra’ alloy wheel with five large spokes optional on the XT and a 17-inch ‘Melbourne’ two-tone alloy wheel with eight diamanté spokes standard on the GTi.

Inside the 207 there’s a new air-conditioning control panel and instrument panel, while XR, XT and CC models feature new metallic detailing Peugeot says is inspired by the world of vintage aviation.

The freshened 207 is available in 10 exterior paint colours, two of them new for 2010 - Inari Blue and Moroccan Red – while the six-strong GTi colour palette gains Moroccan Red.

There is no sign of the fuel-supping 207 Economique, which features special fuel consumption reduction additions to return average CO2 emissions of 99g/km and was revealed along with the revised range in Europe in July.