Peugeot extend 207 line-up with GTi

From June the Peugeot 207 GTi THP 175 model priced at £14,995 will be added to the high-selling 207 range of three and five door hatchbacks, CC coupe-convertibles and small panel vans in the UK.

The 207 line-up will be further extended this month with a four-speed Tiptonic automatic transmission option becoming available for 1.6-litre petrol three and five door Sport and five door SE models with prices ranging from £12,822 to £13,622.

The 207 SW estate models with petrol and diesel engine options will be added to the range in July, with prices yet to be announced. Theses will be followed by a recreational version based on their SW Outdoor concept model.

The Peugeot 207 was launched last July into the rapidly expanding ‘supermini’ range of passenger cars. This sector has shown the best growth in the UK new car market this year with sales up by 7.5 per cent.

Customers, either up or down-sizing because of taxation and traffic congestion issues, are being attracted into this sector by the increase in interior space, added specification and seating and load carrying versatility offered by the new generation of larger ‘superminis’.

Since the 207 launch last July Peugeot has sold over 50,000 of them in the UK and this year, with the addition of CC and SW derivatives, they expect to sell close to 70,000 units.

In 2008 they estimate 207 hatchbacks will achieve 70,000 UK sales, CC models 10,000 and the SW estate version 10,000 registrations each. The 207 is the overall best selling model range in Europe.

The UK sales objective for the new GTi is 700 units this year and 1,000 units in 2008. Most sales will come from retail and business user-chooser customers. As a range the 207 attracts 67 per cent of its sales from these customers.

Peugeot Motor Company in the UK said this week, the customer profile for the new 137mph, 207 GTi was 60 per cent male buyers, are more model than brand loyal, price is not a key purchase decision and they are generally younger than the average buyer in the ‘supermini’ segment.

In the GTi sector Peugeot are most well known for their much admired 205 GTi models launched in the mid 1980s with a total of 61,226 cars sold in the UK. The famous 205 GTi was replaced by the less-able 206 GTi in May 1999.

Andrew Didlick, Peugeot’s UK director of public relations said this week that the first 205 GTi model cost £6,700. The car only had a 105bhp engine, less performance, little in the way of interior specification, no air conditioning, no power steering and no air bags.

He added that the original £6,700 price in real terms is worth around £16,000 in today’s money. The new 207 GTi with more power, more performance, more technical refinement, more equipment, more interior space and more safety features, and priced at £14,995, represents much more value for money.

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