Peugeot drives forward with 207 SW and 308
Author: David Miles
Published: 02 August 2007
Peugeot’s parent company PSA, which also includes Citroen, has recently posted increased turnover and sales figures for the first half of 2007.
PSA is now the second largest passenger car manufacturer in Europe, after the VW Group, and the largest manufacturer of light commercial vehicles.
Driven by new model introductions both the Peugeot and Citroen brands are currently outperforming the UK’s overall new car market which, for the first six months of 2007, showed just over a 2% increase.
Citroen has been successful with their new C4 Picasso and C4 Grand Picasso and will receive a further boost with the C-Crosser SUV.
Peugeot has enjoyed increased sales success with the launch last year of the very popular 207 ‘supermini’ hatchbacks followed this year by the 207 CC coupe-cabriolet models.
They will benefit further with the introduction of the 4007 SUV, the all new 308 hatchback in September and right now with the latest additional 207 introduction - the SW estates.
In the future we might even see a version of the stunning 308 RC Z concept car, a 2+2 Coupe with a 218bhp turbocharged petrol engine which makes its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Certainly the 308, the replacement for the popular 307 range, will become available in hatchback, coupe- cabriolet and SW forms.
Peugeot 207 SW
This year Peugeot expects to sell 4,500 of the new 207 SW models in the UK and 9,000 in a full year. The 207 SW replaces the 206 SW launched in the UK in 2002 and which ended its life late last year. A total of 36,388 were sold in the UK in that period.
The 207 SW shares the same wheelbase as the 207 five door hatchback but with an increased overall length of 119mm and 38mm extra height.
The all important load area for the SW has 428-litres of luggage space with the rear seats in position and 1,433-litres with the rear seat folded, much more than the previous 206 SW and more than the Volvo V50 estate.
Prices for the new 207 SW range from £11,340 up to 14,365. There are two levels of specification S and Sport with a total of four engine options, 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol units from the PSA joint venture with BMW and MINI and PSA HDi 90 and 110 PSA turbodiesel engines.
The most popular single engine is expected to be the HDi 90 unit because of the interest from business users.
Peugeot estimate that in the UK the 207 SW will attract 70% of its sales from the fleet and business sectors and the petrol/diesel ratio with be 60/40 overall.
The age group of users will be younger families aged between 28 to 35 and ‘active’ older users aged 55 plus.
Verdict
The attractive styling of the 207 hatchbacks is replicated brilliantly with the SW estates - they really look well balanced. The extra interior space in both headroom and load area will be most welcome.
The driving dynamics of the SW are not as sharp as the 207 hatchbacks due to the added height and length but as a versatile, useful sized estate car it is a strong contender for sales in an expanding sector of the new car market.
Peugeot 308
To replace the high selling existing 307 range of hatchbacks, coupe-cabriolets and SW estates is no easy task. Over 300,000 have been sold in the UK with sales of around 45,000 units a year.
Just a brief preview last week by Peugeot UK of the new 308 hatchback suggests that they will have another sales ‘winner’ on their hands.
The 308 needs to be good, now slightly larger it will be in a very competitive market sector of medium sized models that include offerings from Ford, Vauxhall, BMW, Audi and Mercedes.
Like the 207 over the 206, the new 308 is longer and wider than the 307models it will replace. Initially five- door hatchbacks of the new 308 range go on the market with sales starting in September; three door versions follow later this year with SW and CC versions following during 2008. Prices and specifications are yet to be announced but they will be competitive.
You have to assume, not confirmed by Peugeot, that the stunning Frankfurt Show 308RC Z Concept could pave the way for a 2+2 solid roof sports coupe in the future taking the brand as a whole to a much higher level.
The 308 hatchback is 74mm longer, 85mm wider with wider front and rear tracks and it looks sleeker due to the 12mm reduction in height. It looks a much bigger and imposing car all together than the 307.
The large grille, pronounced bonnet nose and long front overhang, in hatchback form, it appears front end heavy and probably the SW versions will look better balanced.
The extra length has given the 308 more luggage space, 430-litres rear seats in position, 1,398-litres with the three rear seats folded.
The 308 will be available with the choice of 10 engine options appealing to the fleet, business and retail market sectors. The 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines range from 95bhp to 150bhp, in non-turbo and turbocharged form.
These units are again from the PSA and BMW-MINI partnership. Diesel units from PSA will be 1.6 and 2.0-litre HDi engines with 90 to 136bhp levels of power.
Related Peugeot news:
The new 308 RCZ - the car Peugeot cannot afford not to buildSee Also:
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