Peugeot´s new supermini estate car - the SW 207

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.

207 line-up

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.

Engines

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.

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