I have to admit, I didn’t think much about the Peugeot 207 when it was launched. Heck, I still don’t think much about it. Basically it’s a hatchback 206 with a boot job and depending on which angle you look; to some, it’s stylish … to others (which unfortunately, I think is the larger number), it looks like a 206 Frankenstein who’s just had some extra parts sewn to it …. which really is a shame (that applies to me as well) because if you get past the looks, it’s a pretty value for money car.
As always, when automakers try to do a sedan out of a hatchback, one of the greatest challenge they face is how to adopt a seamless design for the rear C pillars (that’s where the fuel cap is). Look at the picture above; don’t you think the size of the pillar is as big as Titanic? If they had redesigned the rear doors aperture and shape. Perhaps move the rear fuel cap rearwards a little, then stretch the rear doors a bit more to the back (such as a smaller triangle window as if often found in some other cars or even just some visual lines in that area to make the rear look look longer, thereby eliminating the extra cost of redesigning and stocking of a unique door), it might look more appealing. Well, beauty is skin deep …. once you get deep enough, you’d appreciate it more, as did a colleague of mine who recently bought one.
Since its inception, the 207 in Malaysia has been a confusing car because this version of the 207 can only be found in Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Sri Lanka. Anywhere else, you’d find a 207 that looks like this:
A proper, hatchback bigger brother of the 206 and smaller brother of the 308. The reason why it exists is part of the agreement Peugeot has here in which to develop Malaysia as its regional right hand drive manufacturing hub. Since the 206 is old and needs to be facelifted, it’s the perfect specimen for the surgeons table.
The end result is a better spec-ed 206. Aside from the added boot size, this car has a slew of up-to-date gadgetry that is class leading (for its price).
I counted 6 features which is not present in other B segment cars with an asking price below RM70k (after discount):
1) Guide-me-home light. The front headlights remains switched on for 30 seconds after the ignition is turned off. It’s as much a safety feature as a convenient one because with illumination after a person alights from the car, he/she can see if there are any hazardous materials around (not to mention better seen by others around)
2) Auto light and auto wiper … unheard of in this class
3) The only car with a 1.6litre engine. The other 1.6 engine B segment cars such as the Nissan Sentra, Nissan Latio Sedan and Suzuki SX4 sedan (discontinued) has a much higher asking price
4) Distance to empty trip meter. Don’t see many of this in a non-local car for such a price
5) Rear fog lamps for added safety while driving in heavy rain. Most people turn on their hazard signal which serves to confuse other road users and legally a bad thing to do. A rear fog lamp provides excellent visibility to those trailing behind
6) Auto airconditioning climate control? For a car less than RM70k?
Not only that, the rear seats can be completely removed and folded flat. Without the seats being folded, it offers 420litres of cargo space …. with the seats down, you could probably stuff …. hmmm, in Mafia terms, 5 body bags easily?
It comes with a full sized spare tire, Bluetooth connectivity is standard and rear legroom space is adequate for this segment size
All in all, it’s quite a decent car … my only 2 grips is that the seat railings for both front seats could have been covered with a plastic casing, making it look more upmarket. And I think one of the main reasons why it has not sold as many units as others is due to the heavy hydraulic steering which may turn off a lot of buyers of the fairer sex. You don’t need to mop your house to work those shoulder muscles … run around KL in this car will give you as good a workout.
So, if you can get past the styling, wants a decent continental feel car for a bargain price of less than RM70k and finds the steering weight not as bad as mopping a whole house, why not give this car a try? Peugeot is offering 5 years warranty inclusive of parts and labour at this point of time.
Here’s something else you can do when you visit the showrooms: Knock the door and fender panels and knock the same place in a Japanese/Korean equivalent …. I bet you can immediately tell this car is a lot more solidly built.
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