Peugeot 407 SV

Fast facts Peugeot 407 SV Base model 2.2 litre six-speed manual $42,790 Model tested with six-speed auto $55,990 Engine 3 litre V6 0 -100kmh 8.7 secs Economy on test 14 l/100 kms city/8 l/100 kms highway Warranty 3 years/unlimited kms

Stylish driving
Ken Llewelyn test drives the new Peugeot 407, a car with a sleek modern design that doesn’t leave much room for disappointment.

One area where French manufacturers shine is innovative styling! No one could mistake the Citroen C5 as being anything but French. And the new Peugeot 407 doesn’t disappoint!

The car is dominated by the huge ‘smiling’ grille. The headlights have evolved into a boomerang shape and the Lion badge is huge, but somehow it all blends into the modern, clean shape of Peugeot’s latest addition to the Australian market.

Historically, the French marque well and truly gained its reputation for toughness and reliability in the 50s Redex trials with a 203 winning the event in 1953. And indeed I took the 407 on 50kms of dirt road and the French luxury car handled the rough roads with oomph.

Easy riding:

Suspension has always been one of Peugeot’s strong points. In the 407, the independent, multi-link suspension is controlled on the SV with electronically controlled variable rate dampers.

In auto mode, damping is constantly adjusted providing a high degree of comfort with reasonable road holding. Pushing the sport button gives a much firmer and controlled ride.

The seating is comfortable with a reasonably spacious area for rear passengers and good size boot. Leather seats, xenon headlights and a premium sound system with six stacker add to the package.

Under the bonnet:

On the test car, the smooth three litre V6 punched out 155 kW and was perfectly mated to a superb, seamless, six-speed auto. Even pushing 1715 kg of car the performance was very good with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.7 secs.

Safety first:

Traction control combined with leading- edge technology for emergency braking assists to keep you on the road. Eight airbags with ‘intelligent’ adaptive bags at the front and active front head restraints to minimise whiplash injuries are all part of the safety package.

Distance to servo:

Premium fuel is recommended. Expect a fuel burn of 14 litres/100kms in the city and around 8 litres/100kms on the highway.

Before you buy:

French build quality has been criticised but the test car was OK. The only criticism I had was the rather fussy dash controls.