I last road tested a Peugeot 207 hatchback away back in August 2006, shortly after it was introduced to the Irish market. That car had the 1.4 litre petrol engine tuned to deliver 65 kW and 133 Nm. Recently I had the opportunity to renew my acquaintance with the 207 hatchback, in the form of the Biarritz Special Edition model. On this occasion I had the opportunity to drive both the petrol and the diesel versions.
The Biarritz has a large panoramic glass roof, which I really like. Unfortunately it does not have an opening section, so the interior of the car can get rather warm in fine sunny weather. When this happens you have two options. One you can open the windows to let the fresh air in to cool things down, which is my preferred method, or ; Two you can slide the headlining panels forwards to meet the windscreen header rail, thus closing off the direct rays of the sun from the inside of the car, making it just like any other hardtop car. My only disappointment with my preferred option of opening the windows, is that only the two front windows are electrically operated.
Away back in the nineteen sixties I remember driving my boss’s Renault 16 TS, which in those days had the luxury of electrically operated front windows. I remember telling my wife, that if I ever became so imbecilic that I could not wind down the windows myself, I would give up driving. Now when I have to wind windows down manually I am anything but impressed ! I mean, having to something like this manually, is out of the last century !
Thankfully the Biarritz has electrically adjustable, exterior rear view mirrors, front fog lamps and a Bluetooth connection for your mobile telephone. The radio/CD equipment has a MP3 compatibility.

My first drive was in the 1.4 litre diesel powered model. It is tuned to deliver 50 kW and 160 Nm, so it is quite a lot less powerful than the car tested in 2006. However, its high torque output helps to offset this power deficiency to a certain degree. If you are prepared to accept a slightly slower rate of acceleration, it makes up for this sacrifice in many other ways. To put this into context, in the 0-100 kph sprint, the diesel Biarritz takes 15.1 seconds, or around a second more than the model tested in August 2006, (15.1 secs vs 14.2 secs). Now in drag racing starts and out on the open road, that is significant, but in normal everyday city/suburban driving, you will hardly notice it. Top speed is also less, but as both have a top speed, well in excess of the Irish national and European Union speed limits, that is of no significance at all. Just for the record, the diesel Biarritz has a top speed of 166 kph (103 mph), which is faster than most people would drive anyway. The model tested in August 2006 was credited with 180 kph (111 mph).
On the plus side the diesel has an Urban fuel consumption of 48 mpg (5.8 lt/100 km), Extra urban consumption of 74 mpg (3.8 lt/100 km) and a Combined cycle average of 62 mpg (4.5 lt/100 km). While the 2006 1.4 litre petrol model had a very satisfactory fuel consumption - 33 mpg urban, 54 mpg extra urban and 44 mpg combined - this diesel is streets ahead. In these difficult financial times that has to be a priceless asset. Its lower fuel consumption naturally leads to lower exhaust emissions, 117 gm/km versus 152 gm/km and that in turn gives the advantage of a lower road tax. At present rates, the diesel would fall into category A with an annual liability of 104 euro, while the other model falls into category C with an annual liability of 302 euro. That too is very good news in these difficult times.
While I was aware of its less spirited performance, velocity wise, I was also hugely satisfied by the way the needle on the fuel gauge seemed to be stuck in the full position for so long. If the performance is a wee bit dull, it is amply compensated for by the bright cheerful sunshine, flooding through that large glass roof on a good day and the extra light helping to brighten up the interior ambience on an otherwise dull day.

The petrol Biarritz, also had a 1.4 litre engine, but it too was in a lower level of tune than the model tested back in August 2006. As far as I am aware, the difference is that the 2006 model had a twin overhead camshaft cylinder head with 16 valves, while this Biarritz has the older single overhead camshaft head with eight valves. Its power output is less than the 2006 test car, so too is its torque. How does this stack up in the performance stakes ? Here there are a number of surprises. Top speed is less; 170 kph (105 mph) compared to 180 kph (111 mph), but its 0-100 acceleration is very marginally better, 13.9 seconds compared to 14.2 seconds. In day to day driving you are not going to be conscious of any difference. The fuel consumption is almost identical too ; 33 mpg urban, 54 mpg extra urban and 44 mpg combined. There is a very slight improvement in that extra urban figure (56 mpg vs 54 mpg) and perhaps that accounts for the very marginal improvement in exhaust emissions, which are now recorded as 150 gm/km. This has no effect on the road tax liability, at present rates.
My 2006 test car was finished and equipped to SE standards. Currently it is listed at 16,474 euro, while the Biarritz, with a slightly less powerful engine, but an almost identical performance in all aspects, is listed at 17,120 euro. For that extra 646 euro you get that beautiful glass roof, the front fog lamps and the Bluetooth mobile telephone kit. I think that it is worth it, but only you can decide if it is worth it for you. There was, however, one aspect of the Biarritz specification that I was not happy with. It comes without a spare wheel ! In its place you get one of those puncture repair kits, using a bottle of latex and a plug-in electric compressor. I have no faith in this system. I know that it saves weight, perhaps leading to that slight improvement in extra urban fuel consumption and lower emissions, but I like driving and I like to venture far and wide and in these circumstances, I do not trust the latex plus compressor solution. I say this from experience having been stranded before with this system.
Both the diesel and the petrol Biarritz come as standard with a five speed manual gearbox. In both cases the gearchange is smooth and positive. The gear ratios naturally vary from diesel to petrol, to accommodate those differences in power and torque, produced by the two engines. Looking through the specifications I was surprised to find that the petrol model can carry up to 75 kg on the roof, while the diesel version is limited to 65 kg. To balance this the diesel can tow braked trailers of up to 940 kg, while the petrol version is limited to 720 kg. When it comes to unbraked trailers, both models are limited to 600 kg. Those differences aside, the two models are identical in most other respects. Perhaps the biggest decision you will have to make is : Petrol or Diesel ? The latter is cheaper to operate, but costs 1,003 euro more in the first place.

On good roads, the ride is comfortable and the roadholding good. The car handles easily, both out on the open road and in confined spaces. The steering is electrically power assisted and requires three turns from lock to lock. Naturally once you decide to brave the hazards of Fingal’s road surfaces, that normally comfortable ride can change dramatically. It still manages to cope reasonably with merely rough and uneven surfaces, but Fingal’s infamous potholes and craters are another matter. The jolting you get in these circumstances is directly proportional to the severity of the pothole. This is where its well balanced steering is an advantage, as provided there is the space to do so, you can have a challenging game of dodge-ems with the potholes. Unfortunately there is not always the space to do so, as the roads are frequently nothing more than narrow donkey tracts with a bit of tar spread on top. There is also the hazard of traffic moving in the opposite direction, so you have the choice of demolishing you nearside tyres and suspension, or having a head-on collision with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction. Frequently those other vehicles are large trucks, which are almost as wide as the roads themselves, thus forcing you into those ditches and hazardous edges, whether you like it or not.

One of the things that contributes in no small measure to the overall driving pleasure, is the layout of the instruments and driving controls. The main instruments are analogue and housed in a hooded binnacle, behind the steering wheel. They have white faces, with black lettering and red needles. The two main dials accommodate the tachometer (left) and speedometer (right). In between there is a small dial that houses the fuel gauge (left) and engine temperature gauge (right). The rectangular digital panel below that has the trip and total distance odometers. There are also various warning lights positioned between the rims of the two main dials and the smaller central dial.
A digital panel in the top centre of the facia indicates the time, as well as the various audio settings, besides housing a row of warning lights, mainly to indicate when an occupied seat does not have its associated seat belt fastened. The audio equipment is centrally placed and reasonably high up, making it fall naturally to hand for both the driver or the front passenger. There is a useful open storage place immediately below, with the heating/ventilating controls below that. These are clear and easy to see, with the direction/distribution dial on the left, fan output control in the centre and the temperature selection knob on the right. Two switches below this panel operate the central locking/unlocking and the childproof locks. It is all so beautifully simple, easy to operate and convenient. The left hand stalk under the steering wheel controls the lights and direction indicators, while a matching stalk on the right looks after the wipers, including the rear wiper and washers. Lower down towards the driver’s legs there in another protrusion on the right, that has a selector for the Bluetooth and other equipment.
The steering wheel adjusts for both reach and height. The driver’s seat also has a full range of adjustments, including height, so drivers of all shapes and sizes, should be able to find a comfortable position. Each sun visor has a covered vanity mirror, which will please many people, be they drivers or front seat passengers.
While black is the main interior colour, it is offset with plenty of contrasting, lighter coloured trim. The top of the gearlever has a shiny silver gear position indicator, while the steering wheel has a shiny silver rampant lion, the Peugeot logo. Internal door handles are matt silver, with matching contrasts on the facia and around the ventilation outlets. As already mentioned the instrument faces are white and they have matt silver bezels. The seats are covered in black cloth, with some offsetting grey sections.

The rear seat is divided 60/40. It has three individual, adjustable head restraints. When carrying rear seat passengers, you need to remind them to raise these headrests, as otherwise they push uncomfortably into your lower neck and shoulders. The centre section of the seat is comfortably padded, so the only difficulty for an adult seated there is the reduced legroom caused by the intrusion of the structure between the two front seats and the reduction in comfortable shoulder room for all three adults on the back seat.
When all five seats are in use, the 207 hatchback has 0.270 cubic metres of luggage space. This can be expanded to 0.923 cubic metres when only the two front seats are needed. As the backrest is divided 60/40 you also have a degree of flexibility in your passenger/awkward loads capabilities. ISOfix fittings are provided on the outer two rear seats.

Above left : Normal luggage space ------------------- Above right : Maximum luggage space

Above : 60/40 adaptable luggage space

The standard Peugeot warranty is for two years unlimited mileage, with two years roadside assistance, three years paint cover and twelve years anti-perforation. Whether you choose petrol power or diesel power, the service requirements are similar, with a 30,000 km (20,000 miles) or two years interval. Naturally servicing requirements, will vary with operating conditions, so the above figures are a guideline only.

Technical data

****************************************

Photo gallery

Above : Puncture repair kit and wheel changing tools.

Above and below : 1.4 litre, turbocharged diesel engine