Peugeot 207 GTi THP 175 If you thought GTi’s were a thing of the past, then think again as Peugeot proudly present their version of the GTi on the popular 207 that will be launched this month in the UK.
Now Peugeot have strong links on the GTi front going right back to the 205 GTi in 1980s and more recently the 206 GTi 180. Thankfully due to modern evolution, the eighties ‘hot hatch’ GTi has matured into a very mutli talented car, easy to drive, still quick off the mark obviously, but also very practical.
Customer profile still shows the males as the most dominate buyers but the ladies are breaking in. The question I have for these young buyers is although the car stands in at a reasonable £14,995 with CO2 emissions surprisingly low at 171, the GTi fall into insurance group 15E that is horrendously expensive. But its these types of cars young buyers are attracted to for they actually have surplus cash by default of not being able to get on the property ladder. So car or house? Lets chose car.
And in the case of the new 207 GTi the exterior looks are simply stunning with many similarities taken from the 3-door 207-sport hatchback. The front, with those seductive headlights proves its authentic Peugeot breeding along with the double air intakes, front fog lights and the large Peugeot emblem sitting every proudly on top of the bonnet. To profile and the 207 GTi almost comes alive with the raised rear tailgate spoiler that not only looks the business but also helps to optimise performance at high speeds, the lovely 17 inch alloy wheels, the electrically operated and heated door mirrors covered in a satin chrome finish and the ‘B’ post trims with a ‘satin black' finish. To the rear and the most observant of fans will spot the twin chrome trapezoid rear exhaust pipes that gets the would be driver’s heart missing a beat at the thought of what is to come.
Inside you fall into the bucket style seats with ergonomically shaped frames similar to competition cars but offering excellent lateral supports from the base of the driver’s back right up to the shoulders. Even the rear passengers have these bucket seats so they get the benefits of the lateral support as well which they just may need.
The instrument panel comprises of five circular dials trimmed in chrome against a black background while the height adjustable leather steering wheel includes the specially shaped ‘thumb’ recess. The chrome pedals are rather small and very close together. Maybe the French all have little feet but I am a size eight - no comments please and I struggled a bit in this department. The neat T-shaped central console is home to the manual air conditioning and radio CD player but then there are a host of optional extras to ‘personalise’ your 207 GTi such as parking sensors - not really needed, speed limiter and cruise control - definitely needed, tyre pressure detector - very useful in this car, automatic windscreen wipers with rain sensor, panoramic tinted glass roof to name a few but just watch the pennies here.
When you turn on the 207 GTi’s ignition, do it a few times with the window open just to get a feel for the noise. It’s quite wonderful and yes I am defiantly turning into a sad old petrol head. Roaring the GTi into action is the award wining THP 1598 cc engine that takes just 7.1 seconds to reach 62 mph, has a top speed of 138 mph yet a pretty impressive 39.2-mpg on a combined cycle. The five speed manual gearbox is a breeze to use and with the electric power steering praised when first launched for its versatile operation at low speeds and accuracy at higher speeds, this was tuning into a very nice drive.
But of course it’s the county lanes that really tests a cars ride and handling abilities and here the 207 GTi was faultless thanks to the front suspension that ensures improved road handling by maintaining precise control over the front wheels regardless of the suspension load contained and the rear suspension being 30% more than the previous. Braking was secured with the 207 GTi having, as standard, an ESP programme that includes ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Emergency Brake Assist, Traction Control and Stability Control that detects any incipient under steer or oversteer. It also allows the integration of an all-new Steering Stability Program which, when the two are linked improves the cars stability in straight line stopping distance when braking where the wheels might be on different road surfaces. The beauty of this ESP system is it can be switched off for the die-hard drivers who really want to experience or possibly exploit the GTi’s capabilities.
Which they can do safe in the knowledge that this 207 GTi THP 175 scored a remarkable 5 stars for front and side impact, 3 stars for pedestrian and 4 stars for child Protection into the Euro NCAP ratings thanks to double impact absorptions system all over the car. For the passengers, there are two front air bags, two side and two curtain airbags while the remote control central locking with deadlocks keeps envious onlookers at bay
My guess is that most males would probably opt of the black metallic paint but I rather fell for my Flamenco Red. While buyers may get strung on insurance quotes, they will save a few pennies as the 207 GTi comes with three years warranty, one year of AA cover and servicing is every two years or 20,000. Well the way this car drives, I think the latter will come before the former. She was so much fun, so responsive and I had great drive in her. Enjoy.
FemaleFirst - Jackie Violet