Peugeot
Is there no stopping Peugeot this year? Not content with the fabulous 207 CC, along with the feisty 207 GTi, followed by a taster of the iconic 308 that we will feature soon, now Peugeot have shown the world their first ever SUV by unveiling the new 4007.
Entering into a highly competitive yet desirable market, is there room for another SUV one has to ask? Well in the case of Peugeot, most definitely, as it extends their brand virtues even further in terms of style, innovation and quality and has been designed specifically to woo new customers who need a practical, functional yet comfortable SUV with distinctive looks thus a vehicle to be the proud of.
What better way to test this new SUV than to invite the children along for a mystery adventure that ended up in Longleat Safari Park and no- we were not allowed into the monkey section! As the children scrutinised the car looking for their storage solutions, easily working out the seat configurations, I marvelled in the luxury on board and the sheer comfort this SUV provides.
Two models trims are available the SE and GT with my test car being the later mated to a 2.2 litre HDi diesel first seen in the beautiful 407 HDI 170. I remember the days when Peugeot diesels were notorious for being so loud but this engine is so quite and pretty fast of the mark racing from 0-62 in just 9.9 seconds, a top speed of 124mph and a whopping 38.7 mpg is achieved on a combined cycle, that means it will cost the average motorist just £1311 in fuel to travel 12, 000 miles. If that was not enough for the conscious environmentalist, just look as these CO2 figures, right down at 194g/km, thus falling into VED band F as a cost of £210 for 12 months. The engine is fitted with Peugeots industry leading Diesel Particulate Filler System that reduces exhaust particulate emissions to virtually zero unlike a conventional SUV and it is 30% biodiesel compatible without any modifications.
We as parents have to take some responsibility for the climate when choosing new cars these days, and so far, this new 4007 has ticked all the boxes in terms of being environmentally friendly which will certainly win many votes within modern day families especially the females. However, to lure the men votes is the 4007’s innovative electronic 'on demand’ 4WD system and unlike many other systems, the 4007 enables the driver to select three modes of drive, while on the move. So while the men play with thier toys by either choosing Permanent 2WD, Automatic 4WD or Permanent 4WD, we women bask in the leather upholstery knowing its easier to clean, keep cool thanks to the automatic air conditioning with pollen and dust filter, conscious of not being pulled over thanks to cruise control and fiddle with the CD autochanger. Optional extras include an MP 3 music storage, rear view camera that the children love to watch and great for parking, plus a sat nav system than won me over as it is a soothing male voice and not an irritating females!
The 4007 comes with a choice of eight new exterior colours including a metallic Garrigue Green – who makes up these names, and dominating the front is a huge grille with the number plate branded across the middle flanked by two fog lights in the body colour integrated bumper. The light clusters are the same stunning design as seen on all the Peugeots and certainly turns heads followed by nods of approval. The GT version has whopping 18-inch alloy wheel as opposed to 16 inch on the SE, along with roof bars, colour coded electrically operated, heated door handles that fold in when parked.
The 4007 has the option of either being a 5 or 7 seater with the two extra seats neatly folding flush with the large boot area. Three straps is all it needs to unlock, deploy and fold the third row yet there is still plenty of room for small suitcases, or lots of shopping bags. The rear luggage area is really easy to access thanks to the split opening tailgate with the lower part taking 200g in weight. The rear parcel shelf can be removed or adjusted to conceal your designer shopping bags and the space saver spare wheel is hidden under the body to increase storage inside. The children found most of these when they were kindly give drinks, sweets and crisps for their adventure, and yes I will send Kevin the dental bill! The upper of the dual glove boxes is refrigerated while the lower is lockable, while in the centre console is another box and a sunglass holder. The centre armrest opens into two parts with the lower having a 12 volt connector and the upper a lovely home for the mobile with cup holders within arms length while the middle seats occupants can use the elasticated pockets behind the front seats along with door pockets and the third row occupants have side pockets for thier bits and pieces.
Because of the 4007's extra height, this SUV looks bigger than it actually is, but don’t worry about those parking bays as the power assisted steering is really good as is visibility due to the large glass area and huge door mirrors. Thanks to the rigid body the drive is on par with a family hatch and is certainly very smooth and accommodating. ESP is standard and due to the AWD transmission, the stability control is more efficient. As well as ABS, the 4007 incorporates a traction control system that monitors traction and improves engine performance during acceleration in bends or hills. Passive safety features include two front, two side and two curtain airbags, Xenon headlamps for better night visibility especially when cornering, and of course, due to its raised driving position, not only will the driver have a better view of the road, the children can also see more so I-spy can go on for a very very long time! Be warned.
I have to admit, the 4007 certainly won me and the children over with its strikingly good looks, comfortable interior, all the necessary features, a great ride and handling and overall I felt really safe driving this SUV. The 4007 will definitely win the hearts of the environmentalist and those holding the purse strings will easily agree to the £22,709 price tag for the SE or, and I bet will, stretch to £25,490 for the GT version. So make a date with your local dealer soon.
Jackie Violet
Is there no stopping Peugeot this year? Not content with the fabulous 207 CC, along with the feisty 207 GTi, followed by a taster of the iconic 308 that we will feature soon, now Peugeot have shown the world their first ever SUV by unveiling the new 4007.
Entering into a highly competitive yet desirable market, is there room for another SUV one has to ask? Well in the case of Peugeot, most definitely, as it extends their brand virtues even further in terms of style, innovation and quality and has been designed specifically to woo new customers who need a practical, functional yet comfortable SUV with distinctive looks thus a vehicle to be the proud of.
What better way to test this new SUV than to invite the children along for a mystery adventure that ended up in Longleat Safari Park and no- we were not allowed into the monkey section! As the children scrutinised the car looking for their storage solutions, easily working out the seat configurations, I marvelled in the luxury on board and the sheer comfort this SUV provides.
Two models trims are available the SE and GT with my test car being the later mated to a 2.2 litre HDi diesel first seen in the beautiful 407 HDI 170. I remember the days when Peugeot diesels were notorious for being so loud but this engine is so quite and pretty fast of the mark racing from 0-62 in just 9.9 seconds, a top speed of 124mph and a whopping 38.7 mpg is achieved on a combined cycle, that means it will cost the average motorist just £1311 in fuel to travel 12, 000 miles. If that was not enough for the conscious environmentalist, just look as these CO2 figures, right down at 194g/km, thus falling into VED band F as a cost of £210 for 12 months. The engine is fitted with Peugeots industry leading Diesel Particulate Filler System that reduces exhaust particulate emissions to virtually zero unlike a conventional SUV and it is 30% biodiesel compatible without any modifications.
We as parents have to take some responsibility for the climate when choosing new cars these days, and so far, this new 4007 has ticked all the boxes in terms of being environmentally friendly which will certainly win many votes within modern day families especially the females. However, to lure the men votes is the 4007’s innovative electronic 'on demand’ 4WD system and unlike many other systems, the 4007 enables the driver to select three modes of drive, while on the move. So while the men play with thier toys by either choosing Permanent 2WD, Automatic 4WD or Permanent 4WD, we women bask in the leather upholstery knowing its easier to clean, keep cool thanks to the automatic air conditioning with pollen and dust filter, conscious of not being pulled over thanks to cruise control and fiddle with the CD autochanger. Optional extras include an MP 3 music storage, rear view camera that the children love to watch and great for parking, plus a sat nav system than won me over as it is a soothing male voice and not an irritating females!