Back to the Future
Okay, personal recollection time: I remember when the Peugeot 207 was launched in New Zealand in 2007. It was done in a back-to-back affair with fellow French manufacturer Renault, which was also launching its entrant into the super mini market – the Clio.
One day we drove the Renault, the next we drove the Peugeot. This was a bad move on Renault's part, as the 207 made the poor little Clio look distinctly ordinary in comparison. The 207's ride, handling and build quality were all several steps above the Clio and the (at the time) polarising gaping mouth styling was far fresher and more interesting than the Renault and added a whole heap more personality.
Now, three years down the track, we have a refreshed 207 on our hands and it has the sales figures to back up what we all thought at the time – that it was a damn good little car.
And it still is.
Age sometimes isn't kind to cars. A couple of years of hindsight and suddenly the styling will begin to look off. What was fresh and exciting is now ordinary, or even worse, ugly. But fortunately that is not the case with the 207. Peugeot's smiley front end has aged particularly well and what was, at the time, a brave move styling-wise has been vindicated by the fact that, in its first full year on sale, the 207 was the best-selling car in Europe and has continued with strong sales to this day.
A recent addition to the 207 line up in New Zealand is the Premiere, which boasts alloy wheels, Bluetooth phone connectivity and the option of leather seats over the standard 207 XT Auto. But the big difference is under the Premiere's stubby, sculpted bonnet – a new Euro 5-compliant version of the 207's 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine, meaning better fuel consumption and lower emissions. Exactly the sort of thing your average buyer of a stylish European super mini is looking for, really.
But of course, your average buyer of a stylish European super mini is also looking for, well, European style and the 207 Premiere has it in spades.
The exterior styling was pretty right to begin with and the interior has a nicely restrained hint of elegance about it that a lot of its super mini competitors lack. Well put together and using materials of a generally high standard, the inside of the 207 Premiere is an extremely agreeable place to spend time. The optional leather feels slightly out of place in a super mini – traditionally a “cheap and cheerful” segment - but adds a nice touch of class to proceedings, although whether it is worth shelling out the extra $2,000 Peugeot ask for it is largely down to personal preference.
The 1.6-litre petrol engine is a perky and willing performer and hauls the little 207 around in a more than adequate fashion. Performance around town certainly isn't lacking and, although the four-speed automatic transmission screams out for an extra cog or two on the open road, this doesn't present any particularly huge problems around town. Which, let's face it, is where cars like the 207 spend the vast majority of their time. Five or six would be nice, but I guess four will do.
Peugeot have always been pretty good at nailing a nice ride/handling combination with their small cars and the 207 was never an exception to that rule. And it still isn't, with the 207 Premiere proving to be equally adept handling the bumps as it is carving the corners.
With Peugeot's current offer of a cloth-trimmed 207 Premiere for $27,990, it makes for a sorely tempting way to get into an affordable, yet stylish and fun European super mini.

Specifications:

Body type  Five-door hatch
Drive   Front-wheel-drive
Engine Type  Four-cylinder
Engine Capacity 1598 cc
Max power  88 kW @ 6000 rpm
Max torque  1,60 Nm @ 4250 rpm
Fuel Consumption 6.8 L/100km
C02 emission  159 g/km
0 to 100kph  N/a
Front suspension MacPherson strut
Rear suspension Torsion beam
Roof Rack  No
ABS Brakes  Yes
Air Bags  6
ESP   Yes

 Air Conditioning Manual
Lap/diagonal belts 5
Satellite Navigation No
Electric seats  No
Burglar Alarm  Yes
Panic Button  No
Boot release  No
Cargo Cover  Yes
Boot Capacity  270 L
Wheel type  15-inch alloy
Spare Tyre  Full size

Through Life Cost Report
36 Months 60000km
Price           $29,990
WOF    $90.00
Registration      $862.00
Servicing to 60k:     $982.12
Total Tyre cost:   $966.00
Residual (33%) $11,396.20 
Indicative final figure $21,493.92

The Through Life Cost Model is used for illustrative and indicative purposes only. FleetWorks and Adrenalin Publishing Limited accept no responsibility or liability should any costs indicated in the Through Life Cost Model change from those published. All residual values are based on an average of values achieved through Turners Auctions Limited sales for the previous 3 months from issue date.