First drive: Peugeot 407 Coupe 2.7HDi

Newswheel staff :: 05 October 2005 :: Filed under Coupe, Peugeot, Peugeot 407 Coupe, Europe & UK,

[Click on an image to view]

Our favourite Frenchies wheel out an old school cruiser with a (slightly) modern twist

Peugeot’s dearly departed 406 Coupe, unveiled in 1997, was a beautiful car, plain and simple. But it was hardly a quality vehicle, much less a satisfying ownership proposition. Thank the low-rent underpinnings provided by the 406 saloon for that. The plasticky, taxicab-nasty interior and cat-flap-in-a-tornado build quality didn’t help, either. In short, it was a car crying out for a genuinely modern chassis and drivetrain.

And that’s exactly what Peugeot’s recently launched 407 saloon can provide. For sure, the 407 remains a full rung below BMW’s best for chassis dynamics, engine choice and all-round structural integrity. Similarly, it doesn’t put Audi’s peerless perceived quality and interior ambience under siege. But it’s a much more plausible starting point for a mass-market luxury coupe than the feline but flimsy 406.

Push off, Pininfarina
Problem is, with predictable Gallic contrariness Peugeot has thrown out the 406’s pretty Pininfarina-designed lines and replaced them with the in-house effort you see before you. The new 407 Coupe may not share any panels with its four-door stablemate, but it carries over the 407 saloon’s most controversial design idiosyncrasies. Think gigantic, gawping front grille and the equally monumental front overhang. Indeed, it’s hard to believe, but Peugeot has actually extended the Coupe’s bow even further compared with the saloon, contributing to exterior dimensions that are longer, lower and wider than either the 407 saloon or estate.

It’s a striking car in the metal, without doubt, and boasts bags of road presence. Make no mistake, this is a big bruiser that looks and feels closer to a BMW 6 Series than a 3. But many will lament the wholesale defenestration of the outgoing model’s subtle, minimalist and elegant styling. One thing is for sure: the 407 won’t be bought for beauty.

Inside, the dash and instruments are likewise a carryover from the four door. So, it’s attractive, well executed and elegant, but as ever an order of magnitude below the best German produce for pure quality. That said, the liberal plastering of leather on the seats and dash which comes with the GT trim level doesn’t do any harm. Nor does the generous overall accommodation – Peugeot claims the Coupe boasts marginally more rear seat space than the saloon. Overall, it’s a nice place to be and way, way classier than the interior of the 406 coupe, a car whose repellant cabin did an excellent job of breaking the spell cast by its mesmerising exterior design.

Lion’s roar?
At launch, the 407 Coupe will be available with a choice of two petrol powerplants, Peugeot’s familiar 2.2-litre 161bhp four cylinder and 3-litre 208bhp lumps. Thanks to the early-rising, pathologically-keen Scandinavian contingent on Peugeot’s Spanish launch event, however, your laissez-faire Newswheel correspondent missed out on sampling both of those variants. But no worry, because the really interesting engine is the new 2.7-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 unit.

The product of an alliance between Ford and Peugeot, it’s already proven itself an exceptionally refined oil burner installed in the Jaguar XJ saloon. If anything, it’s even more impressive here, in part thanks to active fluid-damped engine mounts. With a near-total absence of the terrible noise, vibration and harshness trio and a smooth 6-speed auto gearbox, this is truly a state-of-the-art diesel drivetrain. What’s more, combined with the 407’s much improved and super-stiff (for a Peugeot) structure and well suppressed road and wind noise, that well-isolated 202bhp turbodiesel V6 delivers a seriously refined and deeply relaxing driving experience.

Big cat
But not a terribly exciting one. In producing its most torsionally stiff chassis ever, Peugeot has also put out a porker with a colossal 1,799kg kerb weight. That’s a lot to shift even with 330 lb/ft of torque on tap (for the record, it’s also nearly 200kg more than a full-fat Jag XJ). In short, if you’re used to the effortless starship thrust many modern diesels dish out, the 407 will disappoint. And of course, it’s still a diesel, so giving the engine with a damn good spanking is a thoroughly charmless endeavour. What’s more, the gearbox’s slight reluctance to shift down (even in Sport mode you have to teach the gearbox who daddy is with a solid stamp on the throttle) only adds to the impression of a car more suited to effortless cruising than balls-out back road blasts.

As indeed does the chassis setup. Yes, body roll is exceptionally well contained for such a large and heavy car, grip is strong and high speed stability excellent. Granted, the basic balance is entirely free from vice and the brakes effective (if lacking in feel in extremis). And admittedly the electronically controlled suspension is taut but compliant and extremely comfortable for long distance cruising. But here’s the reality: this is a near two ton front-drive turbo diesel with an automatic gearbox. Understeer, and plenty of it when really pressing on, utterly aloof steering, dull throttle response and ultimately joyless handling is what you’d expect. And that’s precisely what you get.

Tame pussy
At which point it would be terribly easy to write the 407 Coupe off. Certainly, if scraping around on the door handles as you heel-and-toe your way to heaven is your default driving mode, you probably – make that definitely - need to look elsewhere. But that’s to totally miss the point of this car. Which is fabulous refinement, a massive 600 mile-plus theoretical range and a heap of on-road presence. In that context it delivers 90 per cent of the all-round ability of a big-money barge like Mercedes CL Coupe for less than half the folding.

Peugeot won’t want to admit this. It probably doesn’t want to even hear it. But the 407 Coupe will likely boast bags of appeal for more mature drivers looking for a stylish, practical and comfortable coupe for sensible money. It might even be the ultimate cruiser for recent retirees seeking something slightly sexy. Just don’t expect to see that in the brochure.

Price:	£30,900
On sale:	January 2006
Performance
0-60mph	8.5sec
Top speed	143mph
Engine
Displacement	2,720cc
Layout	V6, all alloy
Installation	Front, transverse, front wheel drive
Fuel system	Diesel, turbo
Power	202bhp @ 4,000rpm
Torque	330lb/ft @ 1,900rpm
Transmission	6-speed torque convert automatic gearbox, Tiptronic
Economy and
Emissions
Combined	33.2mpg
CO2	226g/km
Suspension
Front	Double wishbone, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear	Multi-link, coils springs, anti roll bar
Other	Electronic dampers (V6 models)
Wheels and tyres	235/45, 18-inch all round
Dimensions
Length	4,815mm
Width	1,816mm
Weight	1,799kg