Is it a car? Is it a fish? The Pug-ugly 207SW
30th March, 2009
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THERE’S no kind way of saying it . . . the Peugeot 207 SW is a strange-looking car.
From some angles it looks like a gormless salmon leaping upstream with its mouth open, that bulbous wraparound rear brakelight serving as the tongue waiting to be uncurled on an unwitting fly.
From others it looks like a collection of random car bits bolted together in a bit too much haste.
Some bits big, some bits small, the result a little like what would happen if you dressed a toddler in clothes in the order that they fell out of the family wash.
But bear with the funny little motor.
For we all know that motoring beauty is only a skin of metal deep, and it’s what’s on the inside that matters most.
The best way to think about the SW is as a Pug 207 – a great car in its own right – with just a little bit extra.
It’s officially known as the “Sport Wagon” version of Peugeot’s happy little hatchback, but it tries to be something a little bit better than just another estate.
It comes with a cool panoramic glass roof for starters and that elongated back means there’s more room to stow essential family stuff like footballs, coats and biscuit crumbs.
If things get too bright – or little Johnny starts to get on your nerves by endlessly pointing out the birds and tall buildings he can see through the roof – you can press a single button and close out the clouds with the SW’s electronic roof curtain.
But be warned.
I tested it on two of my youngsters and the row about whether the curtain should be “open”, “closed”, “OPEN, “C-L-O-S-E-D!” almost left me wondering whether “that damn roof is really worthwhile”.
On balance, I think it is.
The 207 is not as whizz-bang as its big brother the 407 SW – an incredibly stylish, if not the most stylish Peugeot – but it is a motor which comes with a little bit more panache than most bland Euro boxes.
Best of all, it’s not too big and it’s not too small. As Goldilocks might put it, the 207 SW’s proportions are, “just right.”
So who would want one?
At the risk of making a prediction which is perhaps a little too precise, I’d say the SW is perfect for the family of four on a budget who would like two cars but can afford one. And they should buy a metallic silver one.
Why would they like it?
Because it can be fun (cool sliding panoramic roof); practical (loads of load space and umpteen seating configurations); and yet it has the road manners of something fairly diminutive (hey, it’s like a hatchback, only more so).
Now brace yourself for a comment which might sound sexist but really isn’t intended to be. Dad won’t feel silly sitting% in the driving seat of the 207 SW and mum won’t find the scale of the SW intimidating% either.
Nor is it massively expensive.
Prices start at £11,340 for the entry level car featuring a 1.4litre VTi (95bhp) engine and rise to £14,365 for the range-topping Sport HDi 110 diesel. Other options include a 1.6litre VTi (120) and a HDi (90).
Let’s recap.
So it looks like a fish and %Goldilocks would like it, but families who like their cars to be a little bit different could do worse than check out the %207 SW.
TECH SPEC
The Peugeot 207 SW is priced at between £11,340 and £14,365 on-the-road. Choose from five engines: 1.4 and 1.6litre VTi petrol, and diesel HDi units with either 90 and 110bhp.
