The little car that grows on you
By David Stokes - 13/11/2007
It grows on you, the Peugeot 1007. It’s different, very different - a
car with rearward sliding doors that makes life very easy for those who
are not in the first flush of youth as well as for those who are.
Pressing the appropriate button on the key fob can open the doors or,
if it’s unlocked, by just pulling the handle back: the motors take over
and the door slides majestically backwards. The only real drawback is
that there are only four seats; the real advantage is parking in a confined space and not having to worry about the door hitting other cars.
Performance is not exactly sparkling, but the 1.4 diesel is quite adequate - you’re not left floundering on the motorway and the little engine has ample power to keep up. In fact at the legal limit the engine is turning at around the 2,500-rpm mark, which for such a small engine is remarkable; you would expect that sort of rpm from a 2 litre plus diesel.
Despite its compact size, folding the rear seats down leaves an astonishing amount of room behind the driver; I was able to carry a bench wood planer and two high pressure washers. So although the car is rather unconventional it does have a useful amount of useable carrying space. I see this car as suitable mainly for the more mature owner, perhaps retired, who needs an easily operated car which won’t be too heavy a burden on their pocket.
One reservation on any car that has a lot of electric goodies is how
will it be in five, six or ten years time. Will the owner hear a lot of sucking of air through the teeth of mechanics who have no idea of how to fix a complicated door opening system?
The Peugeot 1.4 diesel HDi emits 115g/km, making it a low polluter and
so attracting a Group B Road Fund Licence of just £85 a year. Out on the road the car is reasonably quick, comfortable, with good visibility through both the door mirrors the front screen and the interior mirror. Gear changes are slick but you could be caught in too high a gear when driving the 1007 for the first few times before you learn to anticipate and change down in time: it is a heavy car for its class with all the “electrickery” and the heavy doors.
Road holding was good - in fact the car has very few foibles with positive and progressive braking, well weighted steering and easy to understand instruments.
The test car I drove had a few extras with metallic paint at £350, protection pack consisting of parking sensors; electric folding mirrors and an ultrasonic alarm £450. JBL Hi-Fi £400 and a GPS navigator with GSM phone plus 5 disc autochanger and radio with a mono CD player at £1,650. This brings the purchase price up to £12,300, which is a lot for a small car, albeit laden with electrical goodies.
I did like the 1007 though: it’s easy to drive and if you can afford it there is an option of cruise control at £200 a throw. All in all, a good car for the market for which it is aimed: it’s not for the flash, the young and those worried what others perceive of their machismo. It’s for the older driver - and there is no shame in that. Remember, you marketing types, the grey pound will be very powerful soon - far stronger than the young shiny pound chasing ever more rising mortgages and the paying off of student loans!