Our Fleet Test Drive: Peugeot 207 GT – 1st Report Update

12 JUNE 2007 Mileage 3278 Forecast CPM 28.3p Actual CPM 33.8p Just had a weekend trip to North Wales in the 207 GT for a friend’s wedding. Had a great drive back down the A5 – the car was just nippy enough to pass slower moving caravans.

30 MAY 2007 Mileage 2427 Forecast CPM 28.3p Actual CPM 33.8p On route to Bristol, but thankfully before we hit the motorway, Peugeot’s puncture sensors warned of an impending blow-out. Our local Kwik-fit soon sorted it, at some expense.

Main Report

We’ve not run a Peugeot on our long-term fleet for some time, but recently we’ve driven a couple of the French firm’s cars that have captivated us.

The first was the 407 Coupe with the new 2.2-litre petrol engine, while the second was the 207 GT powered by the new 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that also lurks beneath the bonnet of the new Mini.

Of the two, it was the 207 we went for, and we’re already loving it. When we first drove the car we concluded it was “the best car in Peugeot’s range”. We also said, importantly, that it was “fun, but makes a good business case, too”, because the GT is the kind of car that will keep staff happy and costs low. Staff will be happy because the car looks good, is well kitted out and is quick and fun drive; business will be happy because the car is cheap to run.

On our first drive of the car we described how much fun the car was, and we’ll let you know if this enjoyment is a lasting thing, but we only briefly mentioned how easy the car was to live with.

To improve things on the motorway we added the following from the options list to a healthy level of standard equipment that includes folding wing mirrors [1] [2]: cruise control (£150), metallic paint (£350) and Bluetooth phone connection (£150).

Our favourite pieces of kit have to be the Bluetooth phone connection for legal phone use, the climate control and the metallic paint for looking and being cool (well, trying at least), which we discovered after an early trip in our new French car to see French bank-owned leasing and fuel giant Arval (see main picture). We have encountered one tiny electronic glitch, specifically regarding the seatbelt warning lights, which seem unsure from one trip to the next if anyone is using them [3].

Even with these additions the list price is still under £15,000, while the claimed 40.3mpg average will be impressive even if we only come close. After the first few journeys we’ve seen a 27.6mpg average, which we hope will improve with higher mileage.

The predicted running costs of 28ppm coupled to decent equipment levels means the 207 GT is a credible and attractive alternative to cars a size larger.

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