Peugeot 207 GTi15 | 08 | 2010Scotcars rating
Peugeot puts the grittiness back into GTi fun
Overview
“This car is really dirty”, said the guy delivering the GTi to me. “Great,“ I thought, “the Peugeot GTi has lost none of its grittiness, created in bygone days of rallying.” Sadly, what he meant was it was really dirty – as in unwashed — having covered hundreds of miles of winter roads. The car had lost none of its grittiness, most of it was attached in the road muck.
Grubby outward appearances apart, this little car is great fun. To the passing observer it’s just a tame three-door hatchback but to the trained eye, there are clues to its abilities. There’s the twin sports exhaust for a start, the GTi boot spoiler and the big 17in alloys which are the only real exterior signs that this pocket rocket is something a little special.
It does make the car very sure-footed when you put it through its paces
On the road
If you’ve never driven a GTi before then the sports suspension may come as a bit of a shock, especially if you’ve got any back problems or troublesome joints. It is harsh – no, hard – and you feel every bump in the road. In fact you almost feel every granite chip in the tarmac, but it does make the car very sure-footed when you put it through its paces. Driven enthusiastically it’s great fun and there’s a lovely rasp from the twin pipes at the back end. It’s maybe not the fastest machine on the road — although a touch over seven seconds to 62mph isn’t exactly hanging about — but it is great fun letting it stretch its legs and using each of the five gears to their limit.
Comfort & Safety
The hard suspension means the ride is robust, but the sports bucketseats hold you in place firmly and securely. It comes with the standard full set of front, side and curtain airbags to keep you safe if you push it too far and you can rest assured with the 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. All the instruments feel good, are easy to use and precise and everything is to hand. One thing I didn’t like was the aluminium gearknob which looked very nice but was Siberian cold first thing in the morning and over a hard Scottish winter never really became comfortable to use with bare hands.
Should I buy one?
Yes, if you’d like a sporty, affordable hatchback with a good pedigree.
Alan Douglas
| Quick Stats |
| Price OTR/As Tested |
£16,931/ £16,931 |
| Engine / Power: |
1598cc 16v / 175bhp |
| How fast?: |
0-62mph 7.1sec, Max 137mph |
| How big/heavy?: |
H1502mm W1920mm L4030mm / 1315kg |
| How thirsty/CO2?: |
Combined 39.2mpg / CO2 171g/km |
| InsGP/Road tax: |
14E / Band H, £175 |
| Alternatives: |
Citroen C2 VTS; Mini Cooper S: Renault Twingo RenaultSport |