Turbodiesel wagon 'great combination'

THE 407: The nose is a bit different, which has made the vehicle a little longer than before, and there are other minor changes, but that lovely swoopy styling with the long nose and feline-shaped headlights remains.

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The Peugeot 407 might have been around for five years now, but it still offers looks that are as eye-catching as they were when the model first rolled on to the market in New Zealand.

There are cars out there that are better looking these days, of course - including its first cousin the Citroen C5 - but the 407 still looks smart. And that's why a midlife facelift this year hasn't involved many exterior changes.

The nose is a bit different, which has made the vehicle a little longer than before, and there are other minor changes, but that lovely swoopy styling with the long nose and feline- shaped headlights remains.

Inside is also pretty much the same too, apart from some changes to trim levels, dials and the seating. The most notable difference between the old and the new involves the wagon version - called SW - that now has an almost-full-length sunroof with electric blind, which covers no less than 1.6 square metres of roof.

That's great, but once again this change hasn't been so dramatic as to stop the Peugeot 407 being instantly recognisable as the model that's been around for quite a few years now. And that speaks volumes about the design quality achieved by Peugeot in the first place.

The single outstanding model in the 407 SW range is the 2.7-litre turbocharged diesel. While the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is pretty good too, this larger-engined wagon offers a magnificent combination of power and especially torque. It's all mated to a six-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual over-ride, and "sport" and "snow" functions that change the gearshift protocols.

This engine offers 150 kilowatts of power and, more importantly, it also has 440 newton metres of torque at a low 1900 rpm. This allows the vehicle - and remember, it is a fairly large car - to scoot to 100 kmh in less than nine seconds, and on to a top speed of 226 km/h.

A traditional excellent point with the 407 has been its suspension system, which is one of the most advanced in its class, comprising double wishbones in the front and a five-point multi- link set-up at the rear with angled shock absorbers.

Although in the first instance the ride feels relatively soft, it doesn't take long to realise that the handling is in fact beautifully secure. For this facelift, there have been some minor changes made to the rear suspension in the interests of even better handling prowess, and 18-inch wheels fitted to the 2.7-litre model (the 2.0-litre version has 17-inch wheels) is of considerable help.

I suppose if there is one criticism of this car it is that the front seats aren't quite supportive enough for its performance and handling prowess. They're nice - and they're heated, which is always a bonus - but I don't feel there's quite enough lateral support.

But that's a fairly minor criticism. Overall, the Peugeot 407 SW continues to appeal as a highly capable wagon, with a high level of appointment and luxury. Five years on, it continues to rival other newer European models on the showroom floors.

- © Fairfax NZ News