Peugeot 407-406-607 3.0 6CIL. V6 Engine (XFX)

Peugeot 407-406-607 3.0 6CIL. V6 Engine (XFX)

When Peugeot released the Pininfarina-designed 406 coupe back in 1996, it reckoned it would sell about 60,000 examples world-wide. It was a very good-looking car thanks to stunning proportions with Ferrari overtones, even if the driving experience wasn’t too far removed from that of the 406 sedan. Still, you can bet Peugeot was pretty happy with the final result of 107,000 global sales.

Happy enough to come up with a successor you see here as the 407 Coupe, the two-door version of the sedan launched just over a year ago. The emphasis is obviously on style, so to that end the Coupe is longer, wider and lower than the sedan, with a whole new set of body panels. Despite mimicking many of the four-door’s styling cues — including those huge, swept-back headlights and gaping grille — the only external components actually shared are the wing mirrors.

There are also quite a few worthwhile structural and mechanical changes, including revised suspension settings, and the first appearance in the 407 (and Australia) of the twin-turbo, 2.7lt HDi V6 diesel engine. Given the 2.0lt diesel is already the best selling 407 sedan variant in Oz, the new engine is an important one for Peugeot.

FEATURES

Cliched though it sounds, the 407 sedan seems to have styling that’s either loved or loathed, especially the front-on view of that plankton-sucking grille. The good news is if you really like the four-door, the Coupe should push all the right buttons. The nose seems even longer and it is as both front and rear overhangs have grown, but the whole car is flatter: wider by 57mm, lengthier by a whopping 139mm and lower too.

The result is quite a stunning-looking car that has to be seen on the road to be fully appreciated. Pininfarina may have lost in a bidding war with internal Peugeot designers to do the shape, but there’s still a hint of Italian supercar about the Coupe’s body. One of the few elements to ring false are the vertical “gills” that seem all too obviously to break up the length of the front bumper.

There is absolutely no visual difference between petrol and diesel variants, right down to the twin exhaust tips exiting the rear bumper, and no identifying badges. All Australian-bound Coupes will come with 18-inch alloys (and a full-sized spare). Standard equipment will include front and rear parking assist, seven airbags, directional headlights and tyre pressure sensors, as well as leather interior and the usual cruise control, power windows and ESP.

COMFORT

The 407 Coupe gets new front seats that are set lower in the vehicle and back a bit compared with the four-door. They also have Monaro-style power assistance meaning that after yanking a lever and pulling forward, motors take over the rest of the effort.

So access to the rear is an easy affair, and once a passenger arrives, they’ll find a little more leg room than the old 406 Coupe. Head room is limited however, with anyone around 1.8 metres in height likely to have their cranium scraping the sloping rear window. It’s a bit of a disappointment in a car that, after all, is bigger than the more practical four-door on which it is based.

Still, the driver who paid for the Coupe should be pretty pleased with the view forward, which is all very similar to the usual 407. The centre console is largely the same, even if the new driving position places the driver still further away from that long and distant bonnet. Funnily enough, that doesn’t make he seatbelts any easier to reach given the doors are very long, and the Coupe’s B-pillars set well back.

The seats themselves are very comfortable and supportive, and the leather trim sumptuous. It is complemented by an (optional) trim package that adds leather to the dashboard – it looks a lot more fabulous than it sounds – and a sunroof will also be optional, even if Peugeot still seems unlikely to be able to offer satellite navigation in any form.

SAFETY

The 407 Coupe has 1080mm of front overhang (that’s 55mm more than the sedan) but in safety terms, it’s all been put to good use. Energy paths channel crash forces into upper and lower levels, and space behind the front bumper is claimed to be pedestrian friendly.

There are seven airbags: dual front (including a twin-stage airbag for driver and passenger), side airbags for chest protection, curtain airbags protecting occupants’ heads and even a 20lt cushion for the driver’s knees. In terms of active safety there’s electronic stability control and the latest aids to heavy braking including anti-lock and brake-assist functions.