First Sight: Peugeot 1007

Fri, 02 Jul 2004

Peugeot has revealed first details of the 1007, which it hopes will change the way small cars are perceived and experienced - "as did the introduction of the hatchback in the early 60s". The 1007 was previewed in the form of the Sesame concept at the 2002 Paris Motor Show.

The small car 'B' segment accounts for more than 35% of the European market and is expected to grow by 17% over the next ten years. Accompanying this growth is a trend towards unique products to meet the needs of individual customers. This trend is set to intensify with the arrival of new concepts based on small car platforms, with the major share being vehicles with single compartment architecture. Applied to a small car, the single compartment architecture allows an elevated driving position, excellent visibility, a generous interior volume, and multiple possibilities in terms of modularity.

The fitment of a single electric sliding door on each side of the vehicle is unique in any segment, particularly on a B-segment vehicle. When open, the electric doors provide a 920mm opening and require only a small lateral clearance, roughly equivalent to that of the door mirrors, enabling the car to be parked in very narrow spaces that are inaccessible to vehicles with traditional doors.

The exterior was designed by Pininfarina, while Peugeot Style designed the car's interior. The front features an imposing 407-like grille supporting the front bumper, which follows the profile of the wings to form a lower protective area on each side. The rear of the vehicle features a distinctive graphic theme, with the triangular rear side windows and taillamps framing the sliding door rail , which continues around the vehicle in the form of the tailgate moulding under the rear windscreen.

The 1007 is a true four seater, but with a flexible interior. The two independent rear seats govern the numerous ways in which the 1007 can be used and are an integral feature of the car's innovative modularity. The interior space can be adapted to seat four people, provide maximum boot space or carry long loads. The interior of the vehicle can also be transformed by the availability of twelve different 'Cam?l?o' trim kits consisting of replacement trims for the seats, doors, rear side panels, air vents and the fascia. These kits offer decorative patterns and colour choices and are easy to install and remove without the use of any tools.

The 1007 will be available with a choice of three engines, a 1.4 litre petrol engine (75 bhp), a 1.6 litre petrol engine (110 bhp) and a 1.4 litre HDi diesel engine (70 bhp), and will also introduce a '2-Tronic' gearbox on petrol engine versions, which offers two gear change modes: one entirely automated, eliminating manual gear changes in favour of 'automatic' driving; the other sequential, offering the enjoyment of going through the gears manually with either the gear lever or the steering wheel control paddles.

The 1007 has an overall length of 3.73m and a height of 1.61m.