Peugeot 407 Coupe HDi 163 Review & Road Test (2010) Part 2

Peugeot 407 Review & Road Test Part 2

Somehow this old-fashioned Coupe is ticking all the right boxes. It looks good, it goes well enough and it handles sufficiently well for you not to notice the progress you’re making; always a good sign. It also seems to be very well bolted together. The interior isn’t as individual as the exterior, but it has that same distinctive feel. The heavily padded front seats look the part for a Grand Tourer and are rather comfortable. The back also looks good and – for a two door coupe – offers decent room. Not a lot of room, mind you, just decent room for a coupe.

The spec is also far from shoddy in this 407 Coupe Sport, offering SatNav, Cruise, Climate, Auto lights and wipers and laminated glass on the sides. All this for £23.5k. It actually seems rather good value for money. True, our test car did have leather with chrome trim, metallic paint and directional bi-xenons which added over £2k to the price, but try getting anything even remotely comparable from a ‘Premium’ maker and you’ll be adding at £5k to the bill – probably much more.

So after a week of discovery I’ve come to realise that the 407 Coupe has distinctive looks, is well built, impresses non-petrol heads, is comfortable, quick enough most of the time and rather pleasant to drive unless you’re in an Ayrton Senna mood. Which is a very long way away from where I started the week. And then I realised we’d averaged 46mpg through some very mixed motoring around town, on the motorway (a chunk of it stop/start on the M25) and pushing harder than most owners would round the back roads.

Which was rather the icing on the cake. Don’t get me wrong, the 407 Coupe isn’t a viable alternative for a Mercedes CL or an E Class Coupe. It’s not going to make a huge dent in sales at BMW or Audi. It is in many ways old fashioned, but those old fashioned big-coupe virtues are given a 2010 relevance with real world economy and a decent suspension setup that really is surprising. If you were at all gentle with it you could average over 50mpg.

The 407 Coupe strikes me as an empty-nesters car. A car for someone who needs room for occasional extra passengers but who wants something stylish, decent to drive, well equipped and different. A car for someone who doesn’t need – or want – the modern take on motoring with a crossover or eco-supermini. A car that will coast round the country roads or up the motorway and give you pleasure back. And without breaking the bank, either to buy or run.

The 407 Coupe is such a car. And it makes me think that Peugeot should produce a 508 Coupe. After all, as long as its done well, there will always be room for individuality. Not everyone is eco obsessed and wants a pocket sized hybrid and nor does everyone want a crossover/estate/SUV/4×4, which is rapidly becoming the only alternative.

Style and individuality. Can’t beat it.

Peugeot 407 Coupe Sport HDi 163 full specification, data and price

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By Cars UK