Alternative review of Peugeot 107

Reading the press material for Peugeot's 107 prior to its arrival was enlightening. "A compact car with an assertive character, versatile in use and above all, totally at ease in the urban environment." If the 107 could carry all that off, I'd definitely be up for one. On first glance, I was favourably impressed. You certainly can't miss this little citycar, the cheerfully grinning front end seeming more appealing than that of the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1, two rivals developed off the same platform. So far, so good.

There's a choice of three and five-door hatch bodystyles, but only one 1.0-litre petrol engine and three trim levels - Urban Lite, Urban and Sport XS. Unlike Citroen, Peugeot aren't offering a diesel option which is curious when you think how budget-minded most potential buyers will be. Mind you, they'd be probably put off by the premium being charged for diesel power - am extra cost you'd be unlikely to get back with the low mileages likely to be covered by a car of this type. I wasn't expecting this to be a spacious car inside - and sure enough, it wasn't. Given that the designers were told that the length of the car wasn't to exceed 3.5 metres, you can't expect too much. Still, they've engineered in enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style (an achievement in itself) and chucked in a whole host of safety features. The tale of the tape shows the car to be 3.43 metres long, fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. I found that the dimensions of the 107 could really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot has also introduced - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective, but the five-door I tried could well prove to be a bigger commercial success. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. I liked the black-finished glazed-in area surrounding the rear window , which gives the car a very distinctive rump, especially when its painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. Eight exterior colours are offered - five metallic and three solid hues.

The three-cylinder 1.0-litre powerplant is no ball of fire, developing 67bhp. You can see why Peugeot has launched here with the 1.0-litre, reflecting the 107's urban bias and offering a sprint to 60mph that takes 14 seconds. The good news is the fact that this 1.0-litre engine is predictably excellent in terms of fuel economy and emissions. The combined economy figure is 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at an excellent 109g/km. Five or ten years ago, I'd have hesitated to use a citycar of this kind on longer journeys for safety reasons. You shuddered to think what might happen if a car of this sort had a run-in with a lorry at speed. These issues are less of a worry these days. To ensure the optimum safety of its passengers, the 107 relies on its structure for high speed impact protection - quite an accomplishment considering that a small car has to absorb impact energy quickly. Each passenger seat can accommodate a child seat, while the 50/50 split rear bench seat is equipped on both sides with ISOFIX fixtures incorporating three anchorage points for the installation of an ISOFIX child seat. This overall design has placed the 107 in the best possible position to satisfy Euro NCAP criteria for the protection of occupants. In the design of the front of the vehicle and the layout of the different mechanical components of the 107, careful attention has been paid to the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian. Thanks to a special impact beam in front of the bumper and a bonnet that creates the maximum possible distance between it and mechanical components underneath, pedestrian protection is maximised.

The 107 is so close in concept to its Citroen and Toyota counterparts that it really comes down to which dealer gives you the best price. If costs are comparable however, the little Peugeot's smiling face might just swing a few undecided buyers.

TOP 5 107 DEALS

The results below show the top 107 deals on buyacar

Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban Lite 3dr Hatchback
Price £7,621 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,074
Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban 3dr 2-Tronic Hatchback
Price £8,356 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,339
Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban 5dr Hatchback
Price £8,245 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,300
Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban 5dr 2-Tronic Hatchback
Price £8,613 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,432
Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban 3dr Hatchback
Price £7,988 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,207
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