Review of the new Peugeot 107 Range

Cheerfully humanising animals proved a profitable turn for Disney and Peugeot look to follow suit by giving their 107 the biggest grin seen on an inanimate object since Samantha Fox presented the Brit Awards. With its 24 hour sunny demeanour, the 107 will doubtless appeal to those looking for a feel good citycar that's unthreatening, fun to drive and inexpensive to run.

Those of you who keep tabs on the motoring scene may already know that the 107 came about as a result of as partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota. Manufactured at a specialist plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic, the 107 represents a third of the factory's 300,000 annual output, with a good proportion of the baby bouncing Czechs heading for the UK, one of Peugeot's biggest global markets.

The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with an assertive character, versatile in use and above all, totally at ease in the urban environment. To meet these criteria, a number of restrictions were placed on the initial proposal. The length of the car wasn't to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style.

The final execution has exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. This makes it fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - 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 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.

The 107 features some neat design touches. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed Peugeot family 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. Expect to see aftermarket accessory companies launch a range of self adhesive teeth or eyelashes. Eight exterior colours are offered - five metallic and three solid hues.

"The 107 makes the old 106 look like a bloated behemoth"

Prices start at £7,295 and three trim levels are offered - Urban Lite, Urban and Urban Move - with one engine choice - a three-cylinder 1.0-litre powerplant that develops 67bhp. Both Citroen and Toyota offer a 1.4-litre diesel in their versions of this car but Peugeot have passed. 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. The diesel engine would put the asking price up considerably with limited benefits in terms of economy and drivability. The 2-Tronic self-shifting gearbox costs £500 extra.

Standard specification, even on the base Urban Lite models, runs to power steering, twin front airbags, a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility, ABS and Peugeot's CSC cornering stability control. The Urban models add remote central locking, electric windows, split folding rear seats and body-coloured exterior parts. For around £500 or so more, the Urban Move model includes air conditioning, plus a choice of three metallic paint finishes: Zircon Grey, Antigua Blue or Carbon Grey, an 'Urban Move' logo vertically on the leading edge of the rear window and new Matrix blue seat trim. New Metallic blue surrounds to speedometer, air vents and to the interior door pulls make for what Peugeot hopes is a distinctive and modern environment.

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 places 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.

Of the three partners in this joint venture, it may well be Peugeot that finds themselves in the difficult middle child position. Destined to be undercut by the Citroen C1 and weighing in less than the more sophisticated Toyota Aygo, the 107 will have to work hard to elbow the opposition aside. Much will depend on how you take to that face. If it's smiling at you, Peugeot could have a sale. Those that see otherwise could be chalked up for the rivals.

TOP 5 107 DEALS

The results below show the top 107 deals on buyacar

Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban Lite 3dr Hatchback
Price £7,357 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,158
Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban 5dr Hatchback
Price £7,820 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,545
Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban 5dr 2-Tronic Hatchback
Price £8,230 Read 107 Reviews	Save £1,635
Peugeot 107 1.0 Millesim 3dr Hatchback Special Editions
Price £9,195 Read 107 Reviews	Save £370
Peugeot 107 1.0 Millesim 5dr Hatchback Special Editions
Price £9,535 Read 107 Reviews	Save £380
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