Review of the new Peugeot 107 Sport XS

Youth may be wasted on the young but insurance premiums rarely are. The beady-eyed bean counters at the major insurance companies know that young drivers represent a significant risk and although they view the business with future customer loyalty in mind, young drivers are nevertheless saddled with serious insurance bills. This limits the choice somewhat when shopping for a new car. Fortunately, Peugeot maintains that a low insurance grouping needn't automatically spell dull driving and the 107 Sport XS is the material proof.

The insurance rating of 1E is about as cheap as it gets and in order to maintain this, Peugeot has had to leave the 107's 1.0-litre engine as is. This means a three-cylinder 1.0-litre powerplant that develops 68bhp. Both Citroen and Toyota offer a 1.4-litre diesel in their versions of this car but Peugeot have passed. Perhaps they did the right thing. After all, there's not too much point in paying the premium for a diesel when with typical citycar mileages, it would take an ownership period of ten years to get the difference back with savings at the pumps.

Anyway, there's not a lot wrong with the 1.0-litre petrol unit used in the variant we're looking at here. Given a bootful, this engine will punt the 107 Sport XS to 60mph in 14 seconds. Further good news comes with the fact that this powerplant also is predictably excellent in terms of fuel economy and emissions. The combined economy figure is 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at a paltry 109g/km.

The Sport XS makes up in show what it lacks in go. Customers can choose between Diamond White (with red stripes and silver edges), Laser Red (with white stripes and black edges)), Raven Black (with red stripes and silver edges) or Zircon Grey metallic (with graphite stripes and white edges). Having seen all the colours, I reckon the white is the neatest, harking back to the old Peugeot Rallye hatches of the Eighties and Nineties.

The specification is loosely based on the existing Urban model but adds 14-inch Magna six-spoke alloy wheels with locking wheel nuts, a rev counter, a front spoiler, door mirrors colour keyed to the stripe set and a twin sports exhaust system. In the cabin, you'll also find a leather-trimmed steering wheel with red stitching, a red sports gearknob with red stitched leather gaiter and red trim on the centre console and air vent surrounds.

"This car is all about fun and it packs a lot into such a tiny footprint"

In many ways, the 107 Sport XS feels rather close in philosophy to the old Fiat Cinquecento Sporting, a car that didn't need to rely on brute force to raise a grin. Like the Cinq, the 107 also hails from Eastern Europe. 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 Sport XS was to engineer a compact car with a cheeky character that would appeal to young drivers, be versatile in use and, above all, be totally at ease in the urban environment. The 107 provided an excellent basis for such a car, itself having to fulfil a number of strict criteria. 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 Sport XS is only offered in three-door guise.

The final execution 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. 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 too. 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.

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.

The Peugeot 107 Sport XS is a simple concept that's very well executed. If you need to keep a lid on costs but want something with a bit of fizz and personality, look no further.

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