Although there is something to be said for the sort of car that can be serviced with nothing more technical than a screwdriver, a spanner and a lump hammer, the days of home vehicle maintenance are long gone. While some may mourn the passing of under bonnet tinkering with a dewy eye, there is a flipside. A modern engine like that fitted to the Peugeot 407 HDi 170 might not take too kindly to being given the once over by your dad with a wire brush and a set of home-made feeler gauges but it does offer a simply stunning blend of economy and performance that's hard to beat in this corner of the market.

Peugeot offer a couple of lesser HDi diesel units of 1.6 and 2.0-litre capacity good for respectively 110 and 136bhp but with cars like the Toyota Avensis T180 upping the ante in a major fashion, the company needed to respond. The 2.2-litre engine found under the bonnet of this car may not grab the headlines but it's a real technological tour de force. The first four-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine in a production car, this powerplant is managed by a parallel sequential induction system to ensure that there are none of those annoying lag and lunge power delivery characteristics that often afflict highly tuned turbodiesel cars. It also serves to broaden the amount of useable torque.

Drive an early performance turbodiesel such as a VW Golf TDI150 and you'll have about 750rpm of real go, requiring frantic gearchanging and footwork on the pedals that would put Michael Flatley to shame. These days, you get more power and a broader rev range in which to enjoy it. What's more, it's available at lower engine speeds too, adding to the car's muscular feel. With this 2.2-litre engine, the maximum torque figure of 277lb/ft chimes in at just 1,500rpm, which means that when you're pulling away from the lights or nipping out from a junction or onto a roundabout, you've got all the engine's capability on tap.

The twin turbos work one after the other rather than both at the same time. A low inertia blower operates up to 2,700rpm, giving that instant urge. When things are really cooking, the car's computer switches to a second smaller unit that fills in the power requirements at the top end. Whereas many diesel cars are all done and dusted by 3,000rpm, the throttle merely making more noise rather than propelling the car any faster, the Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi 170 has a much more enjoyable amount of top end about it and the soundtrack to accompany it won't have you looking for ear defenders on eBay. Indeed, the maximum power output of this model arrives at 4,000rpm, an almost unheard of rev-happiness in a diesel.

"The market for performance diesel midrange cars is going into overdrive. Customers, it seems, want performance but don't want to pay too much for the pleasure"

The combustion chamber has been redesigned with a reduced compression ratio and a larger diameter as Peugeot realised that fuel in contact with the walls of the cylinder was difficult to burn efficiently. Increase the volume and the efficiency increases, helped by a redesigned piston crown. A third generation Bosch common rail system uses piezo electronic injectors to raise injection pressure to 1,800bar. Compare that to 1,350 bar for the first generation common rail units and you'll see the precision at work here. This fuel is squirted through apertures that measure just 135 microns. Dad with his wire brush won't even be able to see them. The average human hair is 90 microns in diameter.

Offered in both the saloon and SW estate versions, this engine is only available with Sport and GT trims and is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Using the saloon as a reference for our performance figures, we get a top speed of 139mph and a sprint to 60mph of just 8.5 seconds. Fuel economy ranges from 56.5mpg on a run to 34.8mpg in town with the quoted combined economy figure pegged at 46.3mpg. The asking price for all this? It all kicks off at £21,325 for the four-door in Sport trim.

Peugeot are keen to stress that the 407 is their very first car to feature double wishbone front suspension, which may not mean a great deal to many but in essence, sums up the French company's commitment to handling excellence. Many cars these days have so-called 'multilink' rear suspension systems, but most persevere with a simple strut front set up. In offering a more sophisticated front suspension system, Peugeot have raised the bar again.

The French maker has set something of a precedent to follow with some very good previous Euro NCAP crash test results but the 407 again takes a big step forward. Active safety in the form of brake discs with a diameter of up to 330mm and next-generation ESP stability control which is standard on every model. As well as marshalling the anti-skid function, ESP also acts as a controller for the anti lock braking system, the emergency brake assist and the electronic brakeforce distribution to each individual wheel. The chassis itself incorporates not only the highest level of torsional rigidity ever seen on a Peugeot saloon - as you might expect - but it also features a device known as an impactor that anchors the engine to the subframe and prevents it being shunted into the passenger cell in the event of a crash. Pedestrian protection is a major design criterion these days and the 407 features foam padded bumper bars and a bonnet that deforms to absorb shock, the top of the engine a good distance below that sweeping bonnet line. Up to nine air bags can be specified - twin fronts, side, curtain and steering column units offer optimum protection.

The Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi 170 emerges as a very complete and credible contender. It's not for everyone but it's right there at the forefront of the medium range market. It's a tough sector to compete in but powerful diesels are more than holding their own against weedier engines from the prestige brands. Peugeot could well clean up with this one.

TOP 2 407 DEALS

The results below show the top 407 deals on buyacar

	Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi 170 GT Multimedia 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £384	Saving £5,459	Price £19,031
	Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi 170 GT Multimedia 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £367	Saving £5,156	Price £18,134

typical 11.79% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000