It's not hard to see the reasons behind the dawn of the diesel on British consciousness. As soon as the car makers started producing diesels that really did have performance, refinement and low fuel consumption, the stage was set for a sales explosion. Then when the Chancellor started basing company car tax on emissions, interest heightened still further. A look at the figures and it's not hard to understand why.

So let's get down to the facts in this case. The latest range of Peugeot 407s features an all-diesel line-up of engines. Entry-level buyers get a 110bhp 1.6-Litre HDi. Here, there's a choice between two body styles (saloon and SW estate) and three trim levels (S, SR and SE) at prices which range between £17,295 and £26,495.

Next up is the 140bhp 2.0-litre HDi, then the 2.0-litre 136bhp HDi which is available with automatic transmission and only available in SE trim. Then there is the 2.2-litre HDi 170bhp unit which, again, is only available in SE trim. Above this, Peugeot offers an even more impressive and powerful diesel - the 205bhp V6 2.7-litre diesel borrowed from Jaguar. This engine comes in at £25,295 in GT trim but delivers rapid performance thanks to 447Nm of torque at just 1,900rpm.

"Peugeot's 407 needed a strong diesel range. It has just that.."

Impressive though it is, premium pricing will restrict sales of this flagship unit, so let's look in more detail at some of the less-expensive HDi diesel models as they are likely to appeal to a wider audience. The 1.6-litre HDi costs from £17,295 and can do the 0-62 in 11.7 seconds in saloon form on its way to 117mph. Its maximum torque of 240Nm is reached at 1,750rpm. The HDi 136 with automatic transmission costs from £21,295 and has a maximum torque of 320Nm at 2,000 rpm. In saloon guise it can get from standstill to 62mph a second faster. The fuel consumption figures delivered by the 1.6-litre are 50.4mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 140g/km. The larger engine returns 39.2mpg and emits 189g/km CO2.

Even with the more powerful engines installed, the 407 feels like a car built more for luxury than speed. It's an open secret that the French maker wanted to create a scaled down executive saloon rather than a pumped up Family hatchback. So it has proved. The marketers say that this is what potential buyers want and they're probably right.

The cabin looks very Peugeot - which is possibly the weakest part of the 407 make up. It's neat and everything seems to work very nicely but there isn't a great deal of showroom 'wow factor' to it. Sophisticated multiplexed electronics allow for a huge amount of individual customisation when specifying your 407, with such features as rear view mirrors linked to reverse gear, parking sensors, self-imposed speed limiters, low tyre pressure monitors and variable cruise control systems all capable of being fitted quickly and, just as importantly, at very modest expense.

Take a test drive and right from the outset, the investment in quality is manifest. The fabric seating of our test car felt better and seemed of higher quality than many of the bargain basement leather trims fitted to upper-spec mid range saloons and the seats had both enough lateral grip and were comfortable enough. The steering wheel is trimmed feels good to hold and features neat cut outs for the thumbs. The dashboard follows the trend for 'waterfall' centre consoles on which most of the major instruments are placed and sees a welcome move away from the rattly hard plastic ventilation and air conditioning controls that have blighted many Peugeots of yore. Expensively slush moulded plastics yield to the touch along the top of the dashboard whilst there are classy looking applique strips along the dash and doors to brighten the interior ambience a little. The Peugeot staple of chrome-ringed dials and a chrome and leather trimmed gear knob are also evident. Thankfully the steering wheel is a little better looking than some of the blandly bulging tillers fitted to many Peugeots. Some thought has gone into this cabin.

In the final analysis, provided speed isn't your be all and end all, these diesel-engined 407 models make a strong case for themselves. If you click with that individual styling and don't mind the initial price premium then it might be easy to imagine one of these filling your driveway.

TOP 5 407 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 1.6 HDi 110 SE Multimedia 5dr SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £336	Saving £4,570	Price £16,375
	Peugeot 407 1.6 HDi 110 S 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £284	Saving £3,737	Price £13,908
	Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 136 SE Multimedia 5dr [6] Tip Auto SW Estate
	ETR	Mthly £366	Saving £5,052	Price £17,893
	Peugeot 407 1.6 HDi 110 SE Multimedia 4dr Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £318	Saving £4,253	Price £15,437

typical 12.22% APR

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