Review of the new Peugeot 607 Business User's View

You could say that French manufacturers like Peugeot have had a rough ride trying to sell their medium-Range family cars. In fact, the 607's predecessor, the 605, had such a bad time over here that it sold fewer models in its ten year life span than six months worth of BMW 5 Series sales.

With so many marques producing executive models for the business user, the market has become swamped with futuristic gadgets and sleek designs to the point where customers have too many models to choose from. This side of the Channel, we tend to opt for the likes of Audi and BMW, prestigious marques that come with a good reputation and image. Where does this leave the likes of Peugeot, more famed for their iconic superminis than any of their executive models?

With Peugeot's lack of executive sales here, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is the same in Europe. Wrong. Those on the continent can't get enough of the 607, so much so that it's the most popular selling car in its class over there. Why? Well, the 607 is an ideal vehicle for someone who isn't quite in to the whole BMW/Jaguar/Audi bracket but needs a car that can pull off some serious mileage with no problems at all.

The executive saloon market isn't renowned for its practicality. For the same amount of money as a 607, you could get yourself a rugged Nissan X-Trail, a mega practical SEAT Alhambra or even bag yourself a Ford Mondeo Estate with all the trimmings. In exchange for their comparative lack of practicality, executive saloons like this Peugeot offer a touch of class and in the case of BMW and Audi, they can also be a symbol of your status. This is where volume brands fall short. Without that prestigious brand identity, they have to find another way of appealing to the business user.

"If you don't care about badge snob value, the 607 is well worth a try."

Let's start with hi-tech gadgetry. That always appeals to company car drivers. The 607 was one of the first executive cars to feature a multiplex wiring system and Peugeot have always enjoyed a reputation for pioneering sophisticated electronic functions. Their flagship saloon offers variable cruise control linked to a variable speed limiter, Plus there's a parking sensor system that displays a bar graph of how far you are from an obstacle on the car's multifunction screen. A flat tyre detector can even tell you which of your tyres are under inflated. As you might expect, nice touches like these, along with more conventional equipment features, are probably the car's big selling point. Peugeot proudly proclaim that buyers can now tear up the options list as virtually every conceivable feature is fitted as standard. Leather upholstery, heated seats, colour satellite navigation, a built-in GSM telephone, a CD autochanger, 8 airbags and motorised boot articulation are just some of the highlights.

Our test included the usual quotient of motorway mileage and we certainly found the driving position to be very comfortable. With numerous different adjustments possible to the seat, it's almost certain that you'll find a set-up that suits you - eventually. On longer journeys, the space and comfort contained within the cabin are a godsend: you certainly get the impression that the controls are well located and there aren't really any obvious design flaws that might prove annoying over time. In the back, the legroom is more than adequate and will feel comfortable even for taller occupants.

Any marque worth its weight in salt knows that an executive car needs to be a cocoon for those stressed-out business users who need a quiet and relaxing drive. Peugeot have made headway in this department, the 607 being quieter and more relaxing to drive than its main rivals. On the move, the steering feels easy and light, critics may even say too light.

When compared to the rest of the executive saloon market, the price of the Peugeot 607 becomes one of its strong points. Only three models are available in the Range, the 2.0-litre 136bhp HDi turbo diesel version at £24,995, the 2.2-litre HDi twin turbo diesel at £26,495 and, for another £2,500, the thirsty 210bhp 3.0-litre V6, basically a reworked version of the engine that once saw service in the 406. These prices are significantly lower than most mainstream executive saloons but all versions have a high specification and many extra features as standard. You can expect to achieve around 45mpg in the diesels but the V6 will have you paying for your pleasure to the sum of 27.7mpg.

In the showroom, you might recognise a few styling cues from other rivals (the Audi A6 roofline or the Alfa 166 rear light treatment) but in broad terms, it's a unique look that sits a class above the boxier lines of cars like Vauxhall's Signum, Volvo's S80 and Saab's 9-5. These rivals sit firmly in the £20,000-£30,000 price span the UK importers are targeting. The 3.0-litre car has been a painfully slow seller due to the fact that it once retailed for more than a BMW 530i SE, but list prices look more reasonable now and dealers can normally pull a discount out of the hat. Perhaps if Peugeot were a little more transparent with the real world price customers ended up paying, they'd be able to attract more private buyer footfall through their dealerships.

But then this car sells almost exclusively to the business market, a world in which list prices tend merely to be the starting point for negotiation. Sure, this car will depreciate more than the German marques, but keen upfront pricing and ready discounts mean you (or more likely your company) will still come out ahead after a couple of years' use in a better equipped, more comfortable executive saloon. That only leaves badge snob value. If you don't care about that, then a 607 could be well worth a try.