Our Indooroopilly - Article on the Peugeot 307 by Chris Nixon

Chris on Motors

Brisbane Queensland Australia

Add a lively and amazingly economical diesel engine to the Peugeot 307 Touring (wagon) and you have an ideal package for a family of four or five ...

BUYERS looking for a small station wagon have just two choices, Toyota's Corolla and the Peugeot 307 Touring.

Of course, many will take the step straight to a four-wheel drive such as the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4 or Nissan X-Trail but none of these does the job of a properly designed wagon.

If you're talking practicality, no-one does it better than the French. Add a lively and amazingly economical diesel engine to the Peugeot 307 Touring (wagon) and you have an ideal package for a family of four or five.

The Touring is available with either 2.0 litre petrol or 2.0 litre diesel engines. Prices are $31,690 and $33,490 respectively.

Standard features include ABS anti-skidwith Electronic Brake Force Distribution, six airbags, climate control, remote central locking, CD player and electric windows and mirrors.

According to Peugeot's official material, the petrol XSE Model additionally receives automatic windscreen wipers and headlights, an in-dash five-stacker CD system, a leather steering wheel and gearshift knob, 16 inch alloys, body coloured rub strips and front fog lights.

However, the auto lights and wipers were included both in the diesel Touring I tested and a diesel hatch I had a couple of years ago and it's not clear whether these are optional or standard. If they're optional, they are worth the extra price as a driver soon gets used to the convenience of these features.

The 307 has been a hit since it was introduced here two years ago. Not surprisingly, it was European Car of the Year in 2002. The hatch came first, the Touring was launched late last year as official transport for the Rugby World Cup and just last month, the gorgeous 306 CC coupe-convertible joined the line-up.

To gain the interior space and flexibility required for the Touring, the hatchback's wheelbase has been extended by 100 mm to 2710 mm, and the rear overhang - the distance from wheel to back bumper - stretched by 117mm.

A low boot sill and grooved stainless-steel runners ease loading of heavy items.

Satin-chrome roof rails can carry up to 100 kg of cycles, skis, surfboards or suitcases.

There is a range of additional storage spaces, including a glovebox through which the air-conditioning can be diverted to chill drinks or food and, always one of my favourites in any car, under-seat drawers.

Comfort and safety features make a long list.

These include front, side and curtain airbags, load-limiting seatbelt pre-tensioners, anti-whiplash headrests and a retractable steering column.

In addition to items mentioned already, interior equipment includes driver and passenger seat-height adjustment, two-way movement of the steering column, cruise control, trip computer and remote controls for the audio system.

Deep seat pockets, large door bins, side nets in the boot, rigid storage in the back of the centre seat and map pockets in the back of the front seats accommodate all the paraphernalia of family life. Two 12-volt sockets power portable refrigerators or, so I'm told, other devices such as electronic games.

Child seat mounting points are provided for all three rear seating positions. Overall, Peugeot claims the 307 Touring delivers a high level of passive and active safety features, including an ultra-strong body structure.

The Touring appears compact in overall size, but the interior is spacious and the car has the ride and feel of a bigger model.

With its longer wheelbase, the Touring obviously is a different animal to the hatchback on the road. The hatchback's nimbleness is replaced by the stability and ride suppleness that always result from extra centimetres between the front and rear wheels.

The turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel engine delivers 66 kiloWatts of power and 205 Newtonmetres of torque. In a diesel vehicle, the torque is the important figure which indicates how it is going to perform under load.

I keep hoping more car importers will follow the lead of Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz and Citroen in offering diesel versions. The modern diesel engine is quiet, smooth and powerful if turbocharged and of course delivers great economy.

Drive around for a week and you'll see the fuel gauge hardly moves. Put your foot down on the highway and you'll be surprised a diesel can perform so well.

And how economical is this? An economy expert is claiming two world records after a recent round-Australia drive in a 307 HDi Touring during which it averaged 1700 kms on each 60-litre tankful.

While not a sports car, the diesel Touring can be very satisfying to drive because of the strength of its performance, rather than its speed.

The diesel its provided only with a five-speed manual gearbox, but a four-speed auto with tip-shift is an option with the petrol engine.

Diesel and automatic would be the ideal combination - every time the driver lifts the accelerator to change the manual gears the turbocharger momentarily slows, interrupting the power build-up during acceleration.

As we know, the driver doesn't lift when an automatic is changing up and so the momentum is not interrupted. Anyone who drives a diesel automatic four-wheel drive will know what I mean.

This is a fine car that fills a small but important niche in the market. It's less than $2000 more expensive than the hatchback and, for a change, the diesel is cheaper than the petrol version.

Chris