2009 Peugeot 407 ST HDi Sedan Road Test Review

2009 Peugeot 407 ST HDi Sedan Road Test Review

FRENCH MANUFACTURERS have never been strangers to unique and unusual automobiles. Their reputations have been built on individual cars that, for the most part, put function ahead of conventional form and appeal most to drivers who appreciate their uniqueness.

Peugeot’s 407 mid-size sedan has been with us since 2004, and while familiar to most Australian motorists, remains somewhat uncommon on our roads.

Like many a French car before it, the 407 challenges what we know and trust about conventional car design.

Is the 407 another classic French design that will surprise and delight those who prefer their motoring with a point of difference? Or is this unusually styled sedan just an unhappy collision of Gallic style and function.

Styling

The lines of the 407 could never be described as conventional.

Viewed in profile, the 407’s body is a mixture of shapes and lines that challenge conventional styling norms.

The nose is huge and front overhang immense, but it’s not balanced at the rear of the car. The A-pillars and windscreen are raked back steeply, however the B and C-pillars are quite upright.

Its large, chrome-latticed front grille, huge 'whale-shark' mouth and pulled-back headlamps give a curious 'animate' look to the front which divides opinion. (In a world of imitation and imitators, few other manufacturers - outside of France - have been so daring in breaking styling norms as Peugeot.) 

It’s a shape that appeals to some, and a statement of high Gallic-fashion, but doesn't quite work in my opinion. It certainly isn’t beautiful in a regular sense, but its individuality will endear it to those wanting something “a little different”.

At the very least, its lines ensure you can never lose a Peugeot 407 in a carpark.

The little sprinkles of chrome on the rubbing strips and on the grille are a refined touch, and the rectangular foglight housings are nicely integrated into the front bumper.

The 17-inch alloy wheels fitted to our ST model look a little undersized within the 407’s wheelwells, but the 18-inch alloys of the range-topping SV would arguably fill the guards better. The entry-level 407 SR makes do with 16-inch alloys.

Interior

In stark contrast to the 407’s exterior, the interior is for the most part conventional and more broadly appealing.

A well-finished black plastic dash is offset by tan upholstery and carpet, with the tan headlining giving the cabin a light, airy feel.

The dark red woodgrain accents are fake (and not very good fakes, at that), but, these aside, the 407’s interior definitely possesses a premium feel.

Our test car was equipped with the optional leather package, which brings heated and power-adjustable front seats.

The front seats are comfortable (if a little short in the squab), but the rear bench is cramped for legroom and can't accommodate three adults on anything more than a short trip – a side effect of the 407’s strange external proportions.

It doesn’t end with the rear seat either – there are many other aspects of the 407’s interior design that are compromised.

Take the glovebox, for instance. Although the lid is large the actual usable space within is tiny, the rest taken up by air-conditioning hardware and the car’s fuse and relay box.

The driver’s footwell, too, is rather cramped - no doubt a side effect of having the front wheels located so far rearward – and the shallow windscreen means the A-pillars block a good chunk of the driver’s forward vision.

The parking brake is mounted on the very left of the centre console, and using it often results in uncomfortable brushes with your front passenger’s thigh.

The speedometer is numbered in odd increments (50km/h, 70km/h, etc), but the instruments are clear and legible under most conditions.

Remote controls for the stereo and cruise control are standard, but are irritatingly mounted behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel rather than on it.

Rear seat passengers benefit from their own air-conditioning outlets, a 12-volt power outlet and retractable sun screens for the rear side glass and rear windscreen. A generously sized fold-down centre armrest also contains two cup holders and provides access to the boot via a ski flap.

The rear seats feature a 60/40 split and fold down to increase boot space. With the rear seats up, the 407’s smallish boot can accommodate up to 407 litres of luggage.

Equipment and Features

As the mid-spec model in the 407 range, the ST comes generously equipped in standard showroom form.

Electric windows, heated and electrically folding wing mirrors, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and tinted glass are standard for the ST, along with cruise control, dual-zone climate control and an air-conditioned glovebox.

A trip computer is factory-issue, but satellite navigation is a cost option on the ST and SV and unavailable on the base SR.

Auto-on wipers are standard but seem to get easily confused during dawn and dusk, occasionally activating themselves when the sun is low in the sky.