PEUGEOT

KISS ME QUICK Peugeot hopes its limited edition 107 KISS will further increase the city car’s popularity amongst young people. Matt Low reports.

The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact, urban car with a cheeky character that would appeal to young drivers. If the original model hadn’t already succeeded in this, then the limited edition 107 KISS certainly should. Fitted with an improved, iPod compatible music system and upgraded spec, you may well find you love the sound of the 107 KISS.

Those of you who keep tabs on the motoring scene may already know that the 107 came about as a result of as partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota. Manufactured at a specialist plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic, the 107 represents a third of the factory’s 300,000 annual output. The 107 comes in five trim levels, Urban Lite, Urban, Urban Move, Sport and the limited edition KISS. The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car that would appeal to young drivers and was totally at ease in the urban environment. When it was launched alongside its two sister cars, the Toyota Aygo and the Citroën C1, the Peugeot’s role in the inevitable market carve up wasn’t clear. The Citroën was the cheap one, the Toyota was the upmarket one and the 107, well, that seemed to be the other one. Not so. Thanks to its punchy 1.0-litre engine and excellent safety spec, the 107 then trounced its rivals in terms of sales. There’s not a lot wrong with the 1.0-litre petrol unit used in the variant we’re looking at here. Given a bootful, this engine will punt the KISS to 60mph in 14 seconds. That doesn’t look too impressive on paper but the 107’s light weight ensures that pick up from rest is very good and you’ll get the drop on much more powerful cars away from the lights, very useful for the cut and thrust of urban driving. You’ll have to give the 68bhp three-cylinder engine a good whipping on the motorway though. A narrowish power band also means you’ll need to keep on top of the gearchanges if the route gets a bit hilly. Handling is very good. Although the 107 is short and tall, you can push the car very hard and it never feels disconcertingly ‘tippy’. Yes, it does feel as if it’s suffered a mortal blow if you hit a speed bump with some numbers on the clock but you can’t have everything. The front seats are reasonably good and ride quality is otherwise OK. The steering feels a little rubbery at first but you’ll be able to position the 107 with millimetric precision, helped by a throttle pedal that’s easy to modulate.

"This KISS special edition might prove an interesting choice for the discerning young city driver…"

The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three-door shape that the KISS comes in looks the most comfortable from a design perspective. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches too. Aside from the KISS labelled floor mats and livery, the glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide, smiley-mouthed Peugeot family design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. Assuming that you’re happy with the price (£7,755), the real selling point of the KISS, and the reason for its association with London’s KISS FM radio station, is the improved music system. The stereo has been upgraded to a Clarion radio and CD player with a removable front panel. Upgraded speakers are featured along with a subwoofer with additional volume control and, to top it all off, a USB socket to enable iPod and MP3 player connection. Not bad for less than £500 more than the entry level Urban Lite. Especially when you consider it comes with electric front windows and remote central locking too. As you’d expect from Peugeot’s 107 range, the KISS is not short of safety equipment, with twin front airbags, ABS and Peugeot’s CSC corner steering control all fitted. The car features KISS livery along the sides and on the floor mats, and comes in either Laser Red or Raven Black metallic paint. The limited addition 107 KISS fits just between the standard Urban Lite and Urban trim levels and only 1,000 of this variant have been made. It comes as a three-door and features the standard 1.0-litre engine as seen across the whole 107 range. Running a Peugeot 107 is about as financially painless as new car ownership gets. The 1.0-litre engine displays an almost pathological refusal to consume fuel, the average fuel consumption figure pitched at 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at an excellent 109g/km. Depreciation figures look reasonable and the air conditioning fitted to this version is one of the few fitments guaranteed to have some sort of effect on residual values. The others? Satellite navigation and metallic paint. Two out of three aint bad. Insurance premiums are almost comically low, all 107s being rated in Group 1E, the lowest possible. Ultra low emissions and amazing fuel economy will endear this car to many but it’s the driving characteristics that cement the 107’s place among the very best city cars money can buy. Coupled with the ultra-cool music set up, this KISS special edition might prove an interesting choice for the discerning young city driver. The 107 has established itself as the evolutionary victor amongst the trio of small city cars that share a common platform (the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 being the others). True, 68bhp doesn’t sound promising but the 107 has an infectious personality and feels relatively indestructible. Use and abuse, the 107 will keep coming back for more.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Peugeot 107 KISS PRICE: £7,755 on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 1E CO2 EMISSIONS: 109g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.0] 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 51.3mpg / (extra urban) 68.8mpg / (combined) 61.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags on all except entry-level model, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm

SMALL WONDER The improved Peugeot 107 remains the template for the latest generation of compact city cars. Jonathan Crouch reports

Peugeot’s 107, the best selling low emissions car, has been improved, with slight enhancements to both CO2 emissions and fuel economy, plus a smarter look. Otherwise, it’s still a safe and secure city runabout that offers a surprising amount of space for the tight budget it sells to. Available in both three and five door body styles with an up-and-at-‘em 1.0-litre petrol engine, the 107 is right on the money.

Marketing gurus sometimes refer to the Goldilocks syndrome. Basically, it states that there is often a ‘sweet spot’ into which a product can fortunately fall where the pricing and perceived value coincide to provoke big sales. For an automotive equivalent, look no further than Peugeot’s 107. When it was launched alongside its two sister cars, the Toyota Aygo and the Citroën C1, the Peugeot’s role in the inevitable market carve up wasn’t clear. The Citroën was the cheap one, the Toyota was the upmarket one and the 107, well, that seemed to be the other one. Not so. The 107 then trounced its rivals in terms of sales and the reason was twofold. Simple badge equity got customers into dealerships and big discounts offered by Peugeot sales staff converted initial interest to firm orders. In the public’s eyes, the 107 was neither too cheap nor too dear. ‘Just right’ has a lot to be said for it. There’s not a lot wrong with the 1.0-litre petrol unit used across the range. Given a bootful, this engine will punt the 107 to 60mph in 14 seconds. That doesn’t look too impressive on paper but the 107’s light weight ensures that pick up from rest is very good and you’ll get the drop on much more powerful cars away from the lights. You’ll have to give the 68bhp three-cylinder engine a good whipping on the motorway though. A narrowish power band also means you’ll need to keep on top of the gearchanges if the route gets a bit hilly.

"Running a Peugeot 107 is about as financially painless as new car ownership gets…."

Handling is very good. Although the 107 is short and tall, you can push the car very hard and it never feels disconcertingly ‘tippy’. Yes, it does feel as if it’s suffered a mortal blow if you hit a speed bump with some numbers on the clock but you can’t have everything. The front seats are reasonably good and ride quality is otherwise OK. The steering feels a little rubbery at first but you’ll be able to position the 107 with millimetric precision, helped by a throttle pedal that’s easy to modulate. Changes to this improved 107’s exterior include a stylish ‘new face’, with chrome detailing and a revised wheel trim design to bring a more youthful appearance. The interior has also been upgraded and includes smarter upholstery materials which complement brighter exterior colours in the range. Otherwise, it’s as you were. The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with a cheeky character that would appeal to young drivers, be versatile in use and, above all, be totally at ease in the urban environment. The length of the car wasn’t to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style. The final execution exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches too. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. Running a Peugeot 107 is about as financially painless as new car ownership gets. The driving force that made the Peugeot 107 the ‘best-selling, low-emissions car of 2007’ is its very economical 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine with a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 62.8mpg – an improvement of 2% over the original version of this car. CO2 emissions are also reduced in the latest version to just 106g/km (previously 109g/km), retaining the low £35 road tax ‘B’ banding. Depreciation figures look reasonable and the air conditioning fitted to most trim levels is one of the few fitments guaranteed to have some sort of effect on resdiual values. The others? Satellite navigation and metallic paint. Two out of three aint bad. Insurance premiums are almost comically low, all 107s being rated in Group 1E, the lowest possible. The 107 has established itself as the evolutionary victor amongst the trio of small cars that share a common platform (the Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo being the others) and the 1.0-litre petrol engine is the sole powerplant offered. Ultra low emissions and amazing fuel economy will endear this car to many but it’s the driving characteristics that cement the 107’s place among the very best city cars money can buy. True, 68bhp doesn’t sound promising but the 107 has an infectious personality and feels relatively indestructible. Use and abuse, the 107 will keep coming back for more.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Peugeot 107 range PRICES: £7,295-£8,645 - on the road [est] INSURANCE GROUP: 1E CO2 EMISSIONS: 106g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 62.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags on all except entry-level model, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm

PEUGEOT’S GRINNING FORMULA? Will Peugeot’s 107 smile its way into your affections? Andy Enright decides…

Cheerfully humanising animals proved a profitable turn for Disney and Peugeot look to follow suit by giving their 107 the biggest grin seen on an inanimate object since Samantha Fox presented the Brit Awards. With its 24 hour sunny demeanour, the 107 will doubtless appeal to those looking for a feel good citycar that’s unthreatening, fun to drive and inexpensive to run.

Those of you who keep tabs on the motoring scene may already know that the 107 came about as a result of as partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota. Manufactured at a specialist plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic, the 107 represents a third of the factory’s 300,000 annual output, with a good proportion of the baby bouncing Czechs heading for the UK, one of Peugeot’s biggest global markets. The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with an assertive character, versatile in use and above all, totally at ease in the urban environment. To meet these criteria, a number of restrictions were placed on the initial proposal. The length of the car wasn’t to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style. The final execution has exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. This makes it fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective, but the five-door could well prove to be a bigger commercial success. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed Peugeot family design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. Expect to see aftermarket accessory companies launch a range of self adhesive teeth or eyelashes. Eight exterior colours are offered – five metallic and three solid hues.

"The 107 makes the old 106 look like a bloated behemoth"

Prices start at £7,295 and three trim levels are offered – Urban Lite, Urban and Urban Move - with one engine choice - a three-cylinder 1.0-litre powerplant that develops 67bhp. Both Citroen and Toyota offer a 1.4-litre diesel in their versions of this car but Peugeot have passed. You can see why Peugeot has launched here with the 1.0-litre, reflecting the 107’s urban bias and offering a sprint to 60mph that takes 14 seconds. The good news is the fact that this 1.0-litre engine is predictably excellent in terms of fuel economy and emissions. The combined economy figure is 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at an excellent 109g/km. The diesel engine would put the asking price up considerably with limited benefits in terms of economy and drivability. The 2-Tronic self-shifting gearbox costs £500 extra. Standard specification, even on the base Urban Lite models, runs to power steering, twin front airbags, a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility, ABS and Peugeot’s CSC cornering stability control. The Urban models add remote central locking, electric windows, split folding rear seats and body-coloured exterior parts. For around £500 or so more, the Urban Move model includes air conditioning, plus a choice of three metallic paint finishes: Zircon Grey, Antigua Blue or Carbon Grey, an ‘Urban Move’ logo vertically on the leading edge of the rear window and new Matrix blue seat trim.  New Metallic blue surrounds to speedometer, air vents and to the interior door pulls make for what Peugeot hopes is a distinctive and modern environment. To ensure the optimum safety of its passengers, the 107 relies on its structure for high speed impact protection – quite an accomplishment considering that a small car has to absorb impact energy quickly. Each passenger seat can accommodate a child seat, while the 50/50 split rear bench seat is equipped on both sides with ISOFIX fixtures incorporating three anchorage points for the installation of an ISOFIX child seat. This overall design places the 107 in the best possible position to satisfy Euro NCAP criteria for the protection of occupants. In the design of the front of the vehicle and the layout of the different mechanical components of the 107, careful attention has been paid to the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian. Thanks to a special impact beam in front of the bumper and a bonnet that creates the maximum possible distance between it and mechanical components underneath, pedestrian protection is maximised. Of the three partners in this joint venture, it may well be Peugeot that finds themselves in the difficult middle child position. Destined to be undercut by the Citroen C1 and weighing in less than the more sophisticated Toyota Aygo, the 107 will have to work hard to elbow the opposition aside. Much will depend on how you take to that face. If it’s smiling at you, Peugeot could have a sale. Those that see otherwise could be chalked up for the rivals.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Peugeot 107range PRICES: £7,295-£8,645 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 1E CO2 EMISSIONS: 109g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.0] 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 51.3mpg / (extra urban) 68.8mpg / (combined) 61.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags on all except entry-level model, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm

XS ALL AREAS! Peugeot’s 107 Sport XS offers a fun steer to those on a budget. Andy Enright reports

Youth may be wasted on the young but insurance premiums rarely are. The beady-eyed bean counters at the major insurance companies know that young drivers represent a significant risk and although they view the business with future customer loyalty in mind, young drivers are nevertheless saddled with serious insurance bills. This limits the choice somewhat when shopping for a new car. Fortunately, Peugeot maintains that a low insurance grouping needn’t automatically spell dull driving and the 107 Sport XS is the material proof.

The insurance rating of 1E is about as cheap as it gets and in order to maintain this, Peugeot has had to leave the 107’s 1.0-litre engine as is. This means a three-cylinder 1.0-litre powerplant that develops 68bhp. Both Citroen and Toyota offer a 1.4-litre diesel in their versions of this car but Peugeot have passed. Perhaps they did the right thing. After all, there’s not too much point in paying the premium for a diesel when with typical citycar mileages, it would take an ownership period of ten years to get the difference back with savings at the pumps. Anyway, there’s not a lot wrong with the 1.0-litre petrol unit used in the variant we’re looking at here. Given a bootful, this engine will punt the 107 Sport XS to 60mph in 14 seconds. Further good news comes with the fact that this powerplant also is predictably excellent in terms of fuel economy and emissions. The combined economy figure is 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at a paltry 109g/km. The Sport XS makes up in show what it lacks in go. Customers can choose between Diamond White (with red stripes and silver edges), Laser Red (with white stripes and black edges)), Raven Black (with red stripes and silver edges) or Zircon Grey metallic (with graphite stripes and white edges). Having seen all the colours, I reckon the white is the neatest, harking back to the old Peugeot Rallye hatches of the Eighties and Nineties. The specification is loosely based on the existing Urban model but adds 14-inch Magna six-spoke alloy wheels with locking wheel nuts, a rev counter, a front spoiler, door mirrors colour keyed to the stripe set and a twin sports exhaust system. In the cabin, you’ll also find a leather-trimmed steering wheel with red stitching, a red sports gearknob with red stitched leather gaiter and red trim on the centre console and air vent surrounds.

"This car is all about fun and it packs a lot into such a tiny footprint"

In many ways, the 107 Sport XS feels rather close in philosophy to the old Fiat Cinquecento Sporting, a car that didn’t need to rely on brute force to raise a grin. Like the Cinq, the 107 also hails from Eastern Europe. Those of you who keep tabs on the motoring scene may already know that the 107 came about as a result of as partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota. Manufactured at a specialist plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic, the 107 represents a third of the factory’s 300,000 annual output, with a good proportion of the baby bouncing Czechs heading for the UK, one of Peugeot’s biggest global markets. The design brief for the Sport XS was to engineer a compact car with a cheeky character that would appeal to young drivers, be versatile in use and, above all, be totally at ease in the urban environment. The 107 provided an excellent basis for such a car, itself having to fulfil a number of strict criteria. The length of the car wasn’t to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style. The Sport XS is only offered in three-door guise. The final execution exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. This makes it fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches too. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed Peugeot family design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. Expect to see aftermarket accessory companies launch a range of self adhesive teeth or eyelashes. To ensure the optimum safety of its passengers, the 107 relies on its structure for high speed impact protection – quite an accomplishment considering that a small car has to absorb impact energy quickly. Each passenger seat can accommodate a child seat, while the 50/50 split rear bench seat is equipped on both sides with ISOFIX fixtures incorporating three anchorage points for the installation of an ISOFIX child seat. This overall design places the 107 in the best possible position to satisfy Euro NCAP criteria for the protection of occupants. In the design of the front of the vehicle and the layout of the different mechanical components of the 107, careful attention has been paid to the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian. Thanks to a special impact beam in front of the bumper and a bonnet that creates the maximum possible distance between it and mechanical components underneath, pedestrian protection is maximised. The Peugeot 107 Sport XS is a simple concept that’s very well executed. If you need to keep a lid on costs but want something with a bit of fizz and personality, look no further.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Peugeot 107 Sport XS PRICE: £8,555 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 1E CO2 EMISSIONS: 109g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 51.3mpg / (extra urban) 68.8mpg / (combined) 61.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm

CHEAP SKATE Peugeot’s trimmed down 107 offers urban chic on the cheap. Steve Ghosley takes a look…

If nearly £7,500 for a little citycar sounds like a lot to you, then you’re not alone. Peugeot’s marketers thought so too. So it is that we have an entry-level ‘Urban Lite’ version of their 107 for just £7,295. After all they reasoned, if Citroen could sell their near identical C1 for around this kind of money, then so could they.

Don’t expect too many bells and whistles of course. Those in search of niceties like body-coloured bumpers, electric windows and central local will need to find another £500 for the standard ‘Urban’ variant, which like this car, can be ordered with either three or (for £350 more) five doors. To be fair, the Urban Lite does come with electric power steering, driver and passenger airbags, a stereo radio / single CD player with MP3 socket, ABS with EBFD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) and CSC (Cornering Stability Control). Only three colours are available to Urban Lite customers, namely Citrus Yellow, Laser Red or Raven Black. Those of you who keep tabs on the motoring scene may already know that the 107 came about as a result of as partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota. Manufactured at a specialist plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic, the 107 represents a third of the factory’s 300,000 annual output, with a good proportion of the baby bouncing Czechs heading for the UK, one of Peugeot’s biggest global markets. The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with an assertive character, versatile in use and above all, totally at ease in the urban environment. To meet these criteria, a number of restrictions were placed on the initial proposal. The length of the car wasn’t to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style.

"…aimed at those who see a car more as a practical tool rather than a fashion statement…."

The final execution has exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. This makes it fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective, but the five-door could well prove to be a bigger commercial success. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches too. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed Peugeot family design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. Expect to see aftermarket accessory companies launch a range of self adhesive teeth or eyelashes. Only one engine choice is available with the Lite - a three-cylinder 1.0-litre powerplant that develops 68bhp. Both Citroen and Toyota offer a 1.4-litre diesel in their versions of this car but Peugeot have passed. You can see why Peugeot has launched here with the 1.0-litre, reflecting the 107’s urban bias and offering a sprint to 60mph that takes 14 seconds. The good news is the fact that this 1.0-litre engine is predictably excellent in terms of fuel economy and emissions. The combined economy figure is 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at an excellent 109g/km. To ensure the optimum safety of its passengers, the 107 relies on its structure for high speed impact protection – quite an accomplishment considering that a small car has to absorb impact energy quickly. Each passenger seat can accommodate a child seat, while the 50/50 split rear bench seat is equipped on both sides with ISOFIX fixtures incorporating three anchorage points for the installation of an ISOFIX child seat. This overall design places the 107 in the best possible position to satisfy Euro NCAP criteria for the protection of occupants. In the design of the front of the vehicle and the layout of the different mechanical components of the 107, careful attention has been paid to the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian. Thanks to a special impact beam in front of the bumper and a bonnet that creates the maximum possible distance between it and mechanical components underneath, pedestrian protection is maximised. The Peugeot 107 Urban Lite is aimed at those who see a car more as a practical tool rather than a fashion statement. Certainly, the design of the 107 is a stylish, practical solution to modern city motoring. Whether the Urban Lite has enough about it to win sales from its direct competitors, entry-level versions of Citroen’s C1 and Toyota’s Aygo, only time will tell.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Peugeot 107 Urban Lite PRICES: £7,295 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 1E CO2 EMISSIONS: 109g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 61.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm

I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE City cars don’t come much better than Peugeot’s 107 Urban Move. Andy Enright reports

Peugeot maintains that running a budget city car shouldn’t be a miserable experience and the 107 Urban Move adds a few touches to make schlepping though the city traffic that little bit more tolerable. Like any 107, the fun factor is fitted as standard, but the air conditioning takes the sweat out of the urban sprawl.

Some cars don’t hit a nerve right away, instead taking that little bit longer to grow on you. I’ve run some long term cars where this has been the case, the Ford Fiesta ST and the Toyota Corolla Verso not initially doing much for me but later establishing themselves as lasting favourites. The Peugeot 107 could well be going the same way. At first I thought it was too small to face up to the Fiat Panda but the combination of very aggressive pricing and a drive that’s never less than a hoot have endeared the tiny Pug to me and many of the British public. As part of a triumvirate that includes the Citroën C1 and the Toyota Aygo, few would have predicted the 107 to be the biggest seller but it trounces its siblings and models such as this Urban Move edition only compound its superiority. There’s not a lot wrong with the 1.0-litre petrol unit used in the variant we’re looking at here. Given a bootful, this engine will punt the 107 Urban Move to 60mph in 14 seconds. That doesn’t look too impressive on paper but the 107’s light weight ensures that pick up from rest is very good and you’ll get the drop on much more powerful cars away from the lights. You’ll have to give the 68bhp three-cylinder engine a good whipping on the motorway though. A narrowish power band also means you’ll need to keep on top of the gerachanges if the route gets a bit hilly. Handling is very good. Although the 107 is short and tall, you can push the car very hard and it never feels disconcertingly ‘tippy’. Yes, it does feel as if it’s suffered a mortal blow if you hit a speed bump with some numbers on the clock but you can’t have everything. The front seats are reasonably good and ride quality is otherwise OK. The steering feels a little rubbery at first but you’ll be able to position the 107 with millimetric precision, helped by a throttle pedal that’s easy to modulate.

"Ultra low emissions and amazing fuel economy will endear this car to many…."

The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with a cheeky character that would appeal to young drivers, be versatile in use and, above all, be totally at ease in the urban environment. The length of the car wasn’t to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style. Only the three-door body style is offered in Urban Move guise. The final execution exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. This makes it fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches too. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed Peugeot family design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. The Urban Move is based on the existing Urban models but tacks another £500 or so onto the price of these cars and includes a fair slug of additional equipment. This includes air conditioning, metallic paint, a rev counter, Matrix red seat trim, bright silver surrounds to speedometer and air vents and similar silver finish to interior door pulls. Priced at £8,295 in 3-door form or £8,645 as a 5-door, the 107 Urban Move squares up to some quite well equipped Fiat Pandas and Toyota Aygos, taking the 107 out of its value-priced comfort zone. This is, in effect, the Urban Move’s Achilles heel. As a budget car, the 107 is extremely appealing. Start specifying it with more gear and the eye starts to wander elsewhere. Still, if you were already going to add air conditioning to your 107, then the Urban Move makes all kinds of sense. New in the latest ‘Urban Move’ is a choice of three metallic paint finishes: Zircon Grey, Antigua Blue or Carbon Grey, an ‘Urban Move’ logo vertically on the leading edge of the rear window and new Matrix blue seat trim.  New Metallic blue surrounds to speedometer, air vents and to the interior door pulls make for what Peugeot hopes is a distinctive and modern environment. Running a Peugeot 107 Urban Move is about as financially painless as new car ownership gets. The 1.0-litre engine displays an almost pathological refusal to consume fuel, the average fuel consumption figure pitched at 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at an excellent 109g/km. Depreciation figures look reasonable and the air conditioning fitted to this version is one of the few fitments guaranteed to have some sort of effect on resdiual values. The others? Satellite navigation and metallic paint. Two out of three aint bad. Insurance premiums are almost comically low, the 107 Urban Move being rated in Group 1E, the lowest possible. The Peugeot 107 Urban Move probably won’t be the first name you pencil onto any putative city car shortlist but it merits serious consideration. The 107 has established itself as the evolutionary victor amongst the trio of small cars that share a common platform (the Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo being the others) and the 1.0-litre petrol engine is the sole powerplant offered. Ultra low emissions and amazing fuel economy will endear this car to many but it’s the driving characteristics that cement the 107’s place among the very best city cars money can buy. True, 68bhp doesn’t sound promising but the 107 has an infectious personality and feels relatively indestructible. Use and abuse, the 107 Urban Move will keep coming back for more.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Peugeot 107 Urban Move PRICE: £8,295 - £8,645 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 1E CO2 EMISSIONS: 109g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 61.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm

ALL FOR ONE… Models Covered: (3/5dr hatchback 1.0 petrol [Urban Lite, Urban, Sport XS])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Figure this one out for me, if you would. The Peugeot 107 citycar was launched at the same time as its sister vehicles, the Citroën C1 and the Toyota Aygo. The Citroën was the cheapest and was also offered with a diesel engine. The Toyota was the plushest and most adventurously styled. The Peugeot, sitting somewhere in the middle with by far the most limited model run looked like it was going to bomb. Badly. Yet trawl the classifieds for used examples of these cars and you’ll find as many 107s as the other two cars put together. It seems that when it comes to sub-supermini type citycars, British customers have a Goldilocks syndrome, and the 107 has proved neither too little nor too much…

Those of you who keep tabs on the motoring scene will already know that the 107 came about as a result of as partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota. Manufactured at a specialist plant in Kolin in the Czech Republic, the 107 represents a third of the factory’s 300,000 annual output, with a good proportion of the baby bouncing Czechs heading for the UK, one of Peugeot’s biggest global markets. Since then, the 107 has notched up decent sales figures, despite the early lack of a diesel model. It seems British customers are sufficiently savvy to be able to figure out that unless they’re commuting to Kolin on a daily basis, a 1.0-litre petrol engine works out better value than opting for the 1.4-litre diesels sported from early on by the Toyota and Citroën. Sales have been buoyant with Peugeot shifting around 3,000 cars per month in the first year of production. The Urban Lite trim level slotted in beneath the Urban in Winter 2006, further enhancing the 107’s low cost credentials by stripping out some features and nudging the entry-level price earthward. The Sport XS models turned up early in 2007 with spoilers a twin exhaust and red interior detailing but the same modest 1.0-litre engine.

The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with an assertive character, versatility in use and above all, that was totally at ease in the urban environment. To meet these criteria, a number of restrictions were placed on the initial proposal. The length of the car wasn’t to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style. The final execution exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. This makes it fully 25cm shorter than the old 106. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. Compared to the 1007 that Peugeot introduced around the same time - itself no giant - the 107 is smaller in every regard. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective, but the five-door has proven a bigger commercial success. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner layout. The 107 features some neat design touches. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving the car a very distinctive rump, especially when it’s painted in paler colours. The front end also features the wide mouthed Peugeot family design debuted on the 407. Coupled with the huge eyes created by the headlamps, this gives the 107 a more distinctive face than virtually any other car on sale today. Eight exterior colours were offered – five metallic and three solid hues.

Seeing as there are only two main models, the three-door and the five-door 1.0-litre Urban, pricing for the 107 is fairly straightforward. Three-door cars open at £4,900 on the 05 plate while those with a quintet of doors kick off at £5,150. Easy. As is paying the insurance premium as these cars are rated at Group 1.

The 107 hasn’t had any major faults or serious recalls but do insist on a fully stamped up service record and inspect the car carefully for parking knocks and scrapes. The 107’s plastic bumpers can shrug off some quite hefty scuffs without affecting their function but if there are abrasions use them as a negotiating point. The interior is very hardwearing.

(approx based on a 2005 107 Urban 1.0) 107 spares are relatively cheap with an oil filter retailing at around £8, a starter motor retailing at around £90 and front brake pads costing a very reasonable £30 a pair.

You can see why Peugeot launched here with just the 1.0-litre, reflecting the 107’s urban bias and offering a sprint to 60mph that takes 14 seconds. The good news is the fact that this 1.0-litre engine is predictably excellent in terms of fuel economy and emissions. The combined economy figure is 61.4mpg and emissions are pegged at an excellent 109g/km. The diesel engine would put the asking price up considerably with limited benefits in terms of economy and drivability. The 2-Tronic self-shifting gearbox is worth looking for if you don’t mind the modest performance being blunted still further. To ensure the optimum safety of its passengers, the 107 relies on its structure for high speed impact protection – quite an accomplishment considering that a small car has to absorb impact energy quickly. Each passenger seat can accommodate a child seat, while the 50/50 split rear bench seat is equipped on both sides with ISOFIX fixtures incorporating three anchorage points for the installation of an ISOFIX child seat. This overall design places the 107 in the best possible position to satisfy Euro NCAP criteria for the protection of occupants. In the design of the front of the vehicle and the layout of the different mechanical components of the 107, careful attention has been paid to the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian. Thanks to a special impact beam in front of the bumper and a bonnet that creates the maximum possible distance between it and mechanical components underneath, pedestrian protection is maximised.

The Peugeot 107 has more than lived up to its manufacturer’s expectations and with a decent array of choice on the used market, you should easily be able to pick up the car you’re after. Trust Peugeot to make car buying this easy.