19 Apr 04
So while the 407 keeps a multi-arm rear suspension similar to but more compact than that of the 406, it gets an all-new variation on double wishbones for the front. It's unusual in that the hub carrier doesn't pivot directly on the wishbone ends when steering, but on a tall 'Cobapress' (cast-transformed-pressed) aluminium arm which bridges the large space between the wishbones. This way, the steering axis isn't dictated by the wishbone position, and can be tailored for minimal torque-steer and optimum geometry. The diagram reveals the idea.
The last Peugeot with front wishbones was the 404 (it's been struts ever since), and the idea is to meld the 406's fluidity with crisper steering. That the 407 is a heavy car - even the lightest scales 1400kg - plays a part, too: such heft needs clever suspension if it is to remain agile. It also needs some muscular engines, a notion hard to square with the fact that the smallest is a mere 1.6-litre. But that 1.6 is a diesel able to produce an impressive 180lb ft of torque without complaint and 192lb ft for brief overboosted bursts. Power peaks at 110bhp.
The other diesel offered is the 136bhp/240lb ft unit of 2.0 litres' capacity, with 16 valves and an existing role under the bonnets of some other PSA products and Ford's Focus C-Max, among others. It can boost itself up to 251lb ft on demand. Diesels will account for the majority of sales (70 per cent across Europe), helped by the later arrival of a 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel related to the excellent engine just launched in Jaguar's S-type.
Yet there's also a plethora of petrol units: a 117bhp 1.8, a 138bhp 2.0, a 160bhp 2.2 (a big power leap for its extra 233cc, all the more exploitable with its attached six-speed manual gearbox) and a 211bhp V6 which comes with a six-speed automatic transmission.
