19 Apr 04
So, does the 407 rekindle the dynamic flame? Up to a point, and in the right version, yes. But it isn't head-and-shoulders above the opposition. Weight is the problem, but that does help it to feel quite a quality object - as does the generous use of soft-feel and padded surfaces inside. It's not quite premium, but it's not far off.
So why do we feel a whiff of disappointment? Because the V6 misses the dynamic point, the 2.0 petrol four feels a bit feeble, and that lovely Peugeot fluidity of old is still elusive. The 407 is a step in the right direction, though.
407 SW to follow
UK sales start in May, with prices from £14,750 for a 1.8S. The cheapest diesel is £15,550, with a competitive 145g/km CO2 figure. Stepping from an S to an SE, or an SE to an SV, involves a £1000 jump, but SV to Executive is a £2000 leap. The SV V6 tested isn't in the UK line-up, but a luxury-pack SE is and so, of course, is an Executive. At £22,250 it is, naturally, the most expensive 407. There's a 12-year anti-perforation warranty and a six-year paint warranty.
The SW estate version follows in the autumn, and is planned to sell at an equal rate to the saloon. The combined sales total is intended to exceed that of the 406 saloon and estate, and the forthcoming coupé (to be revealed at October's Paris show) is planned to make a bigger sales impact than the 406 Coupé did.
