Peugeot 107 (2005-) Review

On the road

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The tiny 107 is well-suited to the hustle and bustle of in-town driving. Visibility is improved by the over-sized windows, and the short bonnet and stumpy rear make the 107 easy to place when parking in tight city spots.

The steering wheel adjusts for rake (up and down) and there's plenty of fore/aft adjustment in the front seats, enabling even those on the larger side to find a comfortable driving position. There's also plenty of elbow room up front.

Standard-fit power steering and a light clutch and throttle pedal ease stop-start traffic, but the gearbox movement is a little notchy and the long throw of the gear lever mars a good driving experience. That said, the positive action of the gear stick means it would be difficult to accidentally select the wrong gear.

A relatively simple suspension set-up of McPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the back create a forgiving ride. Pot holes and speed bumps are absorbed well, and although there is a little body roll when cornering, the ride is never choppy over rough undulations.

The three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine may produce just 68bhp, but considering the 107's kerb weight of just 790-835Kg (dependent on configuration) it provides more than enough thrust. Indeed, with a 0-62mph time of 14.2secs and a top speed of around 100mph, the 107 should prove more than adequate for most drivers. 70lb ft may not sound like a great deal of torque for overtaking, but the maximum pulling power can be accessed 3600rpm so you don't have to over-rev the engine to make good progress.

We wouldn't recommend the 2-tronic automated manual gearbox to anybody unless they hold an automatic-only licence. The Toyota-sourced MMT transmission has jerky gearchanges and always feels out of its depth, even in fully automatic mode.