Peugeot 1007: Chameleon With Sliding Doors

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

With the 1007, Peugeot has joined the micro-van segment. The French car manufacturer achieved striking innovations that also increase the resale value of the small car.

Thomas Flehmer

Despite a weak market, the small car segment has gained a high reputation in Europe. A market share of more than 35 percent speaks for itself. After the successful model 206 and the 107, which will appear in June, Peugeot is responding to the increased interest with a micro-van. "The trend towards the micro-van has increased tenfold from 1.5 percent to 15 percent in the small car segment," said Peugeot communications director Bernd Schantz at the presentation of the 1007 in Valencia.

Eye-catching sliding doors

So that the 1007, which will be available in Germany from September, also differentiates itself from its competitors, the French manufacturer has come up with several innovations. The electric sliding doors, which can be opened at the push of a button in the car or via the remote control, are particularly striking.

The 1.37 meter long doors reveal their advantages especially in tight parking spaces. Thanks to a 92 centimeter wide entry, according to Peugeot, children can get in comfortably at the back or shopping bags can be conveniently placed.

Stress when confused

But the still futuristic-looking doors also have their disadvantages. It becomes problematic if the switches are mixed up shortly before starting and the driver or front passenger opens the door instead of the window.

The doors can only be closed again when the mobile is driving less than five kilometers per hour. So you have to slow down and prevent the following participants from running smoothly.

For the first time with an automated manual transmission

But the vans, initially equipped with three engine variants, did not move too quickly. The 1.4 petrol engine with 54 kW (73 hp) takes 14.4 seconds to go from zero to one hundred and has a maximum torque of 118 Nm, which only comes into play at 3300 rpm.

With the "2-Tronic", the automated manual transmission used by Peugeot for the first time, the driver needs 2.2 seconds more to reach 100 kilometers per hour. Both models have a top speed of 165 kilometers per hour.

The 1.6 petrol engine, which is only equipped with the “2-Tronic”, has 147 Nm at 4000 rpm. Thanks to 80 kW (109 PS), the driver can push the 3.73-meter-long car to 190 kilometers per hour. The automated manual transmission cannot keep up with a direct shift transmission a la Golf GTI - the shift breaks are too long and are more reminiscent of the Smart - but you drive with it much more fuel-efficiently. For example, Peugeot indicates the consumption values for the petrol engine with an average of 6.6 for the 1.6 and 6.3 liters for the 1.4.

Diesel without a filter

The diesel equipped with 50 kW (60 PS) only needs 4.7 liters on average. For the sprint from zero to 100, the 1007 takes 15.6 seconds with a torque of 160 Nm at 2000 rpm. Even without a particulate filter, the van, which is only available with a 5-speed manual transmission, meets the Euro emissions standard 4.

However, the demand for diesel in small cars is only around ten percent. Germany boss Olivier Veyrier had said in an interview with the Netzeitung that Peugeot was also equipped for this technology, but due to the low demand, equipping it with a filter would be very costly. A more powerful diesel version of the 1007 will then come onto the market with a filter in the coming year.

Very small trunk

But even without a filter, there is space for people in motion inside - at least two. Because there is enough space for people on the very soft front seats thanks to an extremely long dashboard up to the windshield. The rear seats are tighter, even if people can still move the rear seats by 23 centimeters.

However, this is at the expense of the trunk, which is too narrow from the start. With only 178 liters there is not even space for a box of water. However, skinny women would also have great difficulties lifting the crate of drinks over the 78 centimeter high loading sill if the rear seats were pushed all the way forward or folded over to increase the volume of the trunk to 1048 liters - at the expense of the passengers in the rear seats.

Very high security standard

But with that the weak points are already listed. When it comes to security, the 1007 is great. Not only because of the raised seating position, ESP and the seven airbags, including an airbag under the steering column, the micro-van never before achieved 36 points in the European NCAP crash test and replaced the C5 from its brother Citroen at the top of the safest vehicles.

This is another reason why Peugeot classifies the 1007 in the premium class as a competitor to the Smart or A-Class. The starting price of 13,650 euros in the basic version “Filou” is a good argument. The entry-level model in the “Premium” class costs 1,100 euros more, while the small petrol version in the “Sport” segment starts at 15,900 euros where the competitors are just starting their base.

In addition, in connection with a 3-way financing contract from the Peugeot Bank, Peugeot offers the first year of insurance including cover letter, full and partial comprehensive insurance free of charge. There, too, up to 2000 euros can be saved.

Profit thanks to Cameleo

The drivers of the 1007 can also make a profit if they are resold. At a price of 243 euros, Peugeot is offering the 18-piece interior decor kit “Cameleo”, which is available in Germany in a total of nine different versions.

With just a few simple steps, the owner can replace the covers for the seats and backrests, the decorative panels on the air vents, the door panels and the fabric covers on the dashboard, thus increasing the resale value. But even if only one part breaks, this is also available individually.

Interested parties still have to be patient before they can drive “Open Sesame”. First of all, Peugeot made room for the 107, which came onto the market in June with the structurally identical C1 and Toyota Aygo. The 1007, the first four-digit in the almost 80-year history of Peugeot, will only be available in Germany in September. 8,000 units are to be sold by the end of the year, with twice as many to follow a year later.