Sad to lose an old friend. My preferred mode of transport since 1993 and by far the best handling car in its class, Peugeot's fine-riding 306, has apparently outlived its sell-by-date.
Enter its successor, the 307. On a hiding to nothing where this resentful begrudger is concerned, this replacement better be damn good, Otherwise, methinks it gets the thumbs down.
The 307 is different, radically different. And damn good too. Pioneering a new breed of car that's half hatchback, half people-carrier, Peugeot's gone awfully adventurous with this mainstream, bread and butter hybrid. On that note alone, it deserves to succeed.
Compared to its predecessor, the new arrival wins on points - 99% of them. The 307 is better-built. It’s a lot bigger with more room up front and in the rear. Headroom is cathedral-like. The specification package is incredibly impressive. The range is bigger. Engine options are better. Safety features (six airbags, ABS etc.) abound. The ride is excellent. Driving is easy and enjoyable. There are three and five-door formats and three trim levels (XR, XS and XT). Prices start at a competitive £13,795, ex works.
And the 307, in also happens to be gob-smackingly attractive.
The most obvious difference between the 307 and its 306 ancestor is the former's grown-up size. Indeed, the 307 is an imposing 207mm longer, 130mm higher and 38mm wider than the 306. It's also higher and longer than the Almera, Astra, Corolla, Focus, Golf, and Megane. Honda's Civic is longer but it's not as tall or as wide.
The 2001 engine line-up is five-strong, made up of three petrol engines and a couple of common rail diesels. The entry-level engine is a 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit, The two other petrol imbibers, a 110bhp 1.6-litre plant and a 138bhp 2.0-litre affair, are new.
The larger of the two diesel trains comes with two outputs. An 8-valve, 2.0-litre HDi diesel outputting 90bhp and 156lb/ft of torque is amongst the first arrivals. The more exciting 110bhp 2.0-litre HDi (with particulate filter) and a 70bhp 1.4-litre HDi are scheduled for forecourt appearances from November onwards.
Although the 307 squats on an all-new platform, the suspension system, MacPherson struts and coil springs with anti-roll bar up front - torsion beam, coil springs and anti roll bar at the rear, is closely based on the 306's composed lay-out. Damper and spring rates are obviously reworked for the 307 mating and the chassis is notably stiffer.
Driven on some rough mountain terrain in Morocco earlier in the year, the 307 really impressed. However, third world Irish roads pose far more searching questions.
Installed in a comfy 1.6-litre XT 307 over a seven day run, we were happy to find this model lived up to much of its North African promise. N4, N5, N26, R294, R156 and R402, national and tertiary roads that have thumped larger and more expensive cars - and rattled false teeth and pace-makers in the process - found the 307’s fine chassis unflappable.
Feedback from the 307's electro-hydraulic power assisted-steering was just about perfect. Handling was fairly neutral. Pushed to the limit, there’s a slight tendency to understeer. And, no, it doesn’t quite match the handling of the 306. But what does?
The 16 valve, 1.6-litre engine propelling our test knocks out 110bhp at 5750 rpm with maximum torque of 147Nm coming in at 3900rpm. Top speed is 118mph. 0 to 62mph takes 11.6 seconds. Overall fuel consumption over our 695 mile test averaged 37mpg, an extraordinarily good return for a car that registered just 14 miles on the clock when we picked her up for test duty.
The safety gear, the best we’ve seen by far in this class (or indeed, in the one above) includes curtain, lateral passenger and driver’s airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution and brake assistance. Braking is provided by four disc brakes - two ventilated discs at the front (283mm in diameter and 26mm thick) and two standard discs at the rear (247mm in diameter and 9mm thick) which are fitted with single piston calipers (54mm in diameter).
Goodies in the 1.6-litre XS, stacks of it new to this market segment, include: athermic windscreen, auto rain sensing wipers, automatic illumination of lamps, air conditioning, radio and mono CD, central locking, split folding rear seats, adjustable steering column, electric front windows and 15-inch alloy wheels.
Verdict: A giant step forward for Peugeot.
August 2001
by John Reilly