The Third Opinion
by David Finlay (13 Jun 05)

Since three versions of the same car are being introduced to the UK market at roughly the same time by three different manufacturers, it seemed appropriate to respond by giving three writers the job of reviewing them all. Personal opinions can be different yet equally valid; so, while what follows represents my own view of the Peugeot 107, I would also direct you to Mike Grundon's assessment of the Toyota Aygo and David Morgan's article on the Citroen C1.

A few styling details apart, what really distinguishes each of these cars is the way the manufacturers are attempting to sell them. Peugeot does not believe that a really cheap version will sell well in the UK, so its entry-level three-door model is, at £6995, more expensive than the equivalent Aygo or C1. The company is also keeping customer choice to a minimum - you can spend £7345 for the five-door, and add £500 to the price of either car if you want the 2-Tronic clutchless gearbox, but that's it. The Urban trim level is the only one there is.

Furthermore, Peugeot does not believe that diesel is the way to go in this sector, so it is offering only the 998c petrol engine. There's a quaint irony - not that it really matters, but we like quaint ironies round here - in the fact that the diesel is the French engine, while the petrol unit is a Toyota design.

The petrol engine is powerful enough to make the 107 amusingly rapid on country roads, where it also proves to be very well sorted. It soaks up large bumps exceptionally well, turns in to corners smartly and is more than capable of taking every bit of the available 68bhp. As a sporty little hatchback, it's surprisingly successful.

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