During my time with the 407 Coupé HDi I happened to read what two other motoring writers had to say about the same car. Now, a road test is a personal opinion, which is why you should always read several of them rather than accepting what one of us says as gospel.Even so, it was difficult to believe that we were all dealing with the same subject. In these reviews, the Coupé's shape was heavily criticised, its performance was described as "plodding" and there was reference to "steady-as-she-goes handling". Well, I mean to say, what?I do not have an automatic love of Peugeot. When I'm gone, nobody who takes the trouble to look will find the lion badge engraved on my heart. I think some Peugeots are great (the 807) and I think other Peugeots are terrible (the 1007), and I will defend one and attack the other with equal robustness. But surely you would have to be a stolid, unemotional sort of fellow not to appreciate the way Pininfarina has turned a reasonably attractive saloon car into the delightful combination of aggression and feminine grace you see here.If you've been paying close attention over the past few weeks, you'll know that this is not the first time we've tried out the Coupé in this top-of-the-range form. A previous road test has already been published on the basis of a fairly short drive. This one comes from a week's experience behind the wheel, but nothing that happened during that time has led me to revise my opinions of the performance and handling to match those of my distant colleagues.There are, admittedly, quicker coupés on the market. The 205bhp 2.7-litre V6 turbo diesel engine - that splendid result of a co-operative effort by Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroen - can't shrug off the weight of the car, though it does produce enough straightline speed to be a match for the alternative (and cheaper) three-litre petrol V6 in real-world conditions.The diesel may, however, make the 407 quicker than it seems. It's remarkably quiet, with an almost total absence of the usual underbonnet clattering noises which would give a clearer impression that serious work was being done. The HDi's standard six-speed automatic transmission (supplied by Japanese company Aisin) is a splendid piece of kit, too, and again its marvellously smooth and efficient gearchanges might just be helping to mask the car's performance.Handling? Well, now. There's a button on the dash which lets you firm up the suspension and make the Coupé more nimble round corners, but I never had the least inclination to use it. On the normal settings, this is a nicely-balanced car, and during one late-night run in particular - on roads I shall not identify and at speeds I do not propose to discuss - it joined one corner to the next to the one after that in a way I found relaxing and enjoyable.This is quite an achievement considering the car's layout. Thanks to the positioning of its engine (large diesel, therefore heavy) and transmission (large automatic, ditto), most of the overall weight bears down on the front tyres, which would have every reason to object. And yet they don't.Oh, all right - they would if you went out on a test track, planted your right foot too early in a corner and wrestled with the steering wheel. But I assume you're a decent driver with at least a vague idea of vehicle dynamics, so between you and me there's nothing about the Coupé's handling to cause concern and plenty to put a smile on your face.That's not quite the case when it comes to the ride, which as I suggested in the previous road test isn't as good as it should be. Every visual aspect of this car, both inside and out, promotes the impression that it should waft effortlessly from A to B, but it just doesn't.Historically, large French cars have the ride quality of a hot air balloon and no handling charm whatever, and although I'm glad the 407 Coupé works hard to redress the balance I'm sorry that it seems to have been given the job of redressing all of it on its own.I have to say, though, that I would live with the slightly too busy ride in order to enjoy the Coupé's other delights. I don't care what anyone else says - this is a beautiful car (Peugeot family front-end treatment perhaps excepted) with more than adequate performance and an impressive spriteliness through the bends. Which just goes to show that you should never believe what you read in the papers. Engine 2720cc, 6 cylinders Power 205bhp Transmission 6-speed automatic Fuel/CO2 33.2mpg / 226g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 8.5 seconds Top speed 143mph Price £30,900 Details correct at publication date
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