FIRST DRIVE: Peugeot 307 Hot on the heels of its success with the good-looking 407 family saloon, Peugeot is busy bringing the rest of its family of models into line.
First for the facelift is the 307, complete with larger open-mouthed grille and some minor touches to the lighting clusters. The look, claims Peugeot spokespeople, is feline. In fairness, with the 407 it's more basking shark.
The 307 has been a huge success for the French car maker, selling over 2.2 million since it was introduced, 12,000 of them in the Irish market. It won the European car of the year title for 2002 for its looks, handling ability and ride quality along with a versatile cabin. Yet as it reached its peak, the 307 suffered a sickening blow when it came to reliability and there were several significant teething problems on the early models that forced it down the likes of the JD Power customer surveys.
Thankfully, these have been ironed out and the 307s that remain on forecourts offer all the attraction of 2001 without he niggling problems.
Now Peugeot is set to introduce a new version. Only two engine versions were on offer for us to test: the 180bhp 2-litre petrol in the hatchback model and a 136bhp 2-litre diesel in the hard-top convertible 307CC.
Our first spin was in the 2-litre petrol hatchback and though the new look suits the car, even with its bigger more prominent grille and bonnet mounted badge, the engine failed to impress. It belied the 180 horses supposedly under the bonnet and when matched to a squidgy imprecise five-speed manual gearbox, it was hard work pushing it along the winding test route. Above 3,000 rpm the engine noise encroached into the cabin.
Peugeot has made the leather-clad dash of the CC model an option on the hatchback, but as with the CC the end result makes the car seem more bovine than feline. This impression was also reflected in the handling, with too much body roll.
By the time we got to the lunch stop, we were not looking forward to the long trek home. However, things were set to get a lot better.
We swapped into the 307CC with the diesel engine and once we turned the first corner and put our foot down the trip took a turn for the best. The diesel may only have 136bhp to hand but with 320 Nm of torque to hand at just 2,000rpm, the car leaps forward at pace. Even with the added weight of the roof mechanisms the car glides along.
Traditionalists may turn their nose at a diesel convertible, but one of the main complaints about the 307cc in the past has been its lack of punch. This diesel matches anything the 2-litre petrol can offer and then some. It's smoother, less noisy and far more refined overall than its counterpart and in this body should put to rest any doubts about convertibles powered by diesel.
Overall the changes to the 307 range are more aesthetic than fundamental, concentrating on light clusters and specification.
This leaves the current model still looking fresh and with potential supply delays when the new car does arrive in September, along with price rises of about 2 per cent or more, those looking for a new car in the next couple of months would be wise to buy now rather than wait, particularly as an end-of-line model has had all the early reliability issues sorted out by this stage.
Further incentive may be the attractive deals on offer including free road tax. Entry models - starting at €19,995 for the five-door, €500 less for the three-door - also feature alloy wheels and six-CD changer as standard. Finally, dealers have also been given up to €500 to use as a product bonus which should enable them to give you more to sweeten a cash purchase or trade-in. There are also special offers on the seven-seat SW version, which starts at €25,145.