Review: Peugeot 307 2.0 XSi

The Warm and Cuddly Hatch

By Alex Ricciuti

There are many reasons to drive a Peugeot these days and I can quickly give you mine. As a Leo I identify with the lion emblem. When out doing my research I'vealways been a little like Lt. Columbo: scruffy, confused, scrapesof notes in every pocket, but ultimately bagging my prey. (Lt. Columbo drives a Peugeot as an homage to the French detective in the film Diabolique upon which
his character is based.) Well, so much for rationality in choosing what we drive.

There are also some more practical reasons for electing to drive a Peugeot though. They keep winning WRC championships with that nimble little 206. Their handling is always tops. Their styling is sleek. Their quality has improved. They still know how to keep a hot-hatch simple and fast and their prices consistently undercut VW. If you are expecting the 307 to move like a 206 GTi, I would advise you to wait for its own GTI version which should be coming soon. But much of those traditional Peugeot qualities are ever present here and are what made the 307 worthy of the title "Car of the Year" in 2001.

At first glance, appraising this car's exterior styling and dimensions can be somewhat tricky. It begins by looking like a grown up 206 but then it seems to be going for that MPV bubble effect as in a Renault Scenic or Mercedes A Class. Then you look again to how the slope of the windscreen and bonnet line into the roof and down into the back hatch and it turns into a pretty
stylish hatchback. And it is actually about as spacious as it looks with plenty of head room (151cm height), a large windscreen and a higher seating position (though not MPV high). Strangely, I found that the color had an effect onhow I looked upon the car. Dressed in black, the 307 seemed sleeker and less bulkier than in other colors, particularly the pastels.

My wife informs me that lions, in fact, do not purr. But settling myself cozily into the 307 XSi, engine idling and ready to go, one may beg to differ. Peugeot's 2.0 litre 16V engine is one of the best things about this car, simply the sound of it, and becoming even more evident once you get rolling. Its 138 bhp (actually measured at 142 bhp for this one) provide this rather large hatch with quite a lot of supple, understated agility.
Acceleration is hearty if not robust, there's good torque even at low engine speeds, and lots of pepper in the upper rpm range. And the sound, like a newborn kitten.

Taking the 307 on holiday through the south of Britain, from those open country stretches in the New Forest to the tight, medieval roads in Dartmoor National Park, showed this car to be at its best in countryside motoring as well as being a rather
comfortable long-distance traveller. The gearing seems made for such driving. One of my complaints with this car is it's short 5th gear which makes the engine turn at a relatively high speed on the motorway causing fuel consumption to increase quite a pinch with speeds over 130 km/h. But on those secondary roads, this engine coupled with tight-gripped Peugeot handling and 17" wheels was indeed a gratifying drive. The 307 held the road with a precision in suspension and steering that outclasses its arch-rival, the now sadly aged Golf.Exuding a sturdy, surface professionalism with just a little Latin fire kindling underneath. The steering was exact and very responsive and there was almost no roll in cornering. Whereas with most cars I would have quickly tired on those long country drives, the ride of the 307 kept me relaxed and alert; simply enjoying the feel of the road.

Cockpit ergonomics on the 307 are good, simple and logical as they should always be, and the XSi sport leather package with the Titanium interior provide a steely, sportive look. Other 307 packages vary and the ones with plastic wood are absolutely horrendous. But with the XSi I particularly liked the leather seats with cloth middles so that you are not sitting on any sticky leather, but rather bound on the sides by it.
The armrest is very handy on those long hauls and augment an already excellent seating position. The glove box is some 28 liters and kept cool so that you can store food and beverages.
A CD changer holding up to 6 CDs at a time and a paddle control for the radio behind the steering wheel are also quite practical while the rain and light sensors for automated wipers and headlights worked pretty well; though on occasion their judgment does need to be overruled. On the whole, this package is much better than on some past Peugeot models and the only build issue was a minor call-back for the on-board computer software
which Peugeot promptly serviced.

Peugeot has developed a 180 bhp 2.0 liter engine with variable valve timing which has already been introduced in the upcoming 206 RC. It will also be powering the Peugeot 307 GTi, scheduled for release in either late 2003 or early 2004. That engine will add some 40 extra ponies to the current 2.0 liter in addition to a relatively small rise in torque. Hopefully, it will have a 6 gear transmission, as did its precursor the 306 GTi-6 although the 206 RC is still a 5 gear. If the ride qualities that make the 307 such an excellent cruiser are properly tuned for the 307 GTi, then it will truly be one hot-hatch. In the meantime, one can settle on the mere warm comforts of this one.