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| Peugeot 307 Face-lifted, With Specification Improvements |
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Coupe Convertible Now Has Diesel Engine Tough Choices In This Sector; New Honda Civic Might Take Leadership BEAUVAIS, France Not that you’d notice, Peugeot has face-lifted its 307 range. The changes are mainly cosmetic, apart from the adoption of the now familiar Peugeot family face, likened to a gasping grouper by some, or a Ferrari by others. There are also improvements to the light clusters, front and rear, and the standard specification has been raised. There are new petrol and diesel engines, safety features and environmental enhancements like a diesel particulate filter. The 307 is fighting for business in a brutally competitive section of the market where rivals include the Ford Focus, VW Golf, Renault Megane, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, and not forgetting the in-house challenge from the Citroen C4. Citroen is part of the Peugeot group. The 307, Car of the Year in 2002, always used to look smart and attractive. It looks almost the same after the facelift. The Coupe Convertible now has a diesel engine - a 2.0 litre HDi 136bhp linked to a six speed gearbox. The CC, even with the new styling changes and just like all other cars with steel roofs which fold back into the boot, manages to look beautiful with the roof down, and ungainly and dumpy with it up. Improvements across the range include dual-zone automatic air conditioning, a new Euro 4 compliant 2.0-litre 16V 140bhp petrol engine, a seat belt fastening indicator with audible and visual warning, and optional Bluetooth hands-free telephone kit. The 307 is available in five distinctive body styles - five-door hatchback, three-door hatchback, Coupé Cabriolet, longer wheelbase Estate and SW with panoramic glass roof. There’s a new 307 model – the Feline – which has a 2.0-litre 180bhp petrol engine and leather interior as standard. The 307 hatchback is available in five trim specifications. Three-door models can be specified in E, S, XSi and Feline trims, while the five-door is also available in SE trim. The Bluetooth hands-free kit option, introduced on the top-of-the-range Peugeot 607, is intended to help drivers comply with regulations concerning in-car use of the mobile telephone. Available as an option on all versions, this equipment enables the car to recognise a wide range of GSM Bluetooth phones and to transfer the phone’s functions to the car by means of radio waves, without having to pick up the mobile phone – it simply has to be located nearby. This small family car sector has a mesmerising amount of choice. None are bad cars, so the only way to make your choice is probably simply by price, or looking for the nearest dealer. Mind you, the new Honda Civic, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt show in September, looks fantastic, and probably takes the sector to a new, higher dimension. I’ll be reporting on that shortly. ENGINES
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