Peugeot 107 Verve : DOES SEXY SELL?

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Peugeot's 107 Verve special edition is tied in with the brand's DriveSexy marketing campaign. Steve Walker takes a look.

Peugeot, it appears, would like everyone to "DriveSexy". Without the necessary background information, this is the kind of marketing campaign that could conjure up the wrong images. Are they suggesting an increased use of medallions and chest wigs by male drivers or perhaps that female motorists apply a little more make up when they take to the road? At the very least, it all sounds a little bit distracting. The message intended by the Peugeot marketing department becomes far clearer if you substitute `DriveSexy' for the less catchy `Drive Courteously'. They'd like everyone to be a bit nicer to each other while driving - in a respectful and plutonic kind of a way. They'd also like to sell a few extra cars and that's where the 107 Verve comes in.

The 107 Verve is one of a series of Verve special edition models that includes a 207 and a 308. They have been conjured up to accompany Peugeot's DriveSexy marketing campaign which is built around TV advertising and the www.DriveSexy.com website. Through the site and various other promotional media, drivers are invited to adopt a slightly different attitude during the time they spend behind the wheel with the laudable aim of contributing to a better world. Through its campaign, Peugeot invites us to do sensible, courteous things such as; "In the queue, let that car from the left in", "Never drink and drive" and "Drive smoothly to save fuel". These don't sound particularly `sexy' but then you have the quirkier advice which raises rather more questions. "Use the shop front as a mirror" - shouldn't we be watching the road? "Smile at the driver next to you at the traffic lights" - won't they'll think you're a lunatic? "Wave to a traffic warden, rather than curse them" - they will think you're a lunatic. And finally; "Go for a drive in the middle of the night" - how does this tally with the aforementioned fuel economy drive? DriveSexy might be a bit of a muddle but its heart's in the right place and fortunately the 107 Verve special edition is a much easier concept to grasp. There's not a lot wrong with the 1.0-litre petrol unit used in the 107 Verve and across the wider 107 range. Given a bootful, this engine will punt the 107 to 60mph in 14 seconds. That doesn't look too impressive on paper but the 107's light weight ensures that pick up from rest is very good and you'll get the drop on much more powerful cars away from the lights. You'll have to give the 68bhp three-cylinder engine a good whipping on the motorway though. A fairly narrow power band also means you'll need to keep on top of the gearchanges if the route gets a bit hilly.

"The crux of the 107 Verve is the same as that of all special; edition models - the value proposition"

Handling is very good. Although the 107 is short and tall, you can push the car very hard and it never feels disconcertingly `tippy'. Yes, it does feel as if it's suffered a mortal blow if you hit a speed bump with some numbers on the clock but you can't have everything. The front seats are reasonably good and ride quality is otherwise OK. The steering feels a little rubbery at first but you'll be able to position the 107 with millimetric precision, helped by a throttle pedal that's easy to modulate. The 107 Verve inherits the facelifted looks of the latest 107 models and for a small car, it's definitely distinctive. The large headlights are mounted high up on the nose out of harm's way and above the Peugeot trademark monstrous air-intake what's dissected horizontally by a thick bumper. The design brief for the 107 was to engineer a compact car with a cheeky character that would appeal to young drivers, be versatile in use and, above all, be totally at ease in the urban environment. The length of the car wasn't to exceed 3.5 metres, yet a whole host of safety features needed to be included, as well as enough wheelbase to accommodate a five-door body style. The final execution exceeded initial requirements, breaking the tape at 3.43 metres long. The dimensions of the 107 can really only be appreciated when walking around the car. The three-door shape looks the most comfortable from a design perspective. The angled window line gives the car a cute wedge profile and the flared rear haunches really emphasise the wheel-at-each-corner design. The 107 features some neat design touches too. The glazed-in area surrounding the rear window is finished in black, giving it a very distinctive rump, especially when the car is painted in paler colours. The crux of the 107 Verve is the same as that of all special; edition models - the value proposition. Peugeot has taken the standard Urban model and added a series of additional features. These include air-conditioning, 14" alloy wheels, a rev counter and a set of floor mats and exterior badges that carry Verve branding. There's also a choice of lively paint colours running from Laser Red and Raven Black to Electra Blue to the exclusive Mandarin Orange. Go for the Raven Black option and it's accompanied by a special Code interior trim which has lots of orange details. All of the above comes at just over £8,000 which sounds like good value for a 107 packing that kind of specification. Running a Peugeot 107 Verve is about as financially painless as new car ownership gets. The driving force that made the Peugeot 107 the `best-selling, low-emissions car of 2007' is its very economical 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine with a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 62.8mpg - an improvement of 2% over the original version of this car. CO2 emissions are also reduced in the latest version to just 106g/km (previously 109g/km), retaining the low £35 road tax `B' banding. Depreciation figures look reasonable and the air conditioning fitted to most trim levels is one of the few fitments guaranteed to have some sort of effect on resdiual values. The others? Satellite navigation and metallic paint. Two out of three ain't bad. Insurance premiums are almost comically low, all 107s being rated in Group 1E, the lowest possible. Peugeot's DriveSexy marketing campaign has the commendable aim of lightening the mood out on the UK's roads. Its method is not, as the name suggests, to turn the queen's highway into some kind of suburban nightclub on wheels but to encourage more courteous behaviour. Whether it will have the desired effect is open to debate but the scheme should achieve its ulterior motive of selling some cars. The 107 Verve model launched in conjunction with DriveSexy employs the tried and tested formula of more equipment for less money and in Peugeot's lovable little city car, what's not to like?

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Peugeot 107 Verve
PRICE: £8,145 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 1E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 106g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 14s / Max Speed 96mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 51.3mpg / (extra urban) 72.4mpg / (combined) 62.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags on all except entry-level model, ABS, EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3405/1615/1415mm