Peugeot 307 SW XSI HDI 136 TRAVEL STORY
Whichever way you look at it, 2.30am is not an opportune time to be getting up in the morning. The dark streets are empty save for the few gloomy, shambling figures plotting their semi-inebriated way home from local nightspots but the roads are similarly clear. Which was good because our 307 SW had a ferry to catch.
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Our destination was Les Deux Alpes, one of the highest ski resorts in France with its glacier extending up to 3,568m above sea level. It lies some 580 miles from Calais and we were still a good few miles shy of Dover, so the 307 SW had some work to do. From the outset, our Peugeot 307 SW seemed well equipped for the journey. It was the range-topping SE model, which meant figure-hugging leather sports seats, a 5-disc dash-mounted CD changer, cruise and climate control.
Powering the whole thing was Peugeots always-impressive 136bhp 2.0-litre HDi common-rail diesel engine and that was mated to a pleasantly pliable six-speed manual gearbox. Being an SW, it offered a large load area out back, which easily consumed our luggage without the need for any overspill onto the rear seats. We booked a chalet through Peak Retreats (www.
peakretreats.co.uk), a leading ski holiday company with various types of accommodation at resorts across the French Alps, and they arranged everything from ferry crossings with PandO, to lift passes and ski hire. That lot sorted, all we needed to worry about was getting there.
With a few welcome Zs caught on the ferry and a few cans of Red Bull downed while waiting on the car deck, things were looking up as the 307 rolled onto home soil. A few kilometres from the port and we were on the Autoroute heading south through the mist and the gathering dawn. The 307s HDi diesel engine is one of the best units of its type and on the flawless surfaces of the French motorway network, the car cruised quietly at 130kmph (81mph) displaying composure youd more readily associate with far larger vehicles.
"Whether youre off skiing or traveling closer to home, the 307 SW XSi HDi is a highly competent family vehicle."
The cruise control came into its own on this leg. Mounted on a steering column stalk, the controls fell easily to hand and, once engaged, the system provided welcome respite for a weary right foot. Although not really in keeping with the 307 SWs family friendly character, the leather sports seating proved comfortable for long trips with the pronounced side bolsters giving good support and a central armrest folding down to give the old elbow a break. The actual driving position could have been better with the angles of seat back and steering wheel proving difficult to tally.
The dash-mounted CD auto-changer was a welcome feature: traditional boot-housed set-ups are next to useless on such trips because simply changing CDs becomes a luggage out job. Reims Dijon Lyon Grenoble eventually each one came and went. Then it was time to leave the eerily quiet French toll roads for the drive into the mountains and to the chalet for a long sleep. After arriving in darkness, the mountain vista around Les Deux Alpes came as a striking morning surprise.
The sun played across the snowbound peaks as we headed into town. Picking up our skis at La Skirie in Les Deux Alpes, the 307 SW was equal to the task once again. It may only be a small estate based on a family hatchback but the load area proved almost as accommodating as Thierry the shop manager. Each of the rear seats slides forward individually and with just one of these in its furthest forward position, two sets of skis and poles can be laid diagonally across the load bay floor.
Another option would be to remove the middle seat entirely, sticking the skis through the resulting gap and there will doubtless be plenty of others too, hidden within the 307s contortionist interior. A load net is provided to restrain items in the rear and a roller blind cover can be extended to shield the boots contents from prying eyes. On the mountain roads around Les Deux Alpes, the 307 SW was less at home than on the vast expanses of motorway. The suspension is definitely biased towards comfort rather than sharp handling so the car can feel a little ungainly when pushed but grip never seemed in short supply.
Sportiness, of course, is not this vehicles purpose in life and it remained a pleasant, comfortable drive even through the most extravagant bends. The steering was well weighted, although lacking in sharpness and feedback, while the abundant torque from the HDi engine made short work of steep inclines. The 307s thick A pillars dont help visibility in tight corners, so much head swaying was called for through the 21 hairpins on the road up to Alpe dHuez but the panoramic glass roof was handy for making the most of the scenery. The week completed and all things considered, our Peugeot 307 SW made an impressive showing of itself.
Its best asset has to be the engine, which, while smooth and inconspicuous on a long motorway stretch, feels muscular at low speeds and is well able to pour on the acceleration when required. The return journey (during which we averaged just over 40mpg) wouldnt have been complete without a stop off at the Calais hypermarkets and even the additional weight of some cut-price booze on the back seat left the power plant unperturbed. The cabin had a spacious big car ambience and was well constructed with simple controls for the various systems. The tailgate seemed to attract an inordinate amount of grime on the trip and, when folded down, the centre armrest can obstruct gear changes but these are minor quibbles.
Whether youre off skiing or travelling closer to home, the 307 SW XSi HDi is a highly competent family vehicle.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Peugeot 307 SW HDi 136 SE
PRICES: £17,700 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 148g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.8s/ Max Speed 123mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban] 38.6mpg / (extra urban) 60.1mpg / (combined) 50.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual, Side and Curtain Airbags / ABS and EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4419/1746/1512
