Peugeot 407 Coupe : QUESTIONS OF SPORT

As long as you don't expect Peugeot's 407 Coupe to be some kind of sportscar, you might well fall in love with it, thinks June Nearyâ€¦

I've a soft spot for big, French coupes. Peugeot's old 406 Coupe for example, to my mind, the most beautiful £20,000 car you could buy in its heyday in the late Nineties. When Peugeot announced they were replacing that car with the 407 Coupe I'm looking at here - and sent me pictures - I was a little shocked. On paper, this car doesn't have the `wow' appeal of its predecessor. In the metal however, it's quite different. The more time I spent with this car, the more I got to like it.

I won't get too practical here since if you're buying any kind of Coupe, space won't exactly be top of your list of priorities. Having said that, this car does have to present a sensible proposition. Since it's being positioned more as a `GT' long distance tourer than a sportscar, it must be able to seat four adults comfortably and take copious amounts of luggage. Sure enough, it does. I thought the cabin could have been distanced a little more from that of a standard reps' 407 saloon - but then, I thought that about the old 406 Coupe. Still, it's neat and everything seems to work very nicely. Sophisticated multiplexed electronics allow for a huge amount of individual customisation when specifying your 407, with such features as rear view mirrors linked to reverse gear, parking sensors, self-imposed speed limiters, low tyre pressure monitors and variable cruise control systems all capable of being fitted quickly and, just as importantly, at very modest expense. I particularly liked the car's air conditioning system. A humidity sensor constantly monitors the air in the interior to prevent fogging and a gentle dash-top diffuser dehumidifies the air without subjecting the passengers to the usual gritty blast. Peugeot have also developed an externally controlled compressor that uses atmospheric conditions to reduce the work the system has to do, thus reducing fuel consumption. A pollen filter also keeps summer trips bearable for those, like me, afflicted by hay fever.

As I've already said, this car is set up more for comfort than for outright handling finesse. Having said that, the clever double wishbone front suspension does mean that this is a Grand Tourer that won't fall to pieces when the going gets twisty. The pair of diesel engines that power it are the first clue to this car's more laidback nature. Not that they're lacking in outright grunt, the 2.0-litre HDI has 163bhp and 340Nm of torque constantly available between 2,000 and 3,000rpm. That's just the entry-level engine too. Peugeot is really proud of its range-topping unit which is a development of the well received 2.7-litre HDI twin-turbo diesel that powered earlier versions of the 407 Coupe and more than a few Jaguar models in the past. It's a 3.0-litre HDI twin-turbo oil-burner with 241bhp and a whopping 450Nm of torque between 1,600 and 3,600rpm. That's plenty of engine for a 407. A version of it can also be found in Jaguar's XF executive saloon, which is a good indication of its quality. It will take the 407 Coupe from a standstill to 60mph in 7.9s and hit a 151mph top speed while the 2.0-litre HDI engine's figures are 9.5s and 137mph. Safety-wise, you'd expect this car to be good - and indeed it is. Peugeot have set something of a precedent to follow with some very good previous Euro NCAP crash test results but the 407 again takes a big step forward. Active safety comes in the form of brake discs with a diameter of up to 330mm and next-generation ESP stability control which is standard on every model. As well as marshalling the anti-skid function, ESP also acts as a controller for the anti lock braking system, the emergency brake assist and the electronic brakeforce distribution to each individual wheel. Pedestrian protection is a major design criterion these days and the 407 features foam padded bumper bars and a bonnet that deforms to absorb shock, the top of the engine a good distance below that sweeping bonnet line. Up to nine air bags can be specified - twin fronts, side, curtain and steering column units offer optimum protection.

Prices range from around £23,000 to £28,000, the car I tried being towards the upper end of that scale and, it has to be said, looking like strong value for money.

Driving this car, I pictured myself with a little house in Provence, visited on a regular basis by a blast down the autoroute in my 407 Coupe. It was an enchanting thoughtâ€¦.