The Peugeot 207 is a subcompact car, also known as a supermini, launched by Peugeot in April 2006 in select European countries, including France and Spain where the company has its plants. The vehicle was later launched in other European and Arab countries as well.
As a company, Peugeot comes with an elaborate history spanning over 200 years, although it was only in 1885 when it started producing automobiles. In the case of the Peugeot 207, however, one only needs to look as far back as 1972 when the Peugeot 104 city car came into the market with a 954cc engine, while its coupe version followed suit two years later.
Background
Peugeot 104 (1972-1983)
In 1976, Peugeot decided that the 104 needed a significant facelift, having already existed in the market for four years. A 5-door hatchback design replaced the previous 4-door saloon body style. This facelift brought modification to the car’s rear lights, with a side-wrap style for indicators. A new 1.1L engine also became available at this time.
The 104 received facelifts in subsequent years as well, with an engine, interior, and exterior improvements. The 3-door and 5-door hatchback versions remained in production until 1988, the same year that production for the 104 ceased altogether. As early as 1983, however, Peugeot had already started phasing out some 104 variants to pave the way for the 205.
Peugeot 205 (1983-1998)
In the 80s, the Peugeot nameplate was well-known for saloons, especially the 504 and 505 variants, and the company also made great strides in the supermini market with its 104. Peugeot, however, thought there was still room for improvement. It accomplished this goal with the acquisition of Simca, the European division of Chrysler, and also the Rootes Group, both of which held unique expertise when it came to making small cars. Ultimately, these acquisitions led to the creation of the 205.
The first models of the 205 came into the market with the same engines used by the 104, the X engine. By 1988, Peugeot upgraded the 205 engine to an XU engine, with a capacity of up to 1.9L in both petrol and diesel variations. The car was considered for numerous awards due to its superior performance compared to other small car models available in the market at that time.
The 205 came with several engine options. The XUD inline-four diesel engine, with capacities of 1.8L and 1.9L, was capable of delivering superior performance compared to most other diesel engines in use around the world at that time, giving the 205 an edge in the market. For example, the 205 GRD variant with an engine capacity of 1.8L on diesel delivered 44kW with 105.8 N·m torque, while the 205 GR with engine capacity of 1.4L delivered the same, making the former more fuel-efficient.
In total, the market saw the three-door models tagged as the X variant, while the five-door models were called the G variants. The XA and the XAD came with capacities of 1.1L petrol and 1.8L diesel, with 40 kW and 43 kW power, respectively, and the XE petrol variants came with capacities of 1.0L and 1.1L with 32 kW and 40kW power, respectively. The XL models came in displacements and power ranging from 1.0L to 1.8L and from 32 kW to 58 kW, respectively. Peugeot also offered a 1.9L XR variant, capable of delivering an output of up to 75 kW.
A few high-performance versions of the 205 also made it to the market, including the GTI with 77 kW, 86 kW and 94 kW of power with subsequent engine upgrades.
The 205 went on to inspire many of the future Peugeot vehicles due to its immense popularity in the market. Throughout the 15 years that it remained in production, the 205 did not undergo a significant change in outward appearance. However, the inside received consistent upgrades, including new engines and also a catalytic converter in 1992 to abide by the new pollution regulation. The automaker discontinued the 205 in 1998, but due to an overwhelming demand from the market for a car in the same mould, Peugeot launched the 206 that same year.
Peugeot 206 (1998-2012)
The success of the Peugeot 206 can be measured by the fact that it remains in production in some parts of the world after more than two decades since its entry into a competitive segment. The first model of the car came in a hatchback version, with petrol engines of capacities of 1.1L, 1.4L, and 1.6L, and a diesel engine with a capacity of 1.9L. Peugeot launched a more powerful variant, called the 2.0L GTi, in 1999. In 2003, the 206 RC, a more powerful version, came into the market. It could do a 0-100 km/h in just 7.4 seconds and had a maximum power output of 130 kW.
Then came the coupe cabriolet two years later, followed by a station wagon in 2001, and a sedan variant in 2005. In 2008, Peugeot gave the 206 a facelift and called the revamped version the 207 Compact in the South American market and 207 in the Chinese market. This version was also released in the European markets and was called the 206+.
The Peugeot 206+ resembled the next-generation Peugeot 207 to a great extent, a reasonable modification considering the 207 had already entered the market in 2006. To date, the 206 continues to sell in some markets around the world.
Peugeot 207 (2006-2014)
For its European markets, Peugeot released the 207 in 2006 while the 206 was still in production for some markets around the world till 2012. The 207 came with three petrol engine variants for its initial launch, including two 1.4L engines delivering 56 kW and 67 kW, and a 1.6L producing 82 kW.
By the end of 2006, Groupe PSA, the company behind Peugeot, entered into an agreement with BMW that led to the upgrade of the 207 vehicles. The 1.4L 56 kW engine was upgraded to a 71 kW engine while the 1.6L 82 kW was upgraded to an 89 kW engine. Peugeot introduced two other models, including one turbocharged variant capable of delivering 112 kW and an intercooled variant delivering 130 kW.
The 207 also came in diesel variants, delivering 52 kW of power with the 1.4L engine, and two 1.6L engines with 67 kW and 82 kW of power.
As far as the design of the 207 is concerned, Peugeot offered it in a hatchback design available in three or five doors, and a station wagon model. Towards the end of 2006, a convertible coupe model was also released with 1.6L HDi or VTI variants to replace the 206 CC. Some markets also saw a GTI version, 1.6L delivering 130 kW.
The 207 got praises for the safety, value, and style that it offered but did not enjoy the same success as its predecessor, primarily because it resembled the 206 to a great extent.