Peugeot 207 Active 1.4 VTi 5dr Car Review - March 2012

With a steering wheel adjustable for both reach and rake, and a height adjustable driver’s seat on all models, the 207 is offers plenty of adjustment for drivers, allowing them to find the perfect driving position.

The Peugeot 207 Active 1.4 VTi 5dr comes with a 1.4 litre petrol engine that is too noisy and gives poor fuel economy, although performance levels are good for the class. With top speed of 115 mph, the Active is an easily driven car that is supple and controlled on the road but poor noise insulation means that the cabin can be noisy, with noise from the road, wind and engine all contributing.

The 207 Active 1.4 VTi comes with power steering, electric front windows, stability control, central locking system, folding seats, air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and alloy wheels.

The classy cabin gives a stylish look to the car, with soft-touch plastics and metallic inserts giving it a high quality appearance and feel - although some of the plastics lower in the cabin feel a lot cheaper. It also comes with MP3 connectivity and audio remote controls set into the steering column.

The 207 provides lots of space for the passengers to feel comfortable, and there is a decent amount of room in the boot for luggage. Both the front and rear seats have ample headroom but unfortunately legroom is tight in the back and this means adult passengers may find it uncomfortable to sit here during long journeys. Overall the car has fairly small dimensions and this makes parking easier.

The 207 is equipped with passenger airbag, side airbags, drivers airbag, and a three point centre belt system. This model is also equipped with a few advanced systems like smart airbags, child locks on rear doors and a deactivation switch for the front passenger airbag.

This makes both practicality and safety levels fairly high in this model but unfortunately the same cannot be said for reliability as the car is considered to be below average when it comes to mechanical reliability.

The Peugeot 207 Active is priced at £12,745. The level of equipment and performance offered for this price is good and, aside from the problems associated with reliability and rear legroom, the car is perfectly adequate as a family car.

In terms of running costs the car encounters low insurance premiums under band 10 whilst road tax is a little less impressive, falling under band E due to carbon emissions of 135g/km. Fuel economy of 48.7 mpg on the combined cycle means effieincy is adequate but not overly impressive and this means buyers might find a rival model which offers better value for money.