Peugeot 207 CC Active 1.6 VTi 2dr Car Review - March 2012

The 1.6 litre engine delivers 120bhp making the 207 CC Active 1.6 VTi a perfect choice for drivers who wants a smooth and flexible ride around town. Also its steering is light at low speeds but firms up at higher speeds.

In terms of refinement, the engine can be a little noisy when worked hard and there is plenty of noise from the wind and road when the roof is down. Even with the roof up wind noise can still be a problem, especially around the windows.

Performance credentials are fairly strong with the car achieving a top speed of 124 mph and accelerating from 0-62 mph in 10.7 seconds.

The 207 CC Active 1.6 VTi looks great and offers a good amount of standard kit. It features heated/electric rear windows, electric front windows, sports seats and adjustable steering wheel with movement for reach and rake. Its major highlights are its 16" Canberra alloy wheels but this model also comes with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, CD player and MP3 player and six speakers.

The interior quality is better than it was on the old 206 but it still isn't up to much - there are some cheap quality plastics around.

This car offers great levels of comfort with plenty of space for the driver with the addition of a clutch footrest to offer additional comfort.

Whilst there is plenty of room in the front of the cabin rear seat passengers have limited legroom which will make them less comfortable for adult passengers. The boot capacity is pretty low with only 187-litres on offer.

This model comes with standard security systems like five airbags including driver/ front passenger airbags, front thorax airbags and drivers knee airbags. Internally operated central locking is also fitted alongside automatic door locking, deadlocks and seatbelt warning lamps. There is also a front fog light and the hazard lights are engaged automatically during harsh braking - giving it good safety credentials across the board.

Unfortunately, reliability is a concern with this model and the 207 performed badly in the 2011 JD Power survey for customer satisfaction.

Priced at £16,645 this car is fairly reasonable for its class and is the cheapest of the 207 CC range. Running costs are not extortionate and, for an open-topped car, this model achieves a relatively good fuel efficiency level of 43.5 mpg.

On top of this, road tax falls under band F due to carbon emissions of 149g/km and insurance premiums come under insurance group 16. These are the same for the Allure 1.6 VTi model but the Allure 1.6 HDi offers better value for money in terms of running costs - albeit for a higher purchase price.