The 207 GTi sits in a kind of hot hatch middle ground. In a supermini, 173bhp is nothing more than even par these days. Our current class favourites, the Vauxhall Corsa VXR and Renault Clio 197, have 189 and 194bhp respectively (though that isn’t our principal reason for liking them).
But the 207 easily outguns Ford’s Fiesta ST and Volkswagen’s Polo GTi. It also, by virtue of having the same engine, has the same wallop as the Mini Cooper S. And when it comes to in-gear performance, the Mini and 207 aren’t a million miles from each other.
Peak power of 173bhp might be developed at 6000rpm, but a healthy maximum torque of 180lb ft (195lb ft on overboost) is on tap from 1600rpm and the rev limiter intervenes at just 6500rpm.
So while nearly everything else in the class gets a six-speed gearbox, the 207 GTi makes do with a five-speeder. Given the engine’s flexibility, we’ve no real beef with that, provided the ratios are well stacked (as they are) and the ’box itself is credible. And here we do have an issue.
There’s a rubberiness and vagueness to shifts that’s out of kilter with a hot hatchback. Shift slowly and it’s fine, but at its best it’s merely unobtrusive, at worst obstructive. Worse still, the first-to-second shift was a disaster on our test car: reluctant to drop into second even at a brisk pace and getting even worse when pressed hard, refusing to engage the gear for a second or more after the lever was in position. Hence our 7.5sec 0-60mph time is well short of Peugeot’s 7.1sec claim. We wouldn’t mention it if we thought it was an isolated incident, but after a couple of starts the gearbox in the 207CC we tested recently did exactly the same thing.
At least the 207 GTi’s braking performance is more in keeping with a hot hatch. The stopping times and distances are good, and the discs resisted fade well even on a hot, dry track. Shame, though, that the pedal doesn’t have a better feel.
