Climate-change weapon - Peugeot 307 HDi
02 May 2006
NZ Autocar'a Peter Louisson takes a look at a little Pug with a big
heart.
With fuel prices continuing to rise and the planet's thermostat
officially malfunctioning, compact cars and those with an
environmental bent are suddenly in vogue. Not before time.
Good timing also for those with high-tech diesels, now that lowsulphur
fuel is available at the pumps.
Enter the facelifted Peugeot 307 HDi. With its diesel particulate
filter it is as environmentally friendly as a hybrid, but without
their inherent compromises.
Forget the facelift per se; you have to look hard to spot the 600
differences. But the drive is vastly improved, primarily as a result
of its new high-tech common-rail turbodiesel. The five-speed manual
version costs $36,990, placing it at the upper end of the
Corolla/Mazda3/Focus class. But what other manufacturer (Citro?aside -
OK, Golf and Skoda too) offers a diesel engine in this class, and a
diesel engine that happens to be one of the world's best?
What makes it spectacular is its size: the new unit displaces just
1.6 litres, and yet it creates more power (80 versus 66kW) and a
truckload more torque (260 versus 205Nm) than its 2.0 litre forebear.
Having an intercooler helps. Being smaller in displacement, it uses
less gas, and with its new particulate filter, there's not even a
wisp of blue smoke from the tailpipe. Nor is the characteristic
diesel smell any more noticeable than the pong of petrol.
The particulate filter self-regenerates every 800-1000km. When
pressure starts to build up, it burns off the carbon trapped in the
silicon carbide core using a process that goes unnoticed by
occupants. The filter needs replacing every 250,000km. So fitted, the
new 307HDi meets EU IV emissions standards, and pokes out under
120g/km of CO2. It rids exhaust gases of over 95 per cent of soot
(carbon and sulphur) particles, pollutants associated with
bronchitis, among other problems.
While it is about as 'green' as a hybrid, it still goes hard; hence
the 'mean and green' tag line. Peugeot reckons on around 12.3 seconds
for 0-100km/h, but we aced this figure, with a best of 10.57s, and it
can clear out from traffic at the lights with little effort. It
creates peak torque at around 100km/h in top gear so is breezy to
drive on the open road. I'd rather it had cruise control than a
remote audio device for this reason.
What makes the Pug engine so user-friendly is that it torques up a
storm, offering good shove from 1500rpm, so short-shifting (change up
a gear at 2500rpm) is the order of the day. Which makes it easy on
fuel; the trip computer suggested averaged diesel consumption of
5.8L/100km, with a claimed mean of 4.8, and a best of 4.2 on the open
road. We saw figures of 3-4L/100km at a constant 100km/h, so the
quoted best figure is credible. It's quiet too, as modern diesels
tend to be.
Okay, some aspects of the 307 aren't quite as praiseworthy. Auto
lovers won't much like the five-speed manual gearbox (auto is not an
option but a self-shifting 2.0 litre HDI is coming later in the
year), the drinks' holders are a bit useless, and the specification
is patchy. I could live without the niceties of dual-zone air con,
and auto-on lights and wipers, say, if the more logical cruise
control featured.
But what is a car without heart? This new engine is simply as good as
diesel gets at present. Good enough, in fact, that this engine will
power the new Mini and BMW 1 Series in the future.
The fact the car has a sweet ride/handling package is neither here
nor there: you expect that of a Peugeot. It also steers beautifully -
once more with feeling - like many others in the class don't. It
resists understeer almost like it's illegal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAs fuel prices remain high, miserly and
green but fine-performing cars like these deserve to become more
popular. As Peugeot says, mean and green indeed
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Received on Mon May 1 19:19:11 2006
