Peugeot has more for a nought

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

This is the Peugeot 1007, the first vehicle to carry the French company's new four-digit badge. The four numbers won't replace the traditional three-digit handle. Rather, the badge is what Peugeot calls a "new dimension".

Peugeot says it decided on the extra 0 in response to the "growing range of products, and with the new expectations of customers and their specific preferences in mind".

Peugeot has used three digits with a central 0 to identify its vehicles since 1929, when it unveiled the 201. It patented the 0 in the middle back then to prevent other carmakers from using it.

Porsche stumbled on the patent in the early 1960s when it tried to name its new sports car the 901. It changed it to 911.

Which brings us back to the four-seater 1007 and its single electric sliding door on each side. "The doors offer unparalleled access and enables the car to be parked in narrow spaces that are inaccessible to vehicles with traditional doors," says Peugeot.

The model will be launched in Britain next May. It is 3730mm long and 1610mm high (the new Mini is 3600mm long and 1400mm high).

Peugeot says the 1007 will come with seven airbags and a choice of 12 different trim kits. The rear seats can be removed to maximise boot space.

Three engine options will be available in Britain: 55kW 1.4-litre and 82kW 1.6-litre petrol units, and a 52kW 1.4-litre turbodiesel. The 1007 will also introduce Peugeot's new gearbox, an automatic/manual mode unit called "2-Tronic".

Peugeot New Zealand will launch its 407 sedan next week, the replacement for the 406. The 407 stationwagon will land here in October.