Peugeot 407 Coupe Review | ICE and How it Looks

Peugeot 407 Coupe

In Car Entertainment and Satellite Navigation

The Peugeot 407 Coupe we drove was fitted with Peugeot’s new RT4 Multi Media System which comprises of a Satellite Navigation system with TMC, a full hands free GSM telephone (just add your SIM card), a single CD player and radio, plus MP3 playback via the external RCA/auxiliary sockets or from the 30GB hard disc, oh you can also use the system to watch back video footage from your camera or camcorder.

A few weeks ago we tested a Volvo XC90 which had a hard disc powered Satellite Navigation system rather than the usual DVD or CD based systems which we thought was rather clever. Now this week we see that the Peugeot 407 Coupe, as with Peugeot 407 SW, we tested recently has a hard drive system it can also use the spare capacity on the 30 GB hard disc to store music files, around 180 hours of music from either audio CDs or MP3 CDs. You simply put your favourite CD in the slot and the system will automatically copy the disc to the hard drive after a few key presses, you can also select the bit-rate you wish the disc to be sampled. The only drawback I could find is that it can take a fair time to copy a disc. The idea is quite innovative and in some ways better than a CD auto-changer.

Disappointingly the Navigation system does not allow you to enter post codes when entering destination addresses, which might frustrate some business users. Otherwise it performed quite well; we took it out of its standard 3d mode preferring the look of 2d mapping.  Being hard disc based instead of DVD or CD means that it is quicker and can store the in-depth maps of 30 European countries.

All New 407 Coupe’s can have the RT4 Multimedia system for an additional charge of £995.

Our car was fitted with the JBL Hi-Fi system which comprises ten speakers distributed in eight locations and a subwoofer incorporated in the boot. Each component of the installation is controlled independently by a 240 Watt amplification unit according to acoustic settings determined specifically for the passenger compartment of the 407 Coupe.

How It Looks - Exterior

We think that the Peugeot 407 Coupe is an elegant looking car with a ‘shark’ like profile.

Viewed from any angle, the 407 Coupe has uncluttered, taut lines and possesses a look that is still unique in the market place

There is no doubt that from the outside it is instantly recognisable as a Peugeot - from the front grille to the rear badge. It is very hard to believe Ferrari’s favourite design house Pininfarina did not pen the 407 Coupe - rather it was done in house.

How It Looks - Interior

We thought that the interior, including the materials used to be typical of this class of car, although as with the Saloon we were not that keen on the plastic centre console that surrounds the TFT telematics screen and air conditioning controls. Peugeot should have carried the aluminium trim from the doors to the surround.

Rivals

• BMW 3 Series Coupe, Mazda RX-8 & Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class Coupe