Peugeot 207 Sportium: Lacking “sportium”

Posted: October 27, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Peugeot’s press release for its limited edition 207 Sportium has just been left on my desk.

Normally I’d immediately chuck a Peugeot press release straight into the recycling bin, or if I’m in a good mood, the “read later” pile. But my eye was drawn to the bold print, promising added “sport-ism” to the 207.

Now I was interested. How’ve they managed to make this little shopping trolley sporty? Are we talking a V6, a la Renault? Or have they created a wonderful little track hack by removing the insides?

Well, no. All they’ve really done is add a bit of chrome (if you look very carefully), and a few gadgets that might come in handy but won’t help your time around La Sarthe.

So what about the engines? Well, you have a choice of a 1.4 petrol, or a 1.6 diesel. Neither are exactly “sportium”. The petrol gets to 62 in a mediocre 12.1 seconds.

I’m probably being overly harsh on this little hatchback. I’ve no doubt it’d be great in urban areas, so why didn’t they take Austin Rover’s lead and call it the City?

With a starting price tag of £12,595, I couldn’t help but wonder what you could get for the money that was genuinely “sportium”.

Options include a 2007 Focus ST, a true sporting hatchback that’ll get you around town nicely, and to 62mph in 6.8 seconds. If a Porsche is more your cup of tea, £12,595 will see you in a 2003 Boxster. Or how about a car from times when peugeot made genuinely great hot hatches? You can get a fully restored, immaculate 205 GTI for half the price of the 207 Sportium.

I know if I had that sum of money burning a hole in my pocket I wouldn’t be heading to the nearest Peugeot dealer.

Range Rover Evoque: Perfect for Suburbia

Posted: October 25, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’d like to think that I’m a new kind of Land Rover enthusiast. I don’t go out of a weekend dressed in camouflage trousers, a hi visibility jacket and rigger boots. I don’t shoot animals for fun. Nor do I have a beard and assume anyone with a Land Rover produced since 1985 is gay for enjoying such luxuries as coil springs.

Which is why I’m not scared of holding my hands up and admitting I like the new Evoque.

Unveiled by Victoria Beckham, Land Rover are clearly quite happy to shout that their new vehicle is aimed at footballers’ wives. They’ve just announced that it’ll be marketed worldwide by ‘City Shapers’ – DJs, designers and TV personalities, including George Lamb and Ben Shephard.

And I think it makes perfect sense. If it was up to old school Land Rover enthusiasts, the new Land Rover would be even more basic than the current Defender. But just think, how much money is made from selling the current range of Land Rovers to school run mums? And how much money would be saved by removing the four wheel drive and terrain response systems that will never be used by a large proportion of owners?

Not only does it save money – the front-wheel-drive 2.2 turbo diesel Evoque emits less than 130g/km, so is kinder to the environment than a 1.4 Kia Cee’d. In days of global warming and hugging trees, this will give Land Rover huge amounts of bobble hat points.

You won’t be seeing the Evoque driven across the Sahara anytime soon. Nor will you be seeing it driven to rescue a rambler stuck up Snowdon. However, it’ll sell by the thousands in suburbia, and I can see why. When you see one of these being driven across London, resist the urge to stick two fingers up at the driver. They’re not that bad.