Trompe and circumstance
Peugeot's luxury front-drive sedan cruises in comfort. But it tries too hard to be clever and ends up confused.
Good: Spacious, comfortable interior with great seats and a fully loaded equipment list. Very smooth, refined cruiser. 3.0 V6 has a wide, strong power delivery. High-tech safety features. Tyres. Powerful brakes.
Bad: $20K too expensive. Too many bugs in the automatic transmission and suspension software. Lack of ride comfort. Imprecise cruise control. Ordinary dynamics. Fuel consumption.
Stars: 2 (out of 5).
Verdict: It does not compute.
The new 607 marks Peugeot's first serious effort at contesting the big luxury sedan class. It sold a handful of 605s here in the mid-'90s, but that car faded quickly into obscurity through a combination of buyer and distributor disinterest.
The 607 is priced at $79,990, which puts it close to the bottom end of BMW 5 Series/Benz E Class territory.
The front-drive 607 is powered by a 3.0-litre V6, matched with a four-speed automatic, which features adaptive programming and sequential shifting. This is the same drivetrain, with minor tuning differences, found in Citroen's C5. Peugeot and Citroen are owned by the French PSA Group. The Citroen costs $59,990.
Given that the C5 also shares much of the 607's other technology, including multiplex wiring, features and componentry, the 607 needs to have something special to persuade Francophiles, and buyers shopping around this pricepoint, to pay top dollar. It doesn't.
Like the front-drive luxury breed in general, it is very comfortable, refined, packed with gear and a relaxed open-road cruiser.
However the 607 is a disappointingly underdone effort from Peugeot, which usually incorporates some athleticism and verve into its smaller cars. The flagship is a relatively languid, dull drive. It is already two years old, having been launched in Europe in early 2000.
Its V6, also used in the mid-sized 406 sedan, produces 152kW of power at 6000rpm and 284Nm of torque at 3750, both average numbers for this capacity. It's an all-alloy, quad-camshaft design with variable timing in the inlet cams.
It feels more feisty than the numbers suggest, with a wide spread of urge beginning at 2000rpm, spinning enthusiastically to the top end where some extra kick occurs. It's exceptionally smooth and quiet in cruise mode. Premium unleaded is recommended.
The ZF automatic does the V6 no justice. Four speeds is one too few in 2002, especially for $80,000.
Acceleration off the line is blunted by the fact that the torque convertor does not hook up until relatively high revs, which also wastes fuel in town. Its adaptive programming often seems several steps behind your intentions, like the majority of "thinking" automatics, and shift timing is occasionally inappropriate. Do-it-yourself shifts are fine, but the large gap between ratios also compromises performance and refinement.
On a long haul to Melbourne and back, the cruise control refused to hold, or return to a set speed, accurately and consistently.
The 607 has the full complement of active safety features, including anti-lock brakes, traction control and skid sensing and correcting technology. Its MacPherson strut front/multilink independent rear suspension is also wired, with nine different damping settings, each automatically selected according to how the car is being driven and the road surface. You can lock it into sport mode, or let the software's 1500 parameters do the maths and decide your fate.
Peugeot is renowned as an outfit that knows how to tune suspension, so it is surprising to see it go down this techno-trick path. Like the automatic, it produces no tangible benefits on the road compared with a conventional hydraulic-only system because it is too slow to react to changes in conditions.
Sport mode is effective but the 607, as a large, heavy front-driver, has the usual dynamic limitations of this genre; the more ride-oriented settings can be too soft and cause excessive body roll and float. The 607's handling is saved from outright mediocrity by plenty of grip from the 225/50 17-inch Michelins, and better than average steering precision and feel, particularly at higher speeds.
Ride comfort is poor. The suspension, whatever state it is in, transmits too much harshness and lacks compliance.
The brakes, which use quality Brembo calipers, provide emphatic stopping power when you lean hard on the pedal, but low pressure applications lack feedback and initial bite.
The 607 doesn't drive like $80,000 worth, but it feels like it when you open the heavy door and climb in. The cabin is elegant and luxurious, with a pleasantly open, spacious feel and quality materials, including full leather upholstery, throughout.
The plush driver's armchair features long travel and power adjustment with two memories. The leather-wrapped wheel, which has a lightweight magnesium rim, is also height and reach adjustable.
The dash is a clean, relatively simple layout. The status of many functions (audio/trip computer) is displayed on a centrally positioned screen, which means taking your eyes off the road to read it and a session with the owner's manual to learn how to call up individual displays. Extra wands, for cruise and audio, are adjacent to the wheel.
The 607's equipment list is also commensurate with the price. Front, side and curtain airbags, dual control automatic air-conditioning, a great JBL six- CD stacker sound system, power everything, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers are standard.
Extra touches include an electric rear sunblind, automatic monitoring of tyre pressures (with an alert if they become too low) and an air-conditioned glovebox which keeps drinks or food cool.
The back seat is a comfortable place to travel. It is wide enough for three but contoured for two, with plenty of leg room and reasonable headroom. Three lap-sash belts and head restraints are provided, but no air-con outlets – it's French, so there's another cigarette lighter instead.
The boot is enormous, almost 1.2 metres long. The rear seat backrest is split 60/40, with the releases in the boot rather than the seat itself. A small porthole is also provided, plus a cargo net. A full-size spare is under the floor.
At $80,000, the 607 has got Buckley's. The $20,000 cheaper Citroen C5 is a more convincing luxury package, with a superior ride-handling compromise. Saab's 9-5, VW's Passat and several less expensive alternatives make the 607's price look wildly ambitious. A Nissan Maxima or a locally built Mitsubishi Verada or Toyota Camry Azura, not relying on European badge snobbery, is more than a match for the 607 in terms of how it actually goes, handles and rides.
The 607 tries too hard to be clever. It just ends up being confused.
Vital signs
Engine: 3.0-litre 24 valve fuel injected V6.
Power: 152kW at 6000rpm (average).
Performance: 0-100kmh in 11.2 seconds (slowish).
Brakes: Discs with ABS (good power, below average progression).
Economy: 9.2 litres/100km highway; 14.7 city (relatively thirsty).
Prices: Recommended retail – $79,990. Street price – limited supplies, no deals.
Main options: Park distance control $750; sunroof $2500.
Warranty: Two years/unlimited kilometres (below average).
Safety rating: Not yet tested.
Residual value: Difficult to predict as a first-time luxury class entrant. The 406 retains 62 percent after three years, which is average.
Alternatives:
Alfa Romeo 166 3.0 V6 – $79,900
Audi A6 3.0 V6 – $89,980
BMW 525i – $85,250
Citroen C5 3.0 V6 – $56,990
Honda Legend 3.5 V6 – $86,950
Jaguar S-Type 3.0 V6 – $88,000
Lexus ES300 3.0 V6 – $84,900
Mercedes-Benz E240 Classic – $89,480
Rover 75 Connoisseur – $69,990
Saab 9-5 Vector – $75,900
VW Passat V6 4Motion – $68,300
Volvo S60 2.4T – $66,950.