Peugeot 4007: haven’t we seen this before?
You’re right. Peugeot issued a couple of teaser images of its new SUV back in October, but it has remained resolutely tight-lipped about more details until now. The 4007 will be seen for the first time in the metal at next month’s Geneva show, so we’ll soon know what it looks like in the metal. If you’re still thinking it looks familiar, that’s probably because it’s based on the Mitsubishi Outlander. PSA Peugeot-Citroen wanted a short cut to the 4×4 party and struck a collaboration with the Japanese firm to build 30,000 cars a year for them. The 4007, and Citroen’s Citroen’s C-Crosser, are the French duo’s rebadged versions.
So is Peugeot’s first SUV just a clone of the Mitsubishi and Citroen?
Pretty much, yes. The cars are mechanically very similar, although the Peugeot uses the French 156bhp 2.2 HDI instead of VW’s turbodiesel preferred by Mitsubishi. The glass and most body panels are identical, though. Peugeot’s Velizy design studio worked up the new nose treatment, with swept-back headlamps and the lion logo sitting prominently on the bonnet. The 4007 is 4640mm long and comes with wheels between 16-18in. Only that particulate-trap-equipped diesel engine will be offered, initially, although you can safely expect petrols to join the range later. It’s the same 2.2 HDI that’s impressed in the 407 and 607, and develops a muscular 280lb ft of pull at a lowly 2000rpm. However, it’ll need all that grunt to overcome a decidedly lardy 1750kg kerb weight.
Will it go off-road then?
Let’s face it, the chances of owners going off-roading in in the 4007 are pretty slim. The ground clearance of 174mm should allow gentle excursions from the bitumen, and an on-demand four-wheel drive system shuffles torque to the wheels with the best traction; it’s a front-driver most of the time, but the rear wheels chip in when the front tyres slip. Drivers can select front-wheel drive, automatic and full-time 4wd via a switch on the dashboard; up to 55 percent of drive can be sent rearwards for maximum traction when the going gets sticky. Peugeot acknowledges that this car will spend most of its time on the road and the suspension is designed accordingly: McPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear end. An aluminium roof is claimed to save 5kg over a steel equivalent – helping to lower the centre of gravity by 4mm. We’re sure that the average owner will notice the handling improvements this endows at every roundabout…
What’s it like inside?
Soft-touch surfaces, chrome accents… do all cabins look the same these days? The 4007 ticks all these boxes, but at least the switchgear is arranged logically enough. The windscreen is massive, giving Peugeot’s SUV a panoramic view more akin to an MPV. Very light and airy, from these photos. As you’d expect of a £20k SUV, it comes with a raft of safety gizmos. ESP is standard, as are curtain airbags extending along the front two rows of seats. A 30GB hard drive can hold mapping for the whole of Europe, plus 2500 songs. The rear tailgate is a split item, like on the original Range Rover – the drop-down tailgate can take the weight of two fat people, or 200kg.
What else do I need to know?
The 4007 is a seven-seater, with a third row that folds out of the floor. Adults will find these seats a squeeze, but it’s a useful occasional facility, and the middle row slides back and forth by 80mm. The tailgate glass hatch lifts up separately too – letting you drop shopping and smaller items into the 510-litre boot; pop up those rearmost seats, and the boot shrinks to a rather smaller 184 litres. Peugeot’s nomenclature is nearly running out of room for a burgeoning product line-up, so the 4007 carries over the double-oh numbering of the 1007. This is reserved for all future niche Pugs.