Peugeot’s online webzine has accidentally let slip two images of the new 207 GTI, spilling important details of its new hot hatch two months ahead of its launch.
The 206 GTI never recaptured the fizz that made its 205 predecessor one of the iconic pocket rockets, but Peugeot hopes to fix that this time round. For a start, the 206 gets the same turbocharged 175bhp 1.6 as in the Mini Cooper S; Peugeot-Citroen PSA collaborated with BMW, which builds the four-cylinder engines at its Hams Hall plant in the Midlands, UK. Count on 0-62mph in a favourable 7.1sec, according to the leaked Peugeot document, while top speed is pegged at 137mph. However, compared with the recently unveiled Vauxhall Corsa VXR, the 207 GTI looks a little tame; chrome-ringed driving lights, nine-spoke alloys and subtle spoilers are maybe too understated for a true GTI.