Second opinion

Since my wife was on holiday and the car sits most of the time under the porch, I decided to take the car to office. There were of course many compliments at the office thinking I traded-in my KIA Spectra for a Peugeot 407 (fat hopes). A close office-mate pestered me from the start of the day to get a ride as he had never experienced a ride in a Peugeot let alone a 407. I told him "When I go home" since people like to park close in front of the car as it is an empty space in a highly demanded parking area. The experience started the moment I started to unlock the car and the side mirrors glamourously swung out. The first comment he said the moment he sat in the car was how spacious and comfy the interior is and how cozy the seat was in comparison to a BMW (318i). My office-mate is also rather round around the tummy so it must feel even nicer for him. He said it felt more like a homely soft leather sofa and really liked it very much. He then stroked his hand across the interior of the door and said the plastic felt solid and strong. Just as we drove off, I asked him to switch on the navigator and he was impressed to say the least. When I started to drive off, he said the engine is very quiet and as the car glided in between the parked cars, he said it did not feel like the continental cars he had been in and I replied well this is as continental as you can get because it is a French car. While the radio was switched on, I took the car along a gentle windy road and he said the car really felt solid and I replied it should because it is a heavy car. He said it would make a great grand tourer and should be a joy to drive back outstation. We then came to a gentle gradient so I pressed the accelerator and show him that this car has respectable but not dramatic power. He said he was happy enough with the feel of power it had to offer. All the while he said he found the driving experience better than he expected it to be and said for a long, low, wide car, it handles itself well in urban traffic. He really liked the deep panoramic view of the windscreen. He stretched his head up and said a taller person would enjoy it even more. By then the traffic started to build up so we decided to head back to the office where he thanked me for the short but most enjoyable experience and said for what the Peugeot 407 had to offer, it was worth the buy. One late night, he asked for a lift to his relative's stall where he left his car and I dropped him off by the road about 100 ft away from the stall. The next day he told me they asked what kind of car was that I drove as they were not familiar with it (probably because they are more familiar with Japanese and local cars) but they all said it looked outstandingly beautiful. That's another second opinion of the Peugeot 407.

Car Navigation System

The on-board car navigation system is only available on the premium model together with full leather seats. The features that come along with this system include:

1. Navigator
2. Video player
3. Music player
4. Audio-Visual (AV) input
5. Clock
6. Black Box
7. Trip
8. Photo Album
9. Memo pad

UPDATE

To update your system FREE OF CHARGE I found the below link meant for the Malaysian client. However, I have not done anything to update my system mainly because I am happy with Google Maps :

(https://www.speednavi.com/index.mms?page_code=03&strQry=bW9kZT12aWV3JmlkeD02NzA=%7C%7C)

Testing the clock

Another feature of the on-board navigation system is the clock. In the analogue version, the clock is located in the right side whereas the dynamic speedometer is located on the left side of the screen. It is big and clear except when there is glare. On the other hand in the digital version, the clock is located on the left side while the dynamic speedometer is located in the centre ... just to be different.

Testing the memo pad

One of the features in the on-board navigation system is a memo pad. The first try was with my finger pad but that did not produce any result. After selecting the largest pixel size and the colour blue, I then used my finger nail instead and the pad functioned properly. Because writing on the car's touch screen is a new experience, it was not an easy thing to do and requires some getting use to...but it works!

Road handling

Stock for stock, as far as road handling and performance are concerned, it is very hard to beat the BMW 318i. The family owned one before a couple of years so we are speaking from experience. But if you are a Peugeot die-hard fan, let me console you that the family feels that BMW cannot win against the Peugeot 407 as far as comfort is concerned, this area Peugeot wins hands down and by a large margin. Over the weekend, I got the opportunity to drive the Peugeot 407 to Genting View Resort, Genting Highlands full laden with a family and a couple of luggage. This car is driven best as a grande tourer as it soaks up the uneven road well. Engine harshness is minimal if the rev is brought up gently and it can cruise comfortably at 130kph along the windy Karak road with little need to brake if one knows how to judge the road. At the point of writing this article, the car is still new and has not even gone for its first check-up so I do not intend to thrash the car. Of course, lighter cars are more nimble and can climb Genting Highlands faster. The Peugeot 407 is real heavy, do not sprint, it does not want you to. It wants you to unwind as well as the windows, relax and enjoy the scenery, the fresh air. The 407 seems to be built as a cruiser. Here, it excels but man-handle it and you are in for a disappointment (not that it cannot zoom the carriageway at high speed once it overcomes enertia.) After its first 10,000km service, I pushed it past 150kph but I am not too happy because it needs lateral support bracket to beef its chassis but in stock mode, anything less than 140kph is OK. The elegance of beauty has its price. The dimension of the car is long, low and wide so driving tight corners in a poorly planned parking area of a business/shopping complex is difficult. It calls for more  L-shape rather than C-shape turning. Fortunately, warning sensors work well and give different notes to inform how close the car is to an adjacent object. Drive slowly like a bus and not flick the steering wheel, then, driving the Peugeot 407 will be an enjoyable experience. Treat like like a sports car, you will be less satisfied. However, I would expect a Peugeot 407 upgraded with a 4-2-1 extractor should probably perform livelier. And all this while, I have not tried the Sports traction mode. Corr, I must give it a try when I go outstation.

Testing the navigator

The car comes with a South Korean Speed Navi SQ navigation unit. I had used it earlier when my wife wanted to visit a school some 20km away from home. It works just like Google Maps: a blue line route was formed after the origin and destination were input. Moving along the route, the navigator moves and re-orientates itself with the car being a red pointer. You feel as if you are in James Bond Aston Martin DB-5 with its on-board gyro navigator but now on-board navigators are a norm. Today, I tried it without  O-D destinations. When switched on, it gives an overview map to orientate the user of his position from a macro point-of-view. The first click on the "+" at the upper right hand corner of the screen zooms view to a close-up of the macro view. A second click on the "+" zooms view to the neighbourhood level. A third click on the "+" zooms view to the micro level where service lanes can be clearly seen. I do not think a user needs to go any micro than that unless he is really lost. If you know your way around, you can live without but if in unfamiliar territory, an on-board navigator is a bonus but the addition of a real navigator beside you will be superduper when you need advise fast.

Maintenance - Tyre pressure

Peugeot 407 tyre pressure

Different people have different view of what should be the best tyre pressure for the Peugeot 407 for a hot, humid equatorial climate such as Malaysia. I prefer to stick to the default setting as shown by this sticker: 2.6(f) 2.4(r) psi when the car is not full loaded and 2.6(f) 2.8(r) when it's time to balik kampung. And to think the average car has the tyre pressure at 3.0psi, what a dfifference! Of course, this is base on the tyre size. Mine are the original so I stick to whatever is recommended, this being it's technical specification so it is wiser to stick to whatever your car model recommends.

New Peugeot logo key chain

I saw the new Peugeot logo key chain at the Glenmarie Peugeot showroom and it looked impressive and had to get myself one. However, they ran out out stock which should be of no surprise because they were selling it at RM18 per piece. Where there's a will, there's a way so I surfed the Internet at Lelong and whilst an advert was there, it was long closed. This time, I popped over to ebay and found a live advert in China where it is manufactured promoting it for US2.60 with free shipping. I immediately made an order. It took about 10 days but better late than never. Item specs. is as accurate as pictured at ebay. Wifey is most pleased.

Testing the radio

Selecting a channel was easy: it only requires the user to scan for a channel then press the preferred selector button for about 3 seconds to lock the channel. At first, we though the audio system was rather boomy so I started to reset the bass and treble to neutral yet the boominess was still there. It was not until I de-activated the loudness did the system sound become more natural and pleasant. I suspected the technician who tested the radio must have been a bass fanatic. Reception was respectable and I'm not complaining but I have yet the opportunity to test it outstation where reception is poor at certain places.

Modification - Boot straps

Peugeot 407's boot comes with 4 latches to enable user to hook a netting. However, such netting are not easy to come buy because they are imported and expensive meaning hardly any car accessory shop sells them. So clever me went over to the supermarket and got myself a pair of motorcycle elastic hooks instead just like what I have for my KIA Spectra. This should be helpful when there are loose items in the boot that need securing.

Testing the movie player

This car comes with a USB adapter and of course accept the normal thumb-drive. Although the movie worked without a hitch, we were disappointed that the movie did not take the whole screen of the monitor.  In the full screen mode, it gave a full landscape movie mode which is even smaller than the 100% screen mode where the 100% screen mode managed filled the monitor screen. On checking the Owner's Manual, a note read the video only works in stationary mode, I'm sure it can be modified for the benefit of passengers while the car is moving :-( .

Modification - Chrome tyre valve caps

I took one of my chrome tyre valve cap off my KIA Spectra to a nearby tyre retailer and asked whether he sold them and wanted to purchase a set of 4. While the manager answered "No", the mechanic on the other hand at the same time replied "Yes". It was an embarrassing moment for the boss but the mechanic quickly changed the momentum by continuing and said we have used ones. He walked over to a tin of  tyre valve caps and I followed closely where he pulled out two caps and gave them to me free-of-charge. I was surprised and quickly said thank you. As my regular tyre mechanic was within walking distance so I went there. He too, found and gave me two caps free-of-charge (and to think I purchased them for RM1 per piece). Happily, I wagged my tail and went home where I immediately gave them a thorough Autosol polish that brought them back like new. I'm so happy. To me, little things mean a lot.

Peugeot 407 brochure

The official brochure can be downloaded here.

Maintenance - Nano treated

With a colour that will be difficult to maintain, keep clean and not to mention, will be under the hot Malaysian sun almost all day long, I insisted the Peugeot 407 be given an additional treatment over the stock paint. This translates into a special coating that uses nano-technology. This is the thing if you notice at a traffic light what makes some cars stand out from others and look outstandingly polished even though if you were to compare, having spent 3 days and 3 nights hand-polishing yours. There are 3 options: the budget silver version, the recommended gold version which also covers treatment to the alloy rims and the premium platinum version which also includes treatment to the interior. As the interior was brand new, within our budget, we took the gold option which cost RM1,900 which also included the alloy rims. The job to coat the car as told by the mechanic  took 3 hours, normal for a brand new car since there was nothing to touch-up and that was the state the car was when I came by to take photographs. This will be followed by further polishing and final touch-up.All I can say is that she looks really squeeky clean! No polishing ever for this car, just a weekend spray of water and wipe dry. Excellent...because the person to keep the car clean has always been me :-( By the way, the car was not given an additional tinting because we felt the original glass template was adequately tinted.

Showroom model

Items in a showroom always look better than outside even it was the same watch on your wrist. This is probably due to the clever play of lighting at some showrooms. One Sunday morning, I took time to oggle this elegant French lady. While the black version has a serious no-nonsense business look about it, I preferred the glamorous off-white version which I think would do well with a bride in a white dressing grown. Eventhough, the Peugeot 508 was sitting beside it, one cannot help but admire the beauty of its refine elegance and distinctive Bourgeois character.

An introduction

"Long, low and wide". That is how I have always visualize the fundamental shape of my ideal car. That shape took the form of the Peugeot 407 Elixir Concept. Peugeot amazingly without hardly any radical change, transformed concept into reality in the form of  the Peugeot 407.

The purist representation is the coupe, longer by 0.5 ft and wider by 0.1 ft against the saloon but the practical reality representation is the saloon.

An outstanding feature of this car which I like very much is that the windscreen is extremely raked like a sports car. The second feature I like is a long nose overhang. This design element of beauty leads to its so striking appearance and the designer was free to express his vision of beauty. Of course, when one drives along an acute slope, drive slowly or else it could scrape the undercarriage but I think that design flow makes the car look outstandingly beautiful. It bears a timeless appeal which will endure the test of time. Peugeot designers tried hard to come up with a better design with the 508 version but I think it is hard to beat, looks distinctive and oozes European flare.

Peugeot traditionally calls Italian Pininfarina to design Peugeot cars but no one there is going to admit her lines are unmistakable there albeit a more pronounce lower jaw in the Peugeot 407 than a Ferrari Berlinetta.

• The 407 is a heavy car with a kerb weight of 1613kg compared to a BMW 523i at 1572kg but this gives a more comfortable ride.
• Premium leather and the on-board navigation kit separate it from the entry level model.
  
• In terms of performance, it is more geared as a grand tourer(GT)-cum-business executive rather than sports executive.
• In terms of equipment it wins hands down against its competitors.
• In terms of dimension, spacious, a respectable boot and a true 5 adult seater. LxBxH in mm is 4676x1811x1455; in ft. is 15.3x5.9x4.7. For comparison, a Proton Perdana's dimension in ft. is 15.2x5.7x4.6 and weighs 1245kg is smaller and much lighter. A standard parking bay (LxB) in ft is 16x8 so the 15.3x5.9 dimension of the car shows how really long and wide the car is.

I grew up with Peugeots as my late father invested in a 403 later upgraded to the 204, 304, 305 and 504. I now pick up that tradition

UPDATE

Incidentally, my particular Peugeot 407 happens not only to be a premium unit but also the second last unit, the other was the showroom unit which suffered a boot lock problem. (In terms of performance and handling, I do not feel it is fair to compare my 407 against other 407s one-to-one as it has been discreetly modified). After that came the 508 version. If I recall way back in 2011, the salesman clarified there are 3 versions of the Peugeot 407 in Malaysia:

1. The first CBU units (1,000 units I think).
2. The first generation CKD units
   
3. The second generation CKD units
   

The CBU and first generation units suffered a similar problem: difficulty in handling the hot Malaysian climate especially heavy urban traffic condition. That was their No. 1 complaint. The easiest solution was to fit an oil cooler which rally cars fit. From R&D made, distributor Nazim upgraded 407s in 2008 to the second generation units that accommodates a larger engine oil container easily taking 4 litres of engine oil which earlier units could not. Other improvements were the noticeable oomph from "variable valve timing producing 140 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The Tiptronic System Porsche 4-speed automatic has also been revised." (See above link).

Potential second-hand Peugeot buyers should look out for this. You have been told.