French Chic: Peugeot 307 (2004)

There she was, standing next to me, her beaming smile and glowing eyes drawing my attention like a deer to a pair of oncoming headlights. Her elegantly flowing lines highlighted her curves, while her profile and pose proved to be seductive. I was in love at the Peugeot 307 at first sight.

I was anxious and nervous, this being the first time I would sample what was Europe’s Car of the Year in 2002. Still, I had to do more than just admire her good looks and sweet, innocent smile. I just had to know if this car would be as fun to drive as she is beautiful. And by all means, she truly is.

For a car of this price, the 1.6-liter inline-4 engine maybe a bit of a disappointment. However, beyond the cubic size, this engine has 127 bhp and 14.98 kg-m of torque—numbers which are at par with the best among its class. When the long throttle pedal (a trait common with European cars), is floored, the 307 can accelerate to warp speed in no time at all, virtually scaring other cars in the process. However, not once did the engine note become harsh. This is one calm, smooth and sophisticated power plant.

In addition, the 307’s rapid straight-line acceleration is complimented by her ability to take the corners. Once or twice I made her dance, which she obliged. Despite being a front-driver, the 307 exhibited remarkably neutral handling, taking any sort of bend with utmost grace. The communicative suspension is balanced well with the remarkable steering set-up, which is, though heavy, proved to be quick.

However, it is rather unfortunate that I found the automatic transmission to need a bit of more work. When left in ‘D’, the 307 is a thing of rapid progress, but when the so-called sporty Tiptronic feature is used, this quirky athletic girl suddenly turned into a lethargic creature, which requires a second or two of computer processor to accurately convey a shifting action.

Underneath, the 307 has the usual underpinnings found of European cars of its class: a fully independent front suspension coupled with a twist-beam axle at the back. Crude as it may sound; this French number manages to take road imperfections with grace while still giving some form of driving entertainment. Likewise, the rather large 205/55 VR 16 tires give good amounts of grip whatever the driving environment.

What isn’t so common with other European cars is the 307’s high-quality interior. The switchgear is well-damped and positioned as I would imagine in an enthusiast driver’s car. In fact, the orange-glow of the instrumentation, coupled with the fat-three steering wheel would likewise give a BMW a run for its money. However, there were still some tacky plastic bits, most notably the glove box, which felt like breaking off, despite the car’s low mileage.

Since then, I’ve Being such a wonderful piece of engineering, I thought it would be a shame to keep the 307 within the Manila city limits. Thus, I gave into temptation and took it to my usual Tagaytay test route.

As she hit the South Luzon Expressway, it was clear that the 307 was built do take the German Autobahns. It was quite stable; eliciting some form of déjà vu, especially when you have had a running with other cars of European makes (usually the more expensive kind). The speedometer would usually register excessive speeds, but the car would remain stable and well-balanced, with little degree of wind and tire noise.

At the same time, practicality and flexibility wasn’t made to suffer at the expense of performance and beauty. This girl had the ability to carry all sorts of stuff despite her rather small exterior stature. There was no need to search for the perfect cranny for your mobile phone or breath-fresher mints—she had it all, and all of them were lined in rubber to make sure they don’t rattle or move out of place. At the same time, the 307 boasts of a refrigerated glovebox. Powered by the air conditioning system, this means that drinking a bottle of lukewarm Don Perignon will become a thing of the past.

Although the styling would suggest a car for the stylish and the individual, the 307 is primarily designed as a family vehicle. Being so, it is equipped with three-point ELR safety belts for all passengers, four airbags, four-wheel disc brakes and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution as standard.

The night before I was to return her back, it rained. I contemplated on eloping with her. In all my life, I have been searching for someone who’s smart, sexy, practical, and yet, be one who would always uplift my spirits.

Shedding a tear, I had to let her go. As much as it pains me to give her back, I knew it was the right thing to do. I gave her a hug and a kiss, and then I returned the keys back to the people at AutoFrance Philippines—the official Philippine Peugeot distributor.

I haven’t heard from her since, but I know the memories of her will never fade away. She was, above all, what I was searching for all my life—a car with grace and soul.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang