Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 82%

If you like camping, bike riding, surfing, DIY or any other pursuit which involves stuffing your car with equipment – the Peugeot 207 SW might be just the thing.

We drove one for a week to find out if it’s the motoring equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife or a wooden spoon.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The Peugeot 207 SW retains the chic and unmistakeably European looks of its hatchback cousin. The longer boot has been successfully integrated and looks neat and stylish – rather than ‘stuck on the back’. Personal preference will dictate your views on the huge front grille, which is surely the largest on any car of this size.

9/10

View more pictures of the Peugeot 207 SW

2. Looks inside

The interior is a nice place to spend time, and in true Peugeot-fashion its seats offer a good mix of comfort over bumps and body-hugging grip through bends. The sportiest touch is its white dials with red needles and chrome surrounds, while silver paint on the centre console and dash surrounds and the standard panoramic sunroof give the cabin a bright and airy feel.

8/10

3. Practicality

The biggest boon is the ability to fold the rear seats completely flat, giving the 207 SW a large and practical loading area with a capacity of 482 litres – 112 more than the hatchback. The extra space available and bigger boot opening makes carrying bulky objects like mountain bikes and furniture much easier. Just carrying a few bags of shopping? The tailgate’s glass can open independently without the need to fully open the boot.

9/10

4. Ride and Handling

The ‘SW’ in this car’s name stands for ‘Sports Wagon’ – so can the Peugeot live up to its title? While it might not be appearing on a racing track anytime soon, we found it did have communicative and stable handling. The steering is light around town but feels more weighty and direct above 30mph. Approach a corner with gusto and there is little body roll and the car faithfully follows the chosen line.

8/10

5. Performance

The 207 SW has a smaller engine range than the hatchback, consisting of a 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol with 95bhp and 120bhp respectively, and a 1.6-litre diesel available with 90bhp or 110bhp. The quickest off the mark is the 1.6-litre petrol, which accelerates from 0-62mph in 9.6 seconds followed by the 110bhp diesel which takes 10.3 seconds and the lower powered petrol and diesel which both take 11.8 seconds. Our test car was fitted with a 90bhp diesel and proved brisk in town, and happy to cruise on the motorway. 

8/10

6. Running Costs

Both petrol engines achieve 44.1mpg on average and emit around the same amount of carbon (152g/km versus 153g/km) so it makes sense to enjoy the extra performance of the 1.6-litre model. However, for really economic motoring, diesels win out with a combined consumption of 54.3mpg from the 110bhp model and 60.1mpg from the 90bhp unit. Both petrol engines qualify for tax band D with an annual cost of £145 while both diesels (123gkm and 136g/km) slot into the cheaper £120 tax band C. Insurance groups are low, ranging from four to seven.

9/10

7. Reliability

The 207 SW is very similar mechanically to the hatchback which was released in 2006 and has had few reported problems. Its predecessor, the Peugeot 206, suffered from some niggling electrical faults but it seems they may have them licked in the new car.

8/10