Just months after its worldwide launch in October last year, Peugeot has introduced their new 307CC into the South African market. Unlike its smaller relative, the 206 CC, the 307 CC is a genuine coupé and a true four-seater cabriolet.
Peugeot says that it was a massive challenge to refine twobody styles, the coupé and cabriolet, into a single model capable of seating four people. The boot had to be as large as possible not only to comply with passenger requirements, but also to accommodate the foldaway roof and its automatic opening and closing mechanism. The transition from coupe to cabriolet takes under 25 seconds, and can be carried out at speeds of up to 10 km/hr.
In South Africa, the 307 CC will be available with a choice of two petrol engines, both two litre units. The milder of the two, as used in the 307 hatch, delivers 100 kW at 6 000 rpm and 190 Nm at 4 100, and the factory claims a 0-100 time of 12,7 seconds with a top speed of 204 km/hr. This engine will initially be mated to a four speed sequential auto transmission, with a five speed manual to follow soon after.
The second engine option has been massaged to produce 130kW at 7 000 rpm and maximum torque of 202Nm at 4 750 rpm. This version, only available with a 5-speed manual transmission, propels the Peugeot past the 100km/h mark in 10 seconds and runs out of steam at 225km/h.
As on the hatchback and the SW upon which the 307 CC is based careful attention has been paid to the wheels and suspension, with a reversed MacPherson front layout and a rear suspension with a semi-deformable cross member. With large 16″ or 17″ alloy wheels, emergency braking assistance system (EBA) and electronic stability programme (ESP) all available as standard, the 307 CC is also a safe car which earned four stars in the EuroNcap safety tests .
In the event of a whoopsy the Peugeot pops up metal rollover bars in just 150 milliseconds, after sensors detect that the vehicle’s about to turn turtle. The safety package is rounded off with additional equipment such as SMART front airbags, head and chest side airbags, 3-point seat belts with force limiters, active front head restraints, rear head restraints, fog lamps, LED rear lights, automatic activation of hazard lights and automatic activation of dipped headlamps.
The French are masters at using innovative thinking when they design cars, and the Peugeot is no exception. When you reach out to open a door a sensor detects your hand even before it grips the handle, and lowers the window by a few millimetres to ensure easy opening of the door.
Limited numbers of the new 307 CC will be available at all of Peugeot’s 24 dealers across Southern Africa. Pricing starts at R311 900 for the 100kW Auto version and rises to R329 900 for the more powerful 130kW model. The 100kW manual version will soon be available at R299 900. The 307 CC is covered by a 3-year/100 000km factory warranty, and a Peugeot 5-year/60 000km full maintenance plan is now standard.