In our country, a man driving a B-class car with a deliberately frivolous appearance is a phenomenon that causes bewilderment. The Peugeot 207 is exactly from this category — a kind of trendy hatchback. But my job is to try on the role of owner of a variety of cars. Yesterday — Maserati, today — Suzuki, and tomorrow this one, an unequivocally ladies' Peugeot. And yet I'm interested in understanding what this slightly disproportionate upstart used to conquer women's hearts and why it will be stamped in millions of copies at the Peugeot factory. In short, it's time to unravel the French secret of success in the B-class. Once upon a time, the Peugeot 206 spawned a whole fashion in the automotive world — it had a bunch of imitators dreaming of looking just as fresh. And although the "old man" 206 has a worthy successor, it still isn't in a hurry to leave the assembly line. Honestly, the design of the 206 isn't particularly close to me either. But I give credit to its merits and the influence it had on its segment, and the circulation of over five million copies speaks for itself. At the same time, I'm not a "Peugeot-hater" at all, just conservative in my preferences. For me, the benchmark of the "little lion" is the 205 model! And ideally — with a black plastic panel near the fuel filler flap, adorned with three red letters GTI. Modern French cars seem too ornate to me, but... "What a cutie!" — most women will say when they see the Peugeot 207. That trick won't work with the 205. The newcomer is flashy to the point of being loud, as if made up for a party. Huge headlight-eyes half the face, a big "mouth" of the air intake, cut wheel arches... The silhouette is swift, it seems the 207 is about to leap forward. The rear looks more modest and boring, although ruby lights with imitation LEDs liven up the picture. But at the front, the mood is spoiled by sadly "sagging" mirrors. The interior continues the playful theme of the exterior. The side ventilation deflectors got a flirtatious silver "eyeliner" along the lower edge — like eye makeup. In the center, in the same trim, there's a small display of the onboard computer and air vents. In front of the screen — a twist-out bottle with an air freshener, the smell is pleasant. The upper part of the dashboard is made of plastic with an interesting texture, but the lower part and door cards are made of rather cheap hard plastic, which also has an unpleasant shine. Some charm to the interior is added by chrome — it's on the instrument bezels, the handbrake button, the automatic transmission lever, and door handles. The instrument lighting is sporty, red. Overall, despite the abundance of hard plastic and gloomy black color, the interior looks lively. The test car was a richly equipped version — with dual-zone climate control and leather upholstery. The abundance of options adds solidity to the hatchback: leather inserts in the doors partially compensate for the cheap plastic, shimmering in unison with it. The Peugeot 207 has grown relative to its predecessor, but the increase in space is only felt in the front seats. My height is about two meters, but I wasn't cramped. However, sitting "behind myself" is already unrealistic. Essentially, this is a car for two, at most three adults. The steering wheel didn't please: the rim is a bit thin, the design lacks elegance. The direct competitor Clio III has a steering wheel that is both prettier and more modern. But the feedback on the Peugeot is better than on the Renault. Overall, the steering setup (like much else in this car) is purely feminine. In the parking lot, the steering wheel is weightless, but with increasing speed it fills with heaviness. It's all logical: a young lady can easily maneuver out of a parking spot, accelerate, and calmly speed along the highway — with such a heavy, clear "center" the directional stability is excellent. The suspension pleased me — it's composed, generally comfortable. The electric power steering honestly transmits feedback, allowing you to feel the car well. You can confidently take slow switchbacks and fast sweeping curves. Of course, in terms of sportiness, the chassis of the newcomer yields to the old school of Peugeot, but in its class, the 207 is definitely among the leaders. Moreover, this is the base version, and there are also fast modifications with turbo engines developed jointly with BMW — they will surely remind of the glorious sporting traditions of the "hot" French lions. If you approach dynamics with masculine standards, the 88-horsepower engine is clearly insufficient. And the torque with newtons is spread evenly across the entire range — no surge, no pickup. It's funny: at high revs, a whistle breaks through the engine hum, which suggests thoughts of a turbo... However, let's leave the masculine approach for other cars — for a girl, such an engine characteristic is just right. As is the clutch with a vague engagement point — you won't stall at the start. Also included here is the damped gas pedal. The car will forgive the mistakes of a novice driver, and when she gains experience and wants some drive, it will gladly play along. But you'll have to forget about drifts: ESP only turns off up to 50 km/h, and after that threshold, the stability system takes control again. Perhaps on the RC version with the 170-horsepower engine, ESP can be turned off completely. And then the chassis of the Peugeot 207 will reveal itself in all its glory. But I still feel somewhat uncomfortable behind the wheel of the 207. And my neighbors in traffic don't take me seriously — they glance at the male head, which is clearly visible through the windows and the optional panoramic roof. I'll be waiting for the hot version — with it, we'll definitely find common ground. And to this Peugeot 207, many thanks for reminding me how to treat ladies properly.