Peugeot 407 Coupe. The power of aesthetics

Peugeot 407 Coupe is a rare car for our roads, and it has almost no direct competitors. This is not the case where you can simply add a coupe to the regular lineup. To truly understand this car, you need to live with it for a while. We took for a test the version with a three-liter V6, white leather interior, and in the maximum trim — it has literally every option you can imagine. The price, of course, is corresponding.

I've encountered this car before, but that short trip in Spain left more questions than answers about what the 407 Coupe is actually for. Now, putting myself in the owner's shoes, I'll try to answer them.

On the highway, the 407 Coupe with the most powerful engine available can deliver more than you usually expect from a Peugeot. The engine runs deliberately smoothly, and the gearbox is in no hurry. From the first seconds, the car sets a calm, measured rhythm, but if needed, the coupe "picks up" at any speed. Everything happens smoothly, comfortably, and powerfully.

The front seats are pure luxury. They have a full set of electric adjustments with memory, and they also free up access to the rear seats via electric drive. And they do it unhurriedly. Maybe this is a hint — you shouldn't burst into the cabin headlong, losing half the pleasure? First, look at the shape of the seats, appreciate the upholstery, and only then sit down. And do it with dignity. In the back, there is enough space for a comfortable ride for all four.

The coupe's interior pleases with pleasant sounds. You can enjoy the noble rumble of the V6, and if you get tired of it, turn on the excellent audio system.

In a big city, the driving experience is also completely different from any other car with a lion on the hood. Peugeots feel like a fish in water in the capital's bustle. But the 407 Coupe is a large car, and a sense of its exact dimensions doesn't come immediately. The long front overhang, massive sides, and poor forward-side visibility don't encourage sharp maneuvers in traffic or attempts to squeeze into a tight parking spot. The doors are so long and heavy that designers had to add special wedge locks. Such a car requires appropriate parking — where you can get out without twisting like a snake. In traffic jams, you begin to understand: getting used to the rhythm of the 407 Coupe, you get used to being generous and polite.

In the city, the car can be fast: the powerful engine, a smart automatic that adapts to the driver, and a manual shift mode allow a lot. The chassis holds cornering arcs decently, but for Russian roads there is one drawback — the front suspension handles bumps heavily. And yet, in aggressive driving, there is something artificial about this car.

Technical specifications and economic calculations today don't seem like the main arguments. The Peugeot 407 Coupe is an exceptional car. It is expensive in feel, but it doesn't belong to "status" brands by default. The car commands respect and gives no reason for familiarity, but there is not a drop of aggression or desire to dominate in it. There is little passion in it, but plenty of pleasure. Its image is a rare combination of success, artistry, and intelligence. Prosperity with a sense of proportion.

Not many people will want and be able to pay about $50,000 for this. But those who are ready will get real driving pleasure.

Driving

Smooth and confident traction, a soft and unhurried "automatic." Precise handling, reliable and stable behavior. Strict, well-functioning safety electronics. Insufficient for Russia energy intensity of the suspension.

Interior

Luxury, full leather upholstery. Four comfortable seats, good ergonomics for driving controls and poor for computer functions and the like. Excellent acoustics.

Comfort

Precise adjustment of dual-zone climate control, successful seat profile, average sound insulation, not very high ride smoothness.

Safety

Good set of airbags and curtains, powerful brakes, vigilant driver electronics, poor visibility.

Price

A luxuriously appointed coupe with a V6, "automatic," and in a rich trim costs about $53,000. The offer is reasonable. The car is for enthusiasts.

Advantages and disadvantages

+ Design, interior trim, equipment, sound, handling, stability

- Visibility and sense of dimensions, energy intensity of the suspension.

Our opinion

The Peugeot 407 Coupe is attractive, original, richly equipped. It is a solid and well-handled French car, but winter operation on average roads and in capital traffic jams is not exactly what it was created for. The 407 Coupe needs good roads and good weather. Then it will create a good mood itself.