Peugeot debuts two new SUV models in different price ranges

The futuristic design of Peugeot's latest SUVs, the 807 and the Partner, caught the eye of onlookers at the Gaikindo Auto Expo at the Jakarta Convention Center.

Although the cars were officially released last December in the company's native France, the look of the 807 and the Peugeot Partner, a base model Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) -- launched by PT Astra France Motor on July 17, the day before the expo opened -- was new to most people here.

The 807 has a more futuristic design than its diesel-powered predecessor, the 806, which earned a 1999 award for best Multi Purpose Vehicle from the auto industry.

At the expo, we were put into a group of three journalists and allowed to take the vehicles on a short spin around the Automall.

Climbing into the cabin of the 807, the interior definitely feels like a premium MPV.

The car moved around the test track smoothly. The suspension -- independent MacPherson struts on the front wheels and independent trailing arms on the rear wheels -- made the luxurious leather seats particularly comfortable despite the bumpy road around the office complex.

Since we did not take the vehicles very farm we did not have time to check out all the features, but one thing that caught our attention was the electric sliding passenger door. It provides easy entrance for passengers and parents will appreciate the smart "anti-pinch system" that it is equipped with to prevent injuring children who tend to play with doors and windows.

And the sliding door and most features of the 807 are tailored for parents, the targeted consumers for this vehicle. Although the Peugeot 807 is not equipped with cruise control, the automatic transmission will help parents relax as they take the family out for a leisurely ride.

Families will be especially impressed with the many safety features of the 807. It earned five stars in the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) crash test, making it the first MPV to reach the highest safety class.

The 807 is equipped with airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger, as well as side airbags and curtain airbags for all three rows of seats.

Passengers are further protected by a precision antilock braking system (ABS), electronic brakes (EBD) and 3-point safety belts.

Powered by a 1,997 cc EW 10 J4 engine, the Peugeot 807 can reach a top speed of 185 kilometers per hour, with the 139 horsepower (hp) engine running at 6,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a maximum torque of 190 Newton meters at 4,100 rpm.

Like the 307 model, which was selected by some in the industry as the best car in 2002, the 807 has a spacious cabin.

The interior of the 4.73 meter long and 1.85 meter wide vehicle is large enough to provide ample room for passengers. The fact that you can turn the front seats 180 degrees to face backwards and fold down the second row makes roadside lunches easy.

The Peugeot 807 is listed at Rp 396 million (US$46,500) and the Partner sells for about Rp 175 million.

Although Peugeot classifies Partner as a SUV, it could use more power to really satisfy the needs of more demanding terrain.

The 1,360 cc four-cylinder TU3 JP SOHC engine turns out 90 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 120 Newton meter at 3,400 rpm.

Partner, the first Peugeot model named with a word instead of numbers, seats seven passengers and is also equipped with sliding doors like the Peugeot 807.

At 4.14 meters long, 1.96 meters wide and 1.80 meters high, it maneuvers easily on city streets.

Despite its rather small size, Peugeot provides top safety features, including a driver's airbag, side impact beams in the front doors and 3-point safety belts in the first and second rows of seats.

Two seats in the third row can be folded down to provide room for additional storage.

The Partner also has an engine immobilizer to go along with the remote locking of the doors and trunk.

-- Novan Iman Santosa and Primastuti Handayani