Peugeot 307
The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot since 2001, following the Peugeot 306 which ceased production in 2002. It was awarded the European Car of the Year title for 2002, and continues to be offered in China and certain South American markets through 2014, despite the French launch of the 308 (its intended successor) in September 2007.
History
The 307 was presented as the 307 Prométhée prototype at the 2000 Mondial de l'Automobile. The production hatchback versions were introduced to the European markets in 2001 as a successor to the Peugeot 306. The 307 was also sold in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and (in 1.6 and 2.0 petrol versions) Mexico. In Brazil the 307 is sold with 1.6 and 2.0 flex (gas/ethanol) engines.
Design and engineering
The 307 makes use of a reworked 306 platform, that can also be found on the Citroën Xsara as well as the 1991 Citroën ZX. However, the car is larger than the 306 in every direction.
The 307 continued the company's styling first seen on the Peugeot 206 and Peugeot 607. With upswept front lights and a steeply rising bonnet leading to a highly sloped windscreen (and the upright rear doors first seen on the 206), the 307 departed from the Pininfarina-designed themes employed on the previous two generations of Peugeots, as introduced with the Peugeot 205, and ending with the (evolutionary) Peugeot 406.