Before we talk about the virtues of the Peugeot 407 Coupe, we need to address the elephant in the room. Or is it a shark? Peugeot, in the 2000s, had thrown out their attractive, delicate design language, and was instead introducing chunky, bass-mouthed cars like the 407. What made the 407 Coupe especially egregious was the fact that its predecessor, the Pininfarina-penned 406 Coupe, was absolutely gorgeous.
Seriously. Look at this. Even if it was effectively the French equivalent of a Toyota Solara–a front-wheel-drive coupe based on a mainstream mid-size sedan–the 406 Coupe was truly a beautiful car.
Then there were designs like the 306, which has held up extremely well…
…and the 406, which was handsome at first…
…and pleasingly aggressive after its facelift.
Along came the 407 sedan, though, with its huge front overhang but tiny rear overhang…
…and the 407 wagon, which seems to be trying to evoke a modern day Rambler.
Luckily, the 407 Coupe, designed in-house, retained some good angles, redeeming an otherwise inelegant lineup. The rear, for example, was an improvement over the sedan. The coupe was lower than other 407s and featured a wider track, lending it a more hunkered down stance.
The frameless windows were a nice touch, but these doors were personal luxury coupe long and very heavy. The coupe’s wheelbase was the same length as the sedan at 107.28 inches.
The interior was also the same as the sedan’s, for better or worse. Note the fiddly switchgear along with very comfortable seats.
Rear legroom was tight, but the seats could at least split and fold to expand the 14.12 cubic feet trunk. How often would one be driving around passengers in a coupe, anyway?
Three engines were available: a 2.2 four (160hp, 162 ft-lbs), a 3.0 V6 (211hp, 213 ft-lbs) and a 2.7 turbodiesel V6 (205hp, 324 ft-lbs). Only the latter two came to Australia, the diesel six being the same one used in the Jaguar XF and XJ, Range Rover Sport and various other vehicles. This was a silky smooth unit with critics praising the 407 Coupe for its effortless power delivery and cruising abilities.
As is typical in Australia for anything premium or luxury, these were pricey beasts. The flagship diesel V6 listed at $AUD72,000, quite a sum more than the lower-trim sedans which started in the high 30s/low 40s. Of course, for that money you got a lot of kit: front and rear park assist, heated seats, and active bi-Xenon headlights were just the tip of the iceberg. You were also getting something very exclusive and extremely striking.
Computer-adaptive dampers allowed for a 407 driver to switch between “comfort” and “sport” settings. These were best left in “comfort,” though, for that good old-fashioned Peugeot ride; despite competent dynamics, these cars were made for cruising in silence. The 3.0 V6 was available with a manual, but it was ill-suited to the character of the car and suffered excessively long throws, while the six-speed automatic was well-calibrated.
The 407 Coupe was not without its flaws, but it was charmingly unique. While the rest of the Peugeot lineup at the time was less aesthetically pleasing, Peugeot seems to have seen the error of its ways. The ungainly cars of the last decade now replaced by handsome offerings like the latest 208, 308 and 508 which have earned the respect of automotive journalists for good dynamics and attractive interiors. The 2014 308, for example, won European Car of the Year.
It’s a critical time for PSA. They have been bleeding money for some time now, and are trying to stem the flow by focussing on their core products and introducing a new global modular platform. They are also trying to eliminate overlap between their two core brands by reinforcing Citroen’s position as their mainstream line–featuring appealing budget models like the Cactus–and shifting Peugeot a little further upmarket. Citroen’s semi-premium DS sub-brand is set to become a full-fledged marque in due course, too.
Will there ever be a 407 Coupe replacement? It’s highly unlikely. Faced with slow sales of the handsome 508 sedan, the incentive simply isn’t there.
In the meantime, if you want a large French two-door, you can always buy a Renault Laguna Coupe.
That first pic looks like a Dodge
Exactly what I thought. The car Chrysler never built.
Good story and a nice collection of pictures !
The 407 coupe. Peugeot’s ensign-bearer in its Ugly ‘n Dark Period. It’s good to see that both PSA and Renault have got their mojo working again with a full line of interesting A, B, C and D segment cars. Hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, crossovers, coupes and MPVs. And of course, their renowned hot hatches.
Right now the French are the only ones who can withstand the Germans in Europe in the segments I mentioned above.
By the way, Peugeot still has a coupe, this RCZ.
Regarding French hot hatches. For quite some years now the Renault Megane R.S. is generally considered as the best (C segment) hot hatch. Certainly if you take its price into account.
The R.S. pictured below is the current edition with a 275 hp 2.0 liter turbo engine.
Confirmed to arrive later this year. The Peugeot 308 GTi with the engine from the RCZ coupe above, probably good for 270 hp.
I can’t decide if the facelifted version is better looking than the original ‘sucking an orange’ RCZ. At least the front kind-of works on a car it was designed for, rather than cars like the 307 that had more of a ‘demented clown grin’ look.
John, I was thinking the same thing, it looks like the Dodge Avenger coupe.
Ditto, especially in the sides and the rear view.
That’s what I thought when they came out. I could not understand why Peugeot thought the cab forward, which failed in the US, would work for them. There was talk at the time of them going back to the US and I have a feeling their research showed how “successful” they would be with these cars, so it did come to fruit in the end…
Me too, although in side view there is a bit of last-generation Chevy Cavalier coupe and dead on in the rear, it’s kinda Solaraish. From the front though, yeah, it’s an Avenger that traded Marlboros for Gauloises.
The previous 406 reminds me of a shorter, softer version of my MN12 Ford Thunderbird which was introduced for the 1989 model year. The 406 coupe apparently came along in 1995. The 407 definitely has some Dodge Avenger in it.
That’s funny you should compare the 406 coupe to the Toyota Solara. When I was younger, I used to have this large book, “A-to-Z Cars”, and the 406 was featured in it. With my limited car knowledge then, I thought it was a rebadged Solara, as in rear-quarter view, they look very similar.
We have missed some neat cars here in the US over the years that Europe has been exposed to.
In photos #8 and #12, looks a lot like an Acura TL coupe (forget which generation) from the rear. Surprised no one else called it!
I remember drooling over yellow with black leather 406 Coupe in 1997 when I stumbled upon a showroom in Kiev. What a magnificent looking car at the time!
Same year I’ve moved to Canada, sadly, they had Lada, but no Peugeot after 405. Not including a green 206 that I’ve seen during my trip to Ottawa, with diplomat plates.
I had a 406 7 seat wagon in diablo red 2.1 turbo diesel it drove beautifully quiet smooth very fast for a 4 banger and incredibly economical on fuel, When I resume full time work I’ll get another or a Xantia HDI diesel they are on the same floorpan the only difference being the hydropnuematic suspension in the Citroen.
Unfortunately they’re not available here in Canada. Too bad. I wouldn’t mind taking one for a nice long road trip – preferably the diesel.
alway thought the 407 was Chrysler Concorde inspired
Who knows? Folks thought Fiat would be a “non-starter” here in the U.S. and for a brand with only 2 cars (in my mind, really 1 and 1/2 cars) they seem to be doing okay. Heck, Peugeot ought to do as well or even better than smart, and smart is getting ready to unveil it’s next generation car here.
I loved this car when I visited Europe a few years back. Absolutely gorgeous in the flesh, if a little plain-looking in photos. The 406 Coupe and the Alfa 156 sedan were the two cars I wanted to take back home with me.
One pet peeve of mine is why countries can’t get together on common emissions and safety standards so manufacturers can export and import any car they think they can sell. Or individuals can import any car they want.