Peugeot has openly admitted that the production version of the 407 Coupe will be little changed from the concept car shown at the 2005 Geneva Show. The "Prologue" title is more fitting. The styling of the 407 Coupe Prologue borrows heavily from the 407 saloon and SW (estate), themselves no shrinking violets. The oversized headlights remain, along with the sharply sculpted bonnet, long front overhang and gaping-mouth grille. The Coupe's air intake is split in two and lined in chrome to give the Coupe a more upmarket appeal, and the front bumper also incorporates extra air vents ahead of the front wheelarches for a more aggressive appearance.

The curving glasshouse is reminiscent of the successful Pininfarina-styled 406 Coupe, though Peugeot conducted the design of the 407 Coupe in-house. From some angles the Prologue has an American feel to it, which is enhanced by the long rear overhang and large polished alloy wheels. The interior is not what we would refer to as European-chic either, featuring aluminium with red leather on the dash and a black lacquer finish on the centre console. The instruments are also highly stylised, in the vein of the Aston Martin DB9's. We're not so sure that these details will make it to the showroom.

What is certain for production is the 2.7-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 engine fitted to the concept car. This unit, developed in conjunction with Jaguar, pushes out more than 200bhp along with maximum torque of 325lb.ft. It is likely to be fitted to the top-of-the range 407 Coupes, possibly with a six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle-shift controls. Other equipment likely to make its way onto the production car includes directional Xenon headlights, parking sensors, laminated side windows and a large 7-inch screen for satnav, etc.

Shane O' Donoghue - 7 Mar 2005