#02#Our first experience of Peugeot's new 207 left us with some very positive impressions. The car offered a broad scale of appeal and made a lot of sense in that diesel warm hatch guise, if falling a little short of traditional Peugeot dynamic flair and brilliance. An exception could be made in that case as the car's other key strengths, such as fuel economy, balanced out any deficiencies in driver thrills. This car, the petrol-fuelled GT, should tilt that balance the other way.

Fitted with the more customary sporting power plant of choice (a petrol unit) and in this case turbocharged, this particular GT should be more of a focused enthusiast's choice. As you can see in the pictures, much of this car is the same as the HDi we drove last year save for a few detail changes, such as the interior trim. From that perspective things remain very positive; however, even a year on the looks divide opinion.

We're still very much of the 'nice body, shame about the face' school of thought here. It seems such a shame that the pretty profile and pert bottom are marred by that gaping grille - distinctive, yes; beautiful, no. A wide range of colours means tastes can be catered for but compared to the 205 and 306 some basic form seems to have gone awry. Come back Pininfarina, all is forgiven.

That aside, it's the drive that is key here. We're desperately seeking the experience offered by Peugeot hatches of old and to an extent we're not completely disappointed. As you'd expect the basics are the same as in the HDi version, with an overly light set of controls suggesting a lack of sporting intent. However, things do quickly take a turn for the better once underway.

The 1.6-litre petrol does produce, as the moniker suggests, 150bhp, but it doesn't take long to figure out that the focus is on drivability rather than power. Serious urge comes into force at around 1750rpm and such is the mid range that subjectively power begins to feel like it's ebbing away as you reach the crank speeds at which that 150bhp is available. It's a double edged sword in so much as it feels impressively gutsy, with sufficient torque not to necessitate a sixth gear as found in peakier opponents, but lacks the top end repertoire enthusiasts crave.

Even so it's a fun and economical engine endowing the 207 with a decent turn of pace and something more like the amount of poke needed to extend the chassis. And it's here that the car begins to hint at what is possible. Aside from an ESP system that seems to re-enable itself above 30mph, it is possible to dip into the reserves the sports suspension has to offer. #p##04# There are times when it feels a little vague and distant, but stick with it and think and feel more aware as to what the chassis and tyres are feeding back and you can begin to flow with the car. There are moments where, having braked hard and late, thrown the car in, clipped an apex and exited on a wave of torque, the car genuinely starts to deliver. There are hints that, given a less restrictive set of chassis aids and more time on favourite roads, the little Pug could begin to develop a deep relationship with its owner. Ultimately, there is a little too much intrusion from the electronic nannies and lack of feedback from the chassis and controls to offer the full intimate Peugeot experience, but we came away heartened that the GT 150 had offered glimpses of genuine ability.

Bearing in mind that this is only meant to be a warm hatch, a stop gap until the full blown GTi arrives, one assumes an attitude of optimism, thus banishing the memories of the under-whelming 206 GTi. For the first time in years I find myself looking forward to a drive in a Peugeot GTi with the expectation that it could just provide some real thrills. Send us the car please Peugeot, we really want to love it!

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2007 Peugeot 207 range overview

Prices below are for the three-door models. Note that the five-door versions attract a £600 premium. Models marked with a * are only available in the five-door style.

- Peugeot 207 Urban 1.4 8v 75: £8,995
- Peugeot 207 Urban 1.4 HDi 70: £9,892
- Peugeot 207 S 1.4 8v 75: £9,472
- Peugeot 207 S 1.4 8v 75 a/c: £10,007
- Peugeot 207 S+ 1.4 8v 75 a/c: £10,372
- Peugeot 207 S 1.4 16v 90 a/c: £10,422
- Peugeot 207 S 1.4 HDi 70: £10,342
- Peugeot 207 S 1.4 HDi 70 a/c: £10,892
- Peugeot 207 S 1.6 HDi 90 a/c: £11,492
- Peugeot 207 Sport 1.4 16v 90 a/c: £11,122
- Peugeot 207 Sport 1.6 16v 110 a/c: £11,622
- Peugeot 207 Sport 1.6 16v 120 a/c: £11,822
- Peugeot 207 Sport 1.6 16v 120 a/c Tiptronic: £12,822
- Peugeot 207 Sport 1.6 HDi 90 a/c: £12,192
- Peugeot 207 Sport 1.6 HDi 110 FAP a/c: £12,912
- Peugeot 207 SE 1.4 16v 90 a/c: £11,922*
- Peugeot 207 SE 1.6 16v 110 a/c: £12,422*
- Peugeot 207 SE 1.6 16v 120 a/c: £12,622*
- Peugeot 207 SE 1.6 16v 120 a/c Tiptronic: £13,622*
- Peugeot 207 SE 1.6 HDi 90 a/c: £12,992*
- Peugeot 207 SE 1.6 HDi 110 FAP a/c: £13,712*
- Peugeot 207 GT 1.6 THP 150 a/c: £14,475 (three-door only)
- Peugeot 207 GT 1.6 HDi 110 FAP a/c: £14,762