The world of the motor car is forever evolving; shaped by the needs of society, enriched by new technological developments, it is a reflection of the changing world we live in.
The ongoing challenge for a car manufacturer is to anticipate the needs of potential customers. To do this, it must constantly analyse social changes, to identify underlying trends that can lead to the creation of new motoring concepts. The 1007 is an example of this approach. The small car segment (B) has increased by more than 72 % between 1983 and 2003.
Today this segment accounts for more than 35 % of the European market and should continue to expand. Indeed, over the next ten years, it is expected to grow by 17 %, the B segment should also remain much more dynamic than the overall market.
Accompanying this growth is a trend towards unique products to meet the needs of individual customers. It began with the multiplication of models in the hatchback market and their important spin-offs (Peugeot played a key role in this development with the CC and SW versions), and has been accentuated since by the offensive of Asiatic manufacturers and the appearance of new players, particularly specialists within the segment.
This trend is set to intensify with the arrival of new concepts based on small car platforms, with the major share being vehicles with single compartment architecture. This architecture, which for many years remained the preserve of high-line family cars in the upper segments, has gradually infiltrated different market segments, while it’s positioning in marketing terms has been extended to other customer profiles.
Applied to a small car, the single compartment architecture allows strong and innovative product characteristics, offering many advantages: an elevated driving position, excellent visibility, a generous interior volume, and multiple possibilities in terms of modularity.
Understanding these strengths, Peugeot designed an original concept car, which it presented under the name of Sesame at the Paris Motor Show in 2002. The high levels of interest generated from the public showing of the concept car demonstrated the desire for such a vehicle.
All that remained was to find it a number!
As a new motoring concept that built on the existing classic range, and with innovative features including electric sliding doors, it was decided that the car should receive the new four-digit identification with the double central zero, reserved for new vehicle concept’s with no historical connection to a previous model or type.
Its length of 3.73 m clearly positioned it in the first group (1 Series) of the range, while the timescale for its commercial launch placed it in the ?7? generation.
And so the 1007 was born!
The 1007 is indeed a new motoring concept, since it incorporates a degree of user-friendliness that offers a new insight into how we perceive and experience the motor car.
Style
The beginning of the 21st century marks the continuation of the partnership between Peugeot and Pininfarina. It was with reference to an original sliding door concept car created by Automobiles Peugeot, that the famous Italian bodybuilder designed the 1007.
Peugeot Style designed the car’s interior and confirmed its identity with the now familiar feline look, bringing it into line with the Marque’s most recent models. After an examination of different proposals in the form of sketches, two scale models were built.The first, with taut lines, emerged as an elegant and dynamic single compartment car, with a forward positioned front windscreen. The other, more rounded and featuring large central side doors, revealed a car with a highly avant-garde design.
The choice fell naturally on the first proposal, more consistent with the dynamic values and elegance beloved by Peugeot. In this guise, the 1007 has a friendly, welcoming and innovative appearance.
Its characteristic waist line falls at the front and at the rear to pirouette around the car. The design of the front, a genuine Marque signature, features large headlamps blended into the bonnet. In the centre, the generous front grille supports the front bumper, which follows the profile of the wings to form a lower protective area on each side of the car.
The design of the rear of the vehicle is highlighted by a profiled triangular rear side window, which creates an angular appearance and is accentuated by the sliding door rail and the tailgate moulding under the rear windscreen. The rear lights enhance further the dynamic angular design.
During the development of the 1007, attention to detail saw the sliding door rail, integrated in a convex curve that runs smoothly as far as the curved section of the rear wing. Other features, such as the door mirrors, boldly proclaim their presence, while the pronounced design of the wheel arches engenders a sense of power to the car’s naturally elegant design.
On entering the car via the "Open-Sesame" doors, the passenger compartment feels roomy and bright, with the Caméléo concept ensuring a colourful, personalised ambience well suited to this versatile urban vehicle.
The user-friendly fascia panel retains a very automotive feel, and in particular features a modular instrument panel reminiscent of the 407.
The four adjustable independent seats have an instantly welcoming and comfortable appeal, with decorative touches of colour on the seat cushions and seat backs. Equally at home on the open road thanks to its dynamism, or in town thanks to its accessibility and convenience, the 1007 is small outside, large inside, innovative and very chic.
The 1007 with electric sliding doors
A unique innovation…
Its "Open-Sesame" electric sliding doors offer easy access that is little short of revolutionary, virtually disappearing when open to facilitate parking when space is at a premium. They are one of the striking features of this new type of motoring enjoyment.
Magical practicality …
Simply by pressing a dedicated button on the remote control plip, the "Open- Sesame" electric doors slide rearwards without exceeding the overall length of the vehicle. This ensures unrestricted access, 920 mm wide, as though no barrier existed between the outside and inside.
Passenger access to the front seats is completely unhampered. Rear occupants, depending on their build, can take their seats either directly, thanks to the unusually rear-positioned B/C post, or by tilting one of the front seats, which incidentally makes it far easier to install a child into a child safety seat compared to a two-door vehicle.
Magical ingenuity…
When open, the "Open-Sesame" electric doors require only a small lateral clearance, roughly equivalent to that of the door mirrors, thereby enabling the car to be parked in very narrow spaces that are inaccessible to vehicles with traditional doors. As a result, users of the 1007 are able to get in and out of the car with ease.
Innovative where safety is concerned…
With regard to the outside environment, the sliding "Open-Sesame" electric doors, thanks to their mechanical action operate within the overall footprint of the car, enhancing the safety of « two wheelers » by avoiding the possible consequences of traditional doors being opened inadvertently into their path.
Inside, thanks to the combined effect of the large glazed surface area of the door and the rear-positioned B/C post, the driver has unrestricted side visibility of 105° to the right and 49° to the left, enhancing safety and providing a panoramic view for the passengers.
Behind the wheel of the 1007…
Behind the wheel, the 1007 is designed with user-friendliness and efficiency in mind, including electric power steering to facilitate parking manoeuvres and a« 2 Tronic » gearbox, available on petrol engines.
This new car sees Peugeot make use for the first time of controlled manual gearbox technology, which is particularly well suited to modern, dynamic and largely urban vehicle use.
The 2 Tronic gearbox offers two gear change modes: one entirely automated, eliminating manual gear changes in favour of ?automatic? driving; the other sequential, offering the enjoyment of going through the gears manually with either the gear lever or the steering wheel control paddles.
The management software has been carefully developed to ensure a gear change quality unrivalled in the market, as well as a number of adaptations, such as the possibility of overriding the automatic mode – when overtaking for example – and returning to it immediately afterwards.
Four power trains …
Responsible for giving the car its vitality and emphasizing its liveliness and responsiveness in town – its preferred territory – the power trains of the 1007 also ensure excellent performance on the open road and on motorways, and are remarkably quiet in operation.
Text and photos courtesy of Automobiles PEUGEOT
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