The range starts at €18,995 and for many buyers the party trick of sliding doors will be the sole reason they buy the car. Electrically operated, the doors can be opened using the key fob, switches inside the car or by giving a door handle a gentle tug allowing the motors do the rest.
Access is simply brilliant and no matter how tight the car parking space 1007 occupants will be able to slip in and out without the risk of banging the car door off the next vehicle. That said there is no guarantee that the occupants of the ‘next’ vehicle won’t bang their doors off your 1007 when they struggle to squeeze in. A word of caution, the 1007 can be driven with the doors open although the doors won’t open above 5 km/h. If you move off without closing the doors all that will happen is a warning chime will sound.
The car was clearly designed for the city - just look at the short overhangs, the high driving position and, of course, those large rearward sliding doors. Out of town the 1007’s short wheelbase coupled with the tall driving position can feel a little choppy. On twisty B roads the ride feels vague and a little unconnected.
The 1.6 ‘2-Tronic’ uses an automated manual five-speed transmission. So you have just two pedals, an accelerator and a brake; the clutch is under the bonnet. You can leave the car in automatic or use the great-looking gear lever like a tiptronic (tap forward or back to shift gear), or better still use the paddle shifts located behind the steering wheel. The downside with 2-Tronic is there is no ‘creep’ as with most conventional automatics.
Uphill starts require the use of the handbrake more often as you have no real sense of when the clutch is going to bite. In lightweight cars automatics often feel lurchy, and the 1007 doesn’t disappoint, but I say forget the automatic mode and use the paddle shifts. The left paddle is for down-shifts and the right handles the up-shifts. With practice and a bit of timing the paddles work a treat. The knack is to shift then ease off the accelerator for a split second then power on again. This allows the next gear to fully engage.
The 1007 follows on from the 206 range and is similarly priced to the larger and recently face-lifted 307. If you lose the head altogether you could shell out a massive €23,195 for the 1.6 litre 2-Tronic I have on test. For that money I’d prefer a MINI.
The 1007 is a strict four-seater and while in theory it should be swift enough my 1.6 litre (110 Bhp) car feels sluggish. The engine range starts with a 1.4 petrol but the diesel 1.4 (€20,795) would be the sensible choice as it sips the juice averaging just 4.4 litres/100kms (64 mpg).
The 1007 scored very impressively in Euro NCAP crash tests and is very sturdy. Interior flexibility is well thought out (although the sun visor does not move so you can’t shade the driver’s side window) and the interchangeable cloth panels add a certain freshness to the interior, which owes a lot to the urban trend setting Smart car.
The 1007 is an interesting vehicle but for the moment way too pricey to be anything other than a niche town car.
Michael Sheridan
