Fridae

In case you’ve missed the whole Peugeot/Citroën/Toyota build a car together thing, here’s a quick précis: three firms collaborate on a city car, produce three near-identical cars (Peugeot 107/Citroen C1/ Toyota Aygo). Only the Peugeot 107 remains on sale in Singapore.
 
This is the facelifted Peugeot 107, the French manufacturer’s popular city car that has been around since 2005, so it’s time for a nip and tuck.

Wonder where Peugeot got their inspiration for the rejuvenated 107 from? I wouldn’t put it pass the designer’s obsession with Angelina Jolie. The front bumper is now a little more aggressive, replacing the smiley mouth with a gaping grille that gives the car a striking resemblance to Mrs Pitt, but there are also neat styling touches such as the neatly integrated rear door and spacey looking rear lights.

The facelifted Peugeot 107 retains most of the mechanical bits. Of note, Peugeot has tweaked the ECU slightly so that the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine can now achieve 4.5 litre per 100km. An improvement of 2.3% on a combined cycle – not a big change but an impressive figure nonetheless.

The three-cylinder engine living underneath the Peugeot 107 is a gutsy little unit, despite possessing only 68 horsepower. 13.7 secs to get from standstill to 100km/h but the 107 is entirely capable of squirting into the gaps that the high driving position allows you to spot, so nipping around town can be fun.

The tiny dimensions (3.44m long, 1.63m wide) and light steering makes parking a doddle. The 107 will also cruise happily at highway speeds, although it takes a while to get there. Best is to leave the ‘2-Tronic’ gearbox in Economy mode, swapping gears via the manual mode is a bit pointless here.

Such city cars are purchased mainly by urbanites and they carry high expectations in quality, style and above all, equipment. With loads of body-coloured metal inside, the cabin looks unapologetically cheap, but it’s funky. Mainly credits to the intriguing back-lit translucent panel for the air-con panel. It’s well-equipped too; 4 airbags and even an iPod ready audio system, which could entice many first-time car buyers.
 
Where are the cheap bits? The missing passenger glove box (that has been replaced by a shelf), the single stalk rain wiper, the pop out rear windows (yes, you can’t open them completely) and most of the materials used. Well, a airy and spacious (for it’s size) Peugeot for only S$50K, something has to give, right?
 
The Peugeot 107 now comes in two all-new colours; ‘Mandalin Orange’ and ‘Electra Blue’ supplementing the existing range of Raven Black, Citrus Yellow, Laser Red, Carbon Grey and Zircon Grey.
 
For a city car the 107 ticks all the right boxes - nippy, easy to drive, spacious – Now, time to try some bump-parking, Paris-style.

Engine	998 cc 3-cylinder DOHC, Petrol
Transmission	5-speed '2-Tronic' with Economy and Manual modes
Wheels Driven	Front
Max. Power	68 bhp @6000rpm
Max. Torque	93 Nm @3600rpm
0-100 km/h	13.7 secs
Top speed	157 km/h
Fuel Economy	4.5 litres per 100km
CO2 Emissions	106 g/km
Dimensions (L x W x H) / Weight	3445mm x 1630mm x 1470mm / 805 kg
Price with COE*	S$50,900