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Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks test drives the new Peugeot 407 SW
You cannot ignore the new Peugeot 407. Its dominant grille (the lion-face according to Peugeot), like it or loath it, catches the eye and makes a bold statement on the road. Hot on the heels of the saloon comes the SW, sports wagon to some though a company spokesman preferred not to use the tarnished term. By definition, sports wagons, estates, or indeed SWs sell on extra room, especially in the rear seats and in the boot, but does this car lives up to expectations?

On first impressions, the 407 SW challenges some of our perceptions of vehicles in this segment. It is not, by any means frumpy, nor is it practical in appearance. The extra long bonnet-line looks interesting, but does challenge the frontal view. The car is 87mm longer than the saloon, even though they share the same wheelbase. For some reason doesn't necessarily feel roomier inside, perhaps the bonnet has stolen much of the 4,763m length.

The SW offers a comfortable driving position for most heights. The driver's seat offers a range of adjustments: 240mm in length, 50mm in height, with some versions benefiting from electric adjustments. The front passenger seat is modular on all models so it can be folded horizontally against the seat cushion. Combined with folded rear seats this makes a total of 2700mm of space available for those larger objects. The back seat cushions and seat backs are divided 2/3-1/3 and can be folded down to modulate the available space. The seat cushions can additionally be removed for more space.

But more importantly the boot volume promises 289 litres of space and there are closed side storage areas with a combined capacity of 23 litres. With the rear seats folded and loaded to roof height, the SW offers a total of 1365 litres of luggage space. The rear overhang is 922mm on the saloon whereas the SW's is at 1009mm, allowing for extra room and easier access into the boot area. The rear tailgate and its glass windscreen can be opened independently depending on need. With tailgate fully opened the low boot is 615mm above ground level which is useful for loading heavy material.

The SW is 41mm taller than its saloon younger brother at 1,486m due to a new roof design featuring longitudinal luggage rails that apart from their stylistic impact on the profile, can also house extra load.

Positive touches include the expansive glass roof that adds to the feeling of space and provides light inside. If light is not your thing then an electric blind with four overlapping panels closes the panoramic feature.

The 407 SW will attract those who need some extra space, but are gutsy enough to move away from the more traditional estate-look. Even though it doesn't offer tons of space, and in terms of practicality it may not be first in its class, but compared to the old 406 estate as well as plenty more contemporary interpretations in this segment, it feels fresh in term of design. The SW may even attract a new type of customer to the segment.