The plot unfolds. Peugeot launches 207, an entirely conventional modern supermini with struts at the front, a torsion beam at the back and a bit of a weight and girth problem. That’s normal: see ...

The suspension has been firmed, the electric steering recalibrated and the front brakes increased in size. The body has not been strengthened or reinforced but it does get a five-star Euro NCAP ...

The GTi's suspension is much tauter than the base 207's-the torsion beam at the rear is 50 percent stiffer-and that keeps body motions in check, but it makes for a nervous ride over bumpy roads.