We review the Peugeot 207 from price to economy and all its features

YOU can’t beat a bit of passion when it comes to motoring — even if it’s only in the mind!

Over the years Peugeot have done some great tongue-in-cheek telly ads, full of sexual innuendo aimed at highlighting the sex appeal of their cars.

TV star … Peugeot 207 Verve

The latest ad is the one for the new 207 Verve and features a gorgeous blonde and a good-looking bloke who appear to be singing to each other as they drive along.

But they’re actually driving identical cars and serenading each other courtesy of the cars’ Bluetooth mobile phone connection.

So nothing actually happens between the couple but the advert made a big enough impression on me that I kept looking for the blonde in the red car all week while I was test-driving a Verve.

I never saw her and let’s face it, if by some miracle I had come across the mystery blonde driving, I’d have been too embarrassed to say anything.

So having accepted that television adverts don’t come true, I’d best get back to the reality of just how sexy a drive the Verve special edition is.

In truth, the message is all about the Verve being a car you can look good in for under £10,000 and obviously, as a supermini, it’s more cute than sexy.

But in bright red metallic paint, it does look sporty, especially as it gets a sharp set of alloy wheels, chrome front fog lights and subtle Verve badges as part of the package.

And things have brightened up on the inside, where you get striking custom red and black sports seats, nice mock chrome trim around the main instruments and little touches such as Verve floor mats.

I’d forgotten what a quality feel the 207 model has, for a supermini.

It actually has a more upmarket feel to the plastics than a Mini does, plus the Verve gets you lots of standard equipment such as that Bluetooth connection, electric front windows and mirrors, a trip computer, air conditioning and a nice radio/stereo.

When it comes to the driving experience, though, the Verve doesn’t quite live up to its name.

But considering it’s a £9,490 supermini, buyers will be looking for economy far more than performance.

The 1.4litre turbo diesel engine is actually a cracking little motor.

I drove most of a 150-mile motorway journey in the third lane, overtaking plenty of executive cars and cruising easily at speed — and I still got just over 44mpg.

C02 emissions are a fairly tax-friendly 150g/km — which is better news for the planet too, of course.

The Verve is the perfect example of just how much more sophisticated and roomy superminis have become in recent years — it is more than capable of transporting four adults in comfort.

Driving sexy might just be stretching things a bit — but the Verve makes a lot of sense at the price.