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Peugeot's 807 shares its body and major parts with the Citroen C8, Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Phedra. Though not tested, they are expected to give near-identical protection. The car has performed extremely well and only just missed achieving a five-star occupant safety rating. Its body withstood the front and side impacts providing good protection for those inside. It scored full marks in the side impact. In the frontal test, however, testers found that the 807’s fascia had hard points beneath it which could injure those in the front. Child protection was good, their restraints meeting most Euro NCAP performance limits, although the chest loading was a little high for the 3-year-old. Protection for pedestrians was poor. Peugeot says it intends to improve this on future models.

Front impact
The frontal airbags had two-stage inflation to provide increased cushioning in severe accidents. The stable body and a lack of movement from the steering column provided a safe environment for the driver. But the front occupants risked knee injuries from stiff structures beneath the fascia. The driver’s footwell suffered very little intrusion and his feet were well protected. The centre rear seat has a three-point belt that is much safer than a lap-only belt. All outboard seat belts were fitted with pre-tensioners.

Side impact
Side impact protection was impressive and included a thorax side airbag and a head curtain for those in the front and rear. The 807 lost no marks in the tests.

Child-protection
The passenger frontal airbag had a manual on/off switch. A pictogram (which was non-permanent) and a text label on the passenger’s end of the facia showed how it worked. Warnings against placing a child in a rear-facing restraint opposite an airbag were inadequate. The 3-year-old was placed in a forward facing restraint and the 18-month-old in the same type of restraint but rear-facing. Both children’s heads were protected, but impact forces fed through to the 3-year-old child’s chest were assessed as on the high side.

Pedestrian protection
Protection for this vulnerable group of road users does not match the level of safeguard that the 807 offers to its occupants. The bumper and sides of the bonnet proved to be particularly unfriendly.