Taking styling cues...

Taking styling cues from the Elixir concept, which debuted at last year"s Frankfurt Motor Show, the new model - codenamed D25 - is instantly recognisable as a Peugeot thanks to the 407"s rakish nose, huge grille and air intakes ahead of the front wheels. In profile, the aggressive stance is emphasised by a steeply raked windscreen and sloping rear window.

But while the previous-generation car, the much-loved 406 Coup탩, was designed and built by Pininfarina in Italy, production of this model has been brought in-house so that the strong family resemblance is faithfully carried over to the sporty variant.

Key to the new Coup탩"s appeal will be the availability of one of the best diesel engines on the market. As part of a tie-up with Ford, the French firm has access to the excellent new twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 oil-burner, which debuted in Jaguar"s S-Type. In Peugeot guise, the V6 HDi will develop 200bhp, and be available with a new six-speed automatic gearbox featuring sequential overdrive. That transmission will also be mated to the Coup탩"s flagship petrol engine, the 3.0-litre 210bhp V6 from the 406.

There will also be 2.0 and 2.2-litre petrol units, and a 136bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder HDi. Coinciding with the launch of the twin-turbodiesel 407 saloon, the Coup탩 will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, before going on sale in UK dealers before the end of 2005.