David says: THE little badge on the back of Peugeot’s revitalised 407 said Bioflex – but don’t expect a huge difference in the way the car behaves.

Peugeot has replaced its petrol 407s with an elegant new cruiser capable of running on either petrol or E85 bioethanol.

You might be helping to save the planet, but you won’t be saving great wads of cash as E85 – if you can find it on sale – is only slightly cheaper than petrol, and road tax for the 140 horsepower, 2.0-litre car costs the same as the outgoing petrol model, because its CO2 emissions are no better.

The Bioflex is no different to drive from the standard 407, which has always been a respected workhorse in the fleet sector, combining sleek design, high spec and dynamic handling.

But the speed of change affecting this sector is illustrated by the rapid switch in models being offered.

The 2009 range was launched late last year topped by upmarket SE and GT versions. By the time I got my hands on one, both models had been credit-crunched from the range, which has been slimmed down to S, SR and Sport to compete against some of the big beasts of the car world, including the latest Ford Mondeo and new Vauxhall Insignia.

Both the exterior and interior have been given an upmarket lift for 2009 and the fine tuning of the suspension has been further tweaked.

Inside, the 407’s interior is spacious, well-equipped and comfortable.

Equipment ranges from a cruise control/speed limiter and automatic air conditioning, to options like the latest sat-nav and front and rear parking sensors.

But it is the under-the-bonnet attributes of modern cars – fuel consumption and emissions – that are receiving increasing focus. Almost all 407s sold are diesel-powered and that is unlikely to change.

Marie says: FROM the food we put in our mouths to the fuel we put in our cars there’s no getting away from E numbers. So what’s E85 got to do with the Peugeot 407?

It’s not one of those dodgy additives found in fizzy drinks and sweets that can drive some children hyperactive, it’s apparently one of the so-called fuels of the future and the 407 SE Bioflex model can turn it into action.

At first glance, the Peugeot 407 doesn’t look like a car of the future. There are no weird or unusual body bulges, nor string of chrome badges proclaiming it’s an earth-saving hybrid vehicle, just the word Bioflex on the edge of the boot.

In fact the 407 looks like, well, a restyled 407. There’s good reason for this because that is exactly what it is.

The difference lies in what the engine can burn. Although commercially produced, bioethanol is still new to the UK with only a limited number of stations selling the stuff.

And if you haven’t heard about this, it’s because the main focus of its use is around Somerset. A number of supermarket chains (including Morrisons) now offer E85 on a small number of their fuel station forecourts, but the nearest I could find to Oxford on a Google Internet search was almost 50 miles away.

E85 is high–percentage bioethanol and can be easily manufactured and processed from very common crops such as sugar cane and corn. It is widely used in cars in Brazil, though there is debate about the acreage being handed to crops for fuel.

In the UK, we are in a classic chicken and egg situation. Why buy a car that can run on E85 when there may not be a fuel station near you? The answer is that the 407 also runs perfectly well on unleaded, and is a big, beautiful, comfortable car.

Auto facts Peugeot 407 S 2.0 Bioflex

  • Price: £17,195
  • Insurance group: Nine
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 34.8mpg
  • Top speed: 133mph
  • Length: 469.1cm/184.7in
  • Width: 181.1cm/71.3in
  • Luggage capacity: 14.4cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 14.5 gallons/66 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 192g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles