It's hard to live up to your predecessors. If in any doubt, just ask the Brazilians. No matter how well they do, no matter how many intricate passes they string together or how many times they test the elasticity of the goal netting, it's only a matter of time before commentators make comparisons with "old Brazil".
For the likes of Ronaldo and Robinho, as much as they must have idolised Pele in their youth, his legend is a noose around their neck. So it is with legends. For those tasked with selling the 207, there's no doubt they will face the daily trials of comparisons not only with competitors, but also with Peugeot's previous hero in this class, the 205.
It was the car that changed the way Peugeot was perceived as a brand for a generation of young Europeans; a car that put a smile on your face from the moment it caught your eye until the time you parked up for the night.
This latest generation of Peugeot superminis buries the last vestiges of the 205 heritage. The 205 was of a time when Ireland qualified for world cups, undercover gardaí drove around in Dublin-registered navy blue Ford Sierras and a brown envelope in the right hands could get your back garden rezoned for an apartment block.
Now we shop until we drop and cruise through town traffic with top speeds of 20km/h. This new Peugeot is of its time.
Just like Ronaldo should not be constantly compared to Pele, so the 207 should be judged against the competition to hand. Here, the key factors are no longer sporting driving pleasure but load-lugging ability, easy handling and sleek looks. Under each heading the new 207 does well. Our test car was the five-door version, but the three-door is a lot more stylish and worth the compromise on family motoring if you don't regularly use the rear seats.
There's another similarity to Ronaldo with the 207 in that both are carrying a lot more weight than they did in the past. It's clear from first sight. There have been various styling changes from the previous model, notably the bigger fish-mouthed grille and the more prominent badge. But the most obvious difference is the fact that the 207 is a lot chubbier than its predecessor. Svelte lines have been replaced with more roly-poly curves.
In fairness to the 207, every car in this class has been putting on the pounds of late and Peugeot could not be expected to play the minnow given its dominant position in this segment in Europe.
The end result is a supermini that's not only bigger than its predecessor the 206 but also bigger than Peugeot's previous family hatchback entrant, the 306, in all but length - which it equals. It's also longer and wider than any of its main competitors bar the Fiat Grande Punto. All that extra metal comes at a price when the car hits the scales; it's up by between 147kg and 201kg depending on specification.
That means the best-selling 1.1-litre version was a no-go from the start, even if the French weren't planning to withdraw it over emission levels. The removal of a 1.1-litre option in the range is a big blow for Peugeot in Ireland, where the 1.4-litre is now up against 1.2-litre competitors from Renault and even 1-litre offerings from Toyota.
Whatever about the power issue, Irish buyers prefer smaller engines and this will hurt sales.
Of the current range of engines on offer at launch - 90bhp 1.4-litre and 110bhp 1.6-litre petrol; 70bhp 1.4-litre and 110bhp 1.6-litre diesel - the 90bhp petrol engine feels more at home in the car than the larger 1.6-litre. Things will change next year with the introduction of a new 1.6-litre unit built in partnership with BMW, which will also feature in the new Mini.
For now, however, our choice would be the peppy 1.4-litre unit. It offers plenty of power in town and copes with motorway driving with surprising serenity.
All that space means more legroom up front and a little more space in the footwell. That's a godsend for those of us who got entwined in the pedals of the 206. The interior plastics have also had a serious makeover, and it's far more refined than the cheaper looking 206. There are some criticisms of course. The central console is still rather overcrowded and not as smart as the Clio's, while the white dials on higher specification models look like something from the age of the 205.
It's not just in terms of space that Peugeot has followed the likes of the Clio and Grande Punto. The new 207 offers very light steering. This is obviously a conscious decision by the French to make the bigger car feel light and nimble in town and traffic but you can't help feeling slightly anaesthetised from the road. The others are guilty of this as well and the 207 offers more feedback on the open road, but it could be so much sharper. If ever there were signs that Peugeot is targeting the town shopper rather than the young eager motorist, then this is it.
Keeping in town shopper or school run mum mode, there's the added bonus of a boot capable of swallowing a set of golf clubs or a pram. It's the biggest in its class and a low lip means it can cope with heavy loads as well. Rear seat space is adequate, if not quite comfortable for adults on a long journey.
Given that it's so attuned to the needs of shoppers, buyers should apply the same criteria to their car purchase as they do to everything else they buy. There's a vast array of choice in this sector at the moment and those considering a 207 shouldn't be tied down to the normal competitors; for example, while Nissan's main competitor for the 207 is the Micra, if you are really looking for space then the 1.4-litre Note at €19,895 is well worth looking at, as is the Honda Jazz 1.4-litre at €19,575.
While the Jazz and Note are our favourites in this price bracket, the 207 beats them in terms of looks, with its sleeker if rather chubby appearance.
This car finally buries any hopes we may have held that Peugeot were about to reinvent the glory days of the 205.
So be it; times have changed and the 207 has changed with them. Handling town traffic is more important than hugging the hedgerows of a country road and as, Ronaldo would no doubt confirm, big is beautiful.