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It's my guess that very few, if any, real-world consumers with an ounce of common sense would answer yes to the above questions. I therefore wonder why Peugeot is launching the 1007, which it describes as "a new motoring concept". A better description might be to say it's the car that answers a question nobody asked in the first place. Because this is a vehicle that boasts technology for the sake of it.

Electronic sliding doors have their place on trains, where hundreds or even thousands of passengers need to be securely and rapidly 'locked-in'. But you don't need such gadgetry on a car. What's more, you'll pay a high price for it. Superminis weigh in at ΂£5,000-΂£6,000. But at an estimated ΂£10,000, the three-door Peugeot will cost nearly twice that.

Conventional doors are virtually maintenance-free and, with an occasional dab of grease or oil, are near-indestructible and will last for decades. Can the same be said for electric doors? Do the motors that drive them need regular checks and/or replacement? If so, how much will your Peugeot dealer charge? Who wants the hassle and expense? If the battery goes, do your doors die, too, preventing occupants from getting in or out?

I'm also worried about the safety aspects of the new model. I drive hundreds of vehicles annually and the vast majority of failures and breakdowns I've experienced lately have revolved around electrical rather than mechanical problems. That's why I prefer manual doors and windows. In the unlikely event that I can't stop a car rolling into, say, a lake, I at least have the option of opening the door and jumping out.

If, heaven forbid, there's no time for that and the car ends up in the water with me still in it, the manual window winder will almost certainly still work. But the Peugeot 1007's doors cannot be opened once it is moving at 3mph or more. And how, exactly, do you get out of a submerged vehicle when its windows and doors are electric?

Peugeot is right when it says "the ongoing challenge is to anticipate the needs of potential customers". But it should rise to that challenge by concentrating on the basics: improving quality and satisfaction; building cars that feel more solid and durable; making its dealerships inviting; improving some of its larger models' resale values and building a proper replacement for the 205 GTi, which used to be the ultimate small hot hatch.

Instead, the firm is giving us what it describes in the sales blurb as "Open-S΃©same electric doors". Furthermore, Peugeot says the 1007 sets the scene for the automobile of tomorrow. If that's the case, I'd rather have the car of today, or even yesterday.