Peugeot 308 2011 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of national safety recalls, with models from Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Citroen, Ram and Aston Martin affected.

The Australasian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced another set of national safety recalls, with models from Mazda, Tesla, Mitsubishi, Peugeot and Citroen impacted.

Hot hatches are in high demand, and they include everything from warm hatchbacks with sporty details to boiling hot turbocharged terrors.

French automaker Peugeot is launching a new generation of its 308 hatchback at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, and to help build excitement will also roll out this performance-oriented concept version. Dubbed the 308 R, the concept hints at a hotted-up Peugeot 308 that if built would target the likes of the Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST. The 308 R concept is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, which rates at 200kW and is found in the Peugeot RCZ R sports coupe, which also debuts in Frankfurt next month. Peak torque registers at 329Nm and is available from a low 1,900 rpm. Drive is channelled to the front wheels, via a six-speed manual transmission and a Torsen differential. The wheels are 19-inch light allows wrapped with 235/35 tires, and inside them sits four-piston brake calipers and Alcon discs. The concept gets a number of unique body panels, which are made out of carbon fibre and bolted directly to the regular 308’s lightweight platform. That platform is Peugeot’s new EMP2 modular set, which is also found in the latest Citroën C4 Picasso and is said to be around 135kg lighter than the platform in the previous 308. But to further improve dynamics, the 308 R also sports lowered suspension and a wide track--up to 30mm wider at the front. At the rear, there is a discreet roof spoiler and a bumper with an integrated diffuser. Also integrated with the rear bumper is a pair of square-shaped exhaust tips. Inside, there’s a driver-focused cockpit with a big 9.7-inch touch-screen display mounted in the dash. Peugeot explains that the dash was designed so that the displays can be viewed over and not through, helping to reduce driver distractions. Sales of the new Peugeot 308 commence in Europe after the car’s Frankfurt debut. Hopefully, we’ll see a production version of the 308 R in the not too distant future. www.motorauthority.com  

The new event is the result of the organisers of the motor shows in Melbourne, the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC), and Sydney, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), joi

Its second-gen CC, the 308 Coupe Cabriolet, adheres to the successful 307 and 207 CC’s proven unapologetic French styling and high specification, with some added tricks and spec upgrades underneath it

In the 1930s Peugeot was one of the first carmakers to pioneer what has become widely known as the folding metal roof. This early technology appeared in a range of stylish Peugeots such as the 301, 401, 601 and 402 Eclipse. Today it has been widely applied to everything from the Mercedes-Benz SLK to the Ferrari California and other brands. With the advent of modern technology, the newest cabrio-convertibles, including the 207 and 307, flip and fold with the grace of a ballerina and none of the bulk of the old designs. Now a new 308 CC is around the corner and Peugeot Automobiles Australia spokesman Mathew McAuley believes it will inject some spice into the line-up. Prices and specifications are yet to be confirmed, but the 308 CC is tipped to cost about the same as the outgoing 307 CC, which starts at $47,490. However, since the current model was launched in 2004, the luxury cabrio-convertible market has been swamped with newcomers all vying for a slice of this niche segment. Buyers now have a choice of the Holden Astra TwinTop, Ford Focus CC and Renault Megane CC, and the recent arrival of the Audi A3 cabrio and BMW 1 Series cabrio, both soft-tops, has added even more choice. “When we launched the 307 CC it was a relatively uncluttered segment and we were one of the first to have a four-seater with a folding metal roof,” McAuley says. “It's a very competitive segment now.” At its peak, Peugeot sold 737 of the 307 CCs in 2004, its launch year. Last year 374 were sold and only 101 have found homes this year. The 308 CC has the visual cache to reverse this downward trend. It shares some styling clues with the 308 hatch and, unlike its smaller rivals, has enough room for four adults. The CC borrows the hatch's high-performance 104kW 2.0-litre litre HDi four-cylinder diesel, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. An automatic is expected to be available when it goes on sale. The car shares the hatch's wider front and rear track, larger diameter disc brakes and electronic stability control. The folding metal roof takes about 20 seconds to retract into the boot. With the roof up there is 465 litres of luggage room and with it down it can carry 266 litres. The car has strong safety credentials. It has dual front airbags, dual side airbags that protect the chest and pelvis and a separate side head airbag built into the front seats, which ensures effective protection regardless of the seat position. It also has active rear roll-over protection bars. Like the 308 hatch, the CC delivers a low-slung stance and sporty profile. The car's prominent shape and LED rear lights are designed to create a special styling signature. Inside, the front seats are deeply sculpted and supportive and have integrated headrests. Like the Mercedes-Benz SLK, Peugeot has developed its own heating system, called Airwave, to direct warm air on to the necks of the front-seat occupants. Equipment levels are expected to be higher in the new CC, with leather upholstery, safety systems and a high-end audio system. There is automatic remote-control locking for the glovebox and central armrest, electric sliding front seats, deadlocks for the doors and LED courtesy lights in the door mirrors. The 308 CC debuts at the Paris Motor Show in September.  

Its vice-president of international sales Bernd Schantz was on hand in Melbourne last week for the global debut of the 308 Touring, ahead of its Geneva motor show reveal.Although Schantz's focus is on big markets like Russia, China and South America, he says Australia and the Asia-Pacific rank highly.“If you look at the different regions in which Peugeot is present, very clearly the European market is in saturation phase,” he says.As a result Peugeot is looking to growth areas but “clearly the Asia-Pacific region is one of the important developments for us.”Peugeot has been in Australia for 50 years.“There's a great (synchronicity) between this market and Peugeot,” Schantz says.“Our products are well adapted to this market. The Peugeot image of stylish cars fits very well with this market."“I hope that we will sell more than 10,000 cars but I think that we should go further in the future. We have some further potential and we have to work on optimising our potential.”Schantz says it is a personal challenge to increase sales in markets like Australia.“The 308 Touring debut in Australia ahead of Geneva shows that Australia is an important market,” he says.“The next world premiere should be in Sydney, without saying too much.”He described the Melbourne debut for the vehicle as symbolic.“But it's important because a lot of motor shows want to have a world premiere and the decision to show the 308 Touring here is a good symbol,” he says.