Peugeot » Australian Car Advice

2008 Peugeot 207 HDi LeMans

September 29th, 2008 25 Comments

To honour its long tradition of motorsport success, Peugeot Australia has secured a limited run of just 75 examples of the special edition 207 “Le Mans Series”.

Based on the 207 HDi - paying homage to its recent diesel-powered endurance racers, the special edition model features a comprehensive list of unique additions.

2008 Peugeot Expert FAP Professional Review

September 29th, 2008 8 Comments

2008 Peugeot Expert FAP Professional Review & Road Test

Look the goods, and deliver them too!

Model Tested:

2008 Peugeot Expert L2 2.0 HDi FAP Professional Six Speed Manual - $41,590 (RRP)

Options:

Metallic Paint $790; Steel Cargo Bulkhead $340 (Fitted); ESP $450; Passenger Airbag $360; Alloy Wheels $695

Comfortable & Easy to Drive, Usable Power, Great Fuel Economy
Rear Visibility, Front Drive Dynamics Evident, Barn Door Hinges

CarAdvice Rating:

- Matt Brogan

White vans. The mere thought conjures a perception of boredom, necessity, practicality and very little else. They drive like a refrigerator tipped long ways and usually have the style and driving dynamics to match. They’re uncomfortable, noisy and unrefined - hardly worth a mention really. Then how is it the Expert exists? Surely it’s an oxymoron.

Peugeot’s new LCV (light commercial van) range takes all these tragic ideals and completely destroys them. In fact were it not for the simple fact that this is so very obviously a white van, you would almost think that I’d muddled up my reviews. It really is that good, in fact the Expert may just change “white van” thinking for ever. Seriously!

Expert shown in ‘Bianca White’

OK, that’s a big claim, and as someone who has spent a great deal of time in white vans in my formative years I can tell you that seeing this on my schedule list did nothing to thrill me. But after five minutes behind the wheel I was forced to eat my hat. The Expert makes driving a commercial van easy, almost relaxing and very nearly pleasurable.

But before we jump in to all that, let’s kick the tyres and take a quick look around outside. From the front Expert is car-like, very Peugeot-esque (naturally), and the big mouth certainly bears an unmistakable family resemblance. It’s more aerodynamic than is usually the case for a box van and even from the rear remains crisp and taut with all lateral lines following aftward in a uniform fashion.

Once behind the wheel a couple of nice surprises lay in store. For starters it’s quiet, the driving position is actually comfortable, neutral and it remains that way even after hours and hours of sitting there. I dislike the word ergonomic, but that is exactly what this is.

I drove through heavy peak hour traffic (which is 6am ’til 7pm in Melbourne), the demanding warrens of various industrial estates and wiggled down tight inner city lanes for the best part of a week and still jumped out at the end of each day surprised at just how good I felt. What’s more it’s easy to jump in and out of. There are no grab handles, you don’t need them. Just pop the door open and step in. Simple! Courier drivers will love this van.

Surprise number two was just how well the Expert drives. It’s a breeze. The clutch may be a touch heavy for some, but it’s certainly not burdensome. All the controls are light, obvious and fall readily to hand which leaves your focus where it is meant to be - on the road ahead.

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Peugeot Prologue concept

September 19th, 2008 5 Comments

Peugeot has today released details of a new hybrid concept car named Prologue. The French company says the name is derived from the fusion of “different worlds”.

Peugeot is reluctant to share much more until the Paris Motor Show next month, but in a statement today the company said the concept shows the marquees anticipattion for future trends, showing a unique architecture, style and interior ambience. The Prologue looks far more like a production-ready car than a concept.

Peugeot 308 CC coming to Sydney Motor Show

September 8th, 2008 5 Comments

The new Peugeot 308 CC will be revealed first at the Paris Motorshow next month, but unlike most European cars which take the greater part of a year to come down under, the new coupe cabriolet will also be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show the following week.

Peugeot has arguably given birth to the CC market, having originally pioneered the “folding roof cars” with its 401, 601 and 402 “Eclipse” models from the 1930s.

2008 Peugeot Partner and Expert LCVs – First Steer

August 17th, 2008 13 Comments

2008 Peugeot Partner and Expert LCVs First Steer

French carmaker Peugeot’s entry into the booming Australian Light Commercial Vehicle market could be seen as opportunistic, but it is certainly a case of better late than never.

-David Twomey

Peugeot has hit the LCV market, which has been one of the sales standouts of the Australian automotive market in recent years, with a couple of well placed, if oddly named, debutantes in the Expert and the Partner.

Both come with strong credentials from the European market and the Expert, which also masquerades as the Fiat Scudo and the Citroen Despatch, is the 2008 International Van of the Year, a lofty title indeed.

CarAdvice had the opportunity to look over both the new entrants and to take each for a short drive, we wouldn’t be so bold as to say we have a good understanding of the on-road dynamics of either van, but can say they seem to be up to the general standard of other European competitors on our market.

To a certain extent a van, is a van, and driving an unladen box on wheels is always going to be a compromising experience.

What we can say is the both the Expert and the Partner are well equipped with most of the required safety gear, they are reasonably well powered, with, in the case of the Partner, three diesel engines and one petrol and for the Expert three diesel engines and come in a range of short and long wheelbases.

The driving dynamics of both are well-balanced with a reasonable level of refinement given the intended purpose of each vehicle. Both are well designed in the cabin with good ergonomics and plenty of storage options for all those bits and pieces that a van operator seems to end up carrying around.

It is certainly the case that the Partner, being the smaller and more car-like of the two has driving dynamics very much like a car and would be ideally suited to a range of light commercial uses in and around the city.

The Expert, being more of a box-van, has a higher driving position but again the vehicle is light and easy to manoeuvre and can be driven by anyone on a standard car licence.

Both the Partner and the Expert have excellent load carrying capacities and even the Partner can take a standard Australian pallet through the rear barn-doors.

Pricing for the Expert starts at $36,990 fr the SWB and rises to $41,590 for the LWB with the 2.0-litre, 100kW HDi.

The Partner starts at $21,990 for the 1.6-litre petrol and rises to $25,490 for the L2 1.6-litre HDi.

PEUGEOT EXPERT – THE DETAIL

The 2008 Peugeot Expert is an all new model in which comfort, passenger and driver safety, respect for the environment and versatility have all been improved compared to the previous generation vehicle.

Taking its inspiration from its predecessor, the new Expert van maintains the original position of a “Van/MPV”. It now, however, has a more modern style, portraying a strong, durable and dynamic appearance, which will enhance the image of any driver through its bold stylish looks.

Peugeot Australia National Sales Manager Ken Thomas said the design of the sides of the vehicle provides owners with a suitable area for sign writing or promoting their companies etc.

The design of the bodywork, side protection mouldings, bumpers and door handles all create a real sense of quality, strength and durability.

The new Expert van is also equipped with door mirrors containing two individual adjustable mirror glasses - very useful for commercial use.

The Expert van comes in two wheelbases and two heights, and a new pneumatic rear suspension (standard on the L2 Professional), enables the rear load sill and the overall height of the vehicle to be lowered to 1894 mm.

The payload range has also been increased to 1188 kg (from 810kg or 930kg on the previous generation vehicle).

The two hinged, rear doors create a very wide opening space, due to the innovative 90° to 180° opening system which uses an adjustable “check strap” system.

Driver and passenger comfort and functionality remain the watchwords for the interior styling of the new Expert van. The interior of the vehicle has been designed to meet the requirements of a professional user and is both robust and comfortable.

Mr Thomas said active safety measures included on the new Expert van encompassed all the latest technology: Electronic Stability Program (optional), including an anti-roll feature (ROM) and traction control (ASR), while ABS and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) are included as standard.

The new Expert van has a lot of convenience equipment more commonly seen on modern cars which can contribute to driver safety and comfort, such as: front electric windows, central locking, folding electric rear-view mirrors, fog lights, cruise control & speed limiter.

The new Expert van is fitted with electro-hydraulic power assisted steering on all models, which makes a huge contribution to driver comfort.
There are two versions of the 2.0-litre HDi diesel engine available for the new Expert van.

Developed in partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Ford they produce either 88kW or 100kW and 300Nm or 320Nm of torque respectively. Perfectly capable of powering the van when fully laden, they also benefit from a high torque output at a low engine speed.

A significant development in the new Expert van range is the introduction of Peugeot’s ML6C 6-speed manual gearbox, which has a “finned” gearbox casing to help improve cooling.

PEUGEOT PARTNER – THE DETAIL
The Partner van range will go on sale in Australia in September, launched in conjunction with the new Expert. When it is launched it will introduce a number of innovative features not seen before in this market segment.

The new Peugeot Partner van will be manufactured in Vigo (Spain) on Peugeot’s number two platform, which it shares with the new Peugeot 308. It will be available in two body lengths (L1 and L2).

One very well equipped trim level will be offered, with two load volume and two payload options.

The Peugeot Partner van has been very successful over an extended period of time, and has proven itself in the very competitive European market. More than 1.3 million Partner vans have been manufactured since the vehicle was launched in 1996, with 155,000 of those delivered last year.

The new Partner is available in two body styles with a length of 4.38 metres and 4.63 metres, on a single wheelbase of 2.73 metres.

The load capacity of the new Partner van allows an effective load volume ranging from 3.3 m to 4.1 m3 with the Multi-Flex dual passenger seat; a payload of 750 or 850kg; an accessible load length of 1.80 metres (L1) or 2.05 metres (L2) which can be increased to 3.2 metres when the Multi-Flex bench seat is folded down; a maximum loading width of 1.62 metres; an effective load area height of 1.25 metres and a load sill height of 0.609 metres.

A new and unique feature, the innovative Multi-Flex dual passenger seat offers unrivalled modularity and enables the vehicle to carry two passengers, as well as the driver, a feature not previously offered in the small van market segment.

The new Partner van can be equipped with one or two sliding side doors. With an accessible width of 640 mm and an accessible height of 1100 mm, these doors create a wide opening directly into the load space. Sliding side doors are optional on all L1 models while the L2 model benefits from twin sliding side doors as standard.

All new Partner vans feature a driver airbag as standard and a passenger airbag is available as an option. All seats are fitted with three point inertia reel seat belts.
ABS with EBFD is standard, along with cruise control featuring a speed limiter. A passenger airbag as well as ESP (Electronic Stability Program) combined with a traction control system (ASR) are optional.

The four cylinder 1.6-litre, 16v petrol engine is equipped with indirect fuel injection and has a light alloy cylinder head with sixteen valves. It develops a maximum torque of 132Nm at 2500rpm and a maximum power of 66kW at 5800 rpm.

The entry-level offer in the diesel range is the 1.6-litre HDi 55kW engine. This aluminium based, four cylinder sixteen valve engine benefits from a second-generation common rail direct injection system, with a 1600bar high-pressure electronic pump. This engine owes its efficiency to its high torque output, which is available at virtually all engine speeds. Indeed, 90% of the maximum torque is available from 1250rpm. It also remains above 150Nm right up to 3500 rpm, improving overall driveability.

The 1.6-litre HDi 66kW engine is at the heart of the diesel range. Based on the 55kW version, it strengthens and further benefits this engine, namely its high torque output at low engine speeds, good in-gear acceleration, consistent performance when loaded and reduced running costs.

With a maximum torque output of 215Nm at 1750 rpm it offers an even broader operating range, since at 4000 rpm the available torque is still 158Nm. Fuel consumption in the combined cycle is the same as the 55kW version, namely 5.8L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 153 g/km.

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2008 Peugeot 308 Touring First Steer

August 16th, 2008 26 Comments

Versatility, emphasised by the availability of seven seats is the hallmark of the new Peugeot 308 Touring, the wagon version of the French company’s popular 308 Hatch range.

-David Twomey

While it shares the familiar look of the 308 Hatch up front, it’s all change at the rear, thanks to a distinctive window profile and longer bodywork.

The standard across the range panoramic glass roof is huge and is even bigger than its predecessor’s, and the vehicle’s extra length means there is enough space for a pair of occasional seats in the back.

This optional third row makes the 308 a seven-seater, while the trio of individual seats that make up the second row are identical in size and are all easy to remove.

This provides endless seating combinations, meaning the Touring can be a two seater load-lugger a five seater, a six seater or a seven seater, you decide.

Without the third-row and with the modular second row in place, the 308 Touring can accommodate an impressive 674 litres of cargo under the load-bay cover.

Remove the second-row seats as well, and the spacious Touring can swallow a cavernous 2149 litres all the way up to the roof.

Compared to the 308 hatch, the Touring has its wheelbase stretched 100mm and the rear overhang has been pushed out by an additional 124mm.

Particular attention has been paid to the vehicle’s modularity so that it can be adapted simply and efficiently according to the requirements of its occupants.

Also in the 7-seat configuration two occasional seats are fitted in the third row. These seats, however, when required can be folded and with the second row seats folded as well, create a flat floor which makes loading of bulky items much easier.

Seating is theatre style, meaning each row is a little higher than the one in front, which helps to provide children with a much better travelling experience.

The 308 Touring is available with a range of two petrol and two diesel engines, comprising a 1.6-litre VTi engine that produces 88kW and 160Nm and a 1.6-litre turbo engine that produces 103kW and 240Nm, both coupled to a four-speed automatic gearbox, while the diesels are the 1.6-litre Hdi producing 80kW and 260Nm coupled to the 6-speed manual or the 2.0-litre Hdi producing 100kW and 340Nm coupled to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.

Suspension setting and wheel size options are taken from the 308 Hatch but have been revised to suit the greater load carrying requirements of the Touring.
The electro-hydraulic power steering seems to give even better feel and precision than in the hatch, despite being the same.

Driving the Touring is an assured and pleasurable experience and the extra length in the wheelbase may account for a somewhat better feel on the road. In the past we’ve had mixed feelings about the 308 handling but the Touring definitely feels more planted and assured than its Hatch sibling.

At the front braking is taken care of by 283mm ventilated rotors, which are increased to 302mm on the 1.6-litre petrol turbo and the 2.0-litre diesel models.
The 308 Touring is equipped as standard with ABS that includes Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBFD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and automatic activation of the hazard lights during emergency braking.

Peugeot continues to make ESP either standard or optional, at a cost of $450, according to the model, despite the strengthening trend towards this life saving technology being considered an essential safety item.

The 308 Touring is available in two trim levels, XS and XSE, the latter offering a high level of luxury including leather upholstery and satellite navigation.

Prices start at $30,590 for the XS petrol 1.6-litre automatic and rise to $38,390 for the XSE with 2.0-litre diesel and six-speed automatic.

Combine that with the more aggressive styling of the new range and the 308 Touring shapes up to be a compelling package for European buyers looking for some extra versatility without losing the driving dynamics and economy of a conventional small car.

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Peugeot stand 2008 London Motorshow

July 24th, 2008 No Comments

Peugeot stand 2008 London Motorshow

The French show-off in style

Peugeot 308RCZ 2008 London Motorshow

July 24th, 2008 1 Comment

Peugeot 308RCZ 2008 London Motorshow

The concept car measures 4.276M in length (same as the 308 hatchback), 1.84M in width and only 1.32 meters in height, giving it a low, but menacing stance.

Peugeot 107 2008 London Motorshow

July 24th, 2008 2 Comments

Peugeot 107 2008 London Motorshow

The Peugeot 107 comes in many different forms, built by Peugeot and Citroën in a joint-venture with Toyota; the 107 is essentially the same car as the Citroën C1 and Toyota Ayg.

Peugeot’s epic 50-millionth milestone

July 14th, 2008 9 Comments

The world’s oldest continuous motoring brand has passed an epic milestone this week, with Peugeot announcing the production of its 50-millionth vehicle since its inception in 1891.

The landmark 50-millionth vehicle was a Peugeot 308, produced at the brand’s manufacturing site at Sochaux, France - just one of 24 production sites around the world.

Economy driving: Peugeot 308

July 4th, 2008 15 Comments

Economy driving: Peugeot 308

“How do you solve the fuel crisis? Drive smarter!”

By Karl Peskett

With fuel prices the way they are going, people’s budgets are being constrained. To keep our present car-dependent lifestyle, we have several alternatives. We can buy more fuel efficient cars, we can budget better, or we can drive smarter.

Several of these options will be detailed in future CarAdvice articles. But this week, we had an opportunity to test how smarter driving would improve our efficiency. The test candidate for this challenge was the Peugeot 308 XSE turbo petrol manual.