CHANGES MORE THAN SKIN DEEP AT PEUGEOT AND FOR THE NEW 308 RANGE
05 September 2007 - Peugeot

More new models, more new technology to lower CO2 emissions, shorter vehicle life cycles, less warranty issues and improved profitability were the core messages from Christian Streiff, chairman of PSA Peugeot Citroen yesterday.

He said they have set goals for restoring growth and profitability and for the company to rank among the European top five in terms of service and quality.

He added PSA plan to reduce quality incidents by half and shorten warranty resolution times by two-thirds. They planned to introduce 29 new model ranges between 2007-2010 with the average age of the line-up reducing to 3 years compared to 4.5 years in 2006.

The PSA group also aims to reduce the average CO2 emissions from its vehicles by at least 10g/km. This will be achieved in part by the introduction of HDi diesel hybrids in 2010 and one million stop & Starts engines from 2011.

Meanwhile in the UK Peugeot were launching their new 308 five-door hatchbacks to the motoring media.

Peugeot admits replacing the popular Peugeot 307 range of hatchbacks, coupe-cabriolets and SW estates is no easy task. Over 311,000 have been sold in the UK since 2001. Peugeot said there was warranty issues with the first 307 models but since the 2005 facelift the quality of the cars had improved significantly.

Last year UK 307 range sales were 40,000 units, 72 per cent of which were three and five door hatchback models, 23 per cent SW and Estates and 10 per cent CC coupe-cabriolets. Retail customers traditionally account for 48 per cent of sales and fleet and business users 52 per cent. UK sales of the new 308 models are expected to be around 40,000 a year.

Prices for the new 308 five-door models start at £12,595 and rise to £20,495. Three-door models, which go on sale in December, start at £11,995 and rise up to £19,445. Peugeot in the UK said this week that the prices of the 308 Hatchback range is virtually budget neutral compared with the outgoing 307 range. They said the new models have better a specification, much improved quality, more interior space, some new engines and in some cases are actually, like-for-like, cheaper in price.

Peugeot UK sales director David Brookman said, “The Peugeot Passport personal leasing plan has been enormously popular with 40 per cent of the 207 private buyers and we believe it is going to become as popular within the other sectors of the market, spreading up to C and D sector cars.”

“Now is the time to really promote Passport Plus and the Peugeot 308 will be available for less than £3,000 deposit and monthly payments of £230 which is based on an interest rate of 5.9 per cent.”

He added, “This has been possible because indications from the trade specialists at CAP suggest the Peugeot 308 will have one of the highest residual values in the C-sector after three years/ 60,000 miles.”

The new 308 models use a modified version of the outgoing 307 platform but with a greater emphasis on aerodynamics and keeping the increase in overall weight to a minimum with the use of lightweight materials such as aluminium in the suspension system, high strength lightweight steel and composite body panels and re-designed impact areas. These changes in part improve safety, performance and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The 308 has also achieved a Euro NCAP 5-star rating for occupant safety, 4-star child occupant safety and 3-star pedestrian protection.

The new Peugeot 308 is their first model to carry the new ‘8’ generation figure. The 308 is longer and wider than the 307 models it replaces. Initially five-door hatchbacks of the new 308 range go on the market with sales starting on 20 September and three door versions will follow later this year. Estate and SW versions will go on sale in the spring of 2008 and the CC coupe-cabriolet models will follow early in 2009. A 308 diesel hybrid model is scheduled for sale in 2010 and an Ethanol fuelled derivative will be offered for sale in other countries where there ample supplies of the fuel. This version could come to the UK in the future if the infrastructure is in place to support this alternative fuel.

Peugeot are also likely to confirm that the stunning Frankfurt Show 308 RC Z Concept model will lead to a lightweight production version to join the line-up in late 2009. This sports version will have a carbon fibre hard roof and will be a ‘halo’ model for the whole brand.

At launch the new 308s will be available with six engine options. Three of these are petrol, 1.4-litre VTi 95bhp, 1.6-litre VTi 120bhp and a turbocharged 1.6-litre THP 150bhp. All are used in conjunction with five-speed manual gearboxes. These units come from the engine partnership between PS Peugeot-Citroen and BMW.

There are also three HDi diesel units, 1.6-litre 90bhp, 1,6-litre 110bhp and 2.0-litre 136bhp. Both 1.6-litre engines also used five speed gearboxes but the 2.0-litre unit has a six-speed transmission.

The 1.6 HDi 90 engine say Peugeot emits 120g/km of CO2, under the proposed London Congestion Charge starting point and has a combined fuel consumption of 62.7 mpg.

More engine and automatic transmission options will join the range as other new 308 derivatives are introduced.

During the development of the 308, Peugeot included its tyre supplier Michelin in the programme. This led to the creation of ‘high tech’ tyres for the 308 belonging to the all-new Michelin Energy Saver range. These tyres reduce rolling resistance by 20per cent and will be fitted to the 1.6-litre HDi 90 and HDi 110 versions, equipped with both 15 and 16-inch wheels. The new tyres allow a reduction of 4g/km of CO2, which corresponds to a reduction of around one tonne of CO2 during the average 10-year life cycle of the vehicle.

There are five trim levels, Urban, S, Sport, SE and GT. Standard equipment on all models includes: power steering, driver airbag, passenger airbag, side airbags, curtain airbags, remote control central locking with deadlocks, electric front windows, steering column adjustable for reach and rake, radio and single CD player, passenger and driver seat height adjustment, anti-lock braking, trip computer and electrically operated door mirrors.

Unfortunately the desirable Electronic Stability Programme for added road safety is not available until customers reach the Sport level of specification and air conditioning is standard on S specification vehicles and above.

The S version adds: front fog lights, manual air conditioning, body coloured door mirrors and door handles.

The Sport version adds: steering column airbag, cruise control with speed limiter, rear electric windows, front seat arm rests and boot net, fully body coloured exterior, leather steering wheel, Electronic Stability Programme, radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility and diversity system, sports front grille styling, 17-inch alloy wheels.

The SE version adds: ambience pack with fragrance diffuser and ambient interior lighting, Cielo panoramic glass roof, electric folding mirrors, comfort pack (lumbar support, height adjustable rear head restraints, under seat storage trays, flip-up tables and rear seat arm rest), electro chrome rear view mirror, visibility pack (auto headlamps & wipers), dual zone air conditioning, sports style rear bumper and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The GT version adds: half leather interior, carpet mats, tyre pressure sensors, alarm, rear parking sensors, headlamp washers, xenon directional headlamps and washers, Bluetooth hands free kit, colour multi-function display and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Peugeot in the UK said at the media launch this week of the new 308 five-door Hatchbacks that traditional petrol engines have accounted for 48 per cent of sales and 90 per cent of customers have chosen five-door hatches over three-door versions.

The most likely best selling model because of fleet and business user demand will be the 1.6-litre HDi 110 with Sports trim priced at £16,495. The best selling petrol model with more interest from retail buyers will be the 308 VTi 120 with SE specification costing £15,895.

The new Peugeot 308 range arrives in the UK 20 September

Views
We say the ‘new’ Peugeot 308 but in fact many of the components of the car are tried and tested, floor pan, engines, transmissions, so perhaps the 308 is more of an ‘evolution’ from the 307.

The new 308 five-door hatchback is 74mm longer at 4,276mm, 53mm wider at 2,038mm with wider front and rear tracks and it looks sleeker due to the 12mm reduction in height. In reality it looks a much bigger and imposing car all together than the 307. The large ‘smiling grille’, available, with two types of finish depending of the specification chosen, the deeply sculptured bonnet with its pronounced end nose together with the long front overhang, in hatchback form appears front end heavy and probably the SW versions will look better balanced overall. However give credit where it’s due the new 308 is an eye catching attractively styled car with much better roads presence.

It is the interior overall that has the biggest and most improved changes. Just a first glance and my immediate view was the quality is vastly improved, the layout of the controls and instruments is much better and more logical and the fascia and door trims are superb. They have a nice soft feel with variations in textured finish. We really are talking about a much better car, close to ‘premium’ class and customers will love it. The curved fascia panel is positioned much further forward in the car. The centre of the fascia is now dished inwards giving both front occupants greater free space. The design also gives a lower forward site line and that creates an impression of more space as well and improves visibility.

The rear seating space is also improved with adequate width for three adults. The backs of the front seats are neatly sculptured to improve knee room. The rear headroom is not great for a six-footer like me but then the test cars I tried had the panoramic roof system, which adds even more light to the inside of the car, but does cut down on head space a little.

In addition to improved rear passenger legroom, the extra overall length has given the 308 five-door Hatchback more luggage space, 430-litres with the rear seats in position, 1,398-litres with the three rear seats folded.

The handling, ride comfort and roadholding are also improved. The wider front and rear tracks offer a flat and controlled ride with little bodyroll or fore to aft pitch. The suspension absorbs the potholes and bumps with relative ease and the steering has a sharp turn-in and responsive attitude with good feedback,

It feels a much more solid and ‘well planted’ car and this will appeal to all customers as it is definitely a move up in class and refinement. I cannot understand why Peugeot have not fitted all 308s with the Electronic Stability Programme system fitted as standard. It makes sense in the interests of improved handling safety, for less experienced drivers, or when the car is fully loaded. The 1.25 million miles undertaken in pre-launch development and refining programme of the 308 has paid big dividends for the customer.

All the improvement in new front, rear and side safety zones, better materials, improved specification and so forth has added weight to the vehicle, 62kgs more than the comparable 307 models, so I expected this to take its toll on engine performance and economy.

I had the opportunity to try the two main selling engines this week, the 1.6-litre VTi 120 petrol unit from the PSA/BMW/MINI joint venture - the likely top choice for retail customers. The second test was with the 1.6-litre HDi 110 turbodiesel unit, which will be the mainstay power source for fleet and business car users. Both have a 5-speed manual gearboxes as standard although a more precise gearchange and 6-speed units with a taller sixth gear ratio would be a benefit.

The 1.6-litre VTi engine we know already from the Peugeot 207 and MINI ranges. It is smooth, responsive and with good fuel potential. Power output is 120bhp with 120lb ft of torque from 4,250 so it has to be revved quite hard to keep it within the optimum power band. Certainly the extra weight in the 308 has taken its toll of bottom end ‘grunt’. It takes time to get moving swiftly but the 0-62mph figure of 10.8 seconds suggests it is no slouch. Top speed is 122mph. On the open road or around town it was surprisingly better than I expected and it will be a good choice for private buyers of all ages. The fuel economy was also better than you might expect for the size and weight of the new 308. Officially it returns 42.1mpg in the combined cycles. My test car returned 35mpg over a fairly short country roads route so I expect around 40mpg to be achievable.

The second engine is the well respected 1.6-litre HDI turbodiesel unit with 110bhp and 180lb ft of torque from just 1,750rpm. Performance figures quote 119mph and 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds with 57.6mpg being the average fuel consumption. My test car returned only 40.6mpg so I reckon the extra weight has taken its toll on this engine. Whilst it performed adequately well, it was certainly no ball of fire and perhaps the 1.6 petrol engine has the edge on it this time around. However the low CO2 figure of 130g/km, giving it a £115 vehicle excise duty rating, will be appealing to fleet and business customers – just where this model is aimed.

MILESTONES. Peugeot 308 SE VTi 120 5-Door. Price, £15,895 (£17,545 as tested). Engine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, variable valve timing, petrol, 120bhp, 120lb ft. Performance: 122mph, 0-62mph 10.8 seconds, 42.1mpg (35mpg actual), CO2 159g/m, VED £140. Insurance group: 6E
For: Size, interior styling and much improved quality, driveability, sweet engine.
Against: Overweight makes it feel underpowered.

MILESTONES. Peugeot 308 Sport HDi 110 5-Door. Price: £16,495 (£18,770 as tested). Engine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, high pressure direct injection diesel with turbocharger and particulate filter, 110bhp, 180lb ft. Performance: 119mph, 0-62mph 11.3 seconds, 57.6mpg, (40.6mpg actual) CO2 130g/km, VED £115. Insurance group: 7E.
For: Size, a high quality interior with much improved styling, road holding, ride comfort.
Against: Increase in car’s weight dulls engine performance and reduces fuel economy.

Miles Better News Agency

http://www.peugeot.co.uk

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