Paul Tan's Automotive News » Peugeot

Peugeot 301 – a compact global sedan for new markets

Anthony Lim — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:06:20 +0000

Peugeot has released the first images and information on its new 301, a compact global sedan aimed at conquering new markets. The car is set to make its debut at the Paris Motor Show in September.

The car is the first to kick off the company’s reinvention of its naming policy, which now utilises a “1″ final digit for new “value for money” conquest models and permanently fixes the names of the models with an “8” final digit for future renewals, to simplify the understanding of things. As such, models will no longer change their number when they are renewed. So there won’t be a 509, by the looks of it.

Meanwhile, the company says that the 4.44 metre-long vehicle – with a 2.65 metre long wheelbase – has been developed to adapt to various conditions and extremes (cold weather, hot weather, poor roads, that sort of thing), with a promise of space, including that of the boot, which offers 506 litres in volume.

Three powertrains have been initially announced, these being a 115 hp 1.6 litre VTi four cylinder, a 72 hp 1.2 litre VTi three cylinder and a 92 hp 1.6 litre HDI four cylinder diesel, with manual and automatic transmission options in the mix. The Peugeot 301 will be the second Pug to wear the new three-cylinder 1.2 litre VTi, after the 208.

Specific kit and features will undoubtedly be announced as it gets closer to its debut, but items already mentioned for the car include ESP, ABS, up to four airbags, remote boot opening, a MP3 audio system with Bluetooth hands-free and USB connection as well as rear parking assistance.

The 301 will make its market debut on November 1, and the first country to sell it will be Turkey. This will be followed by entry into Central and Eastern Europe, Greece, the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine as well as selected South American markets.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 408 launched – Turbo at RM126k, 2.0 at RM110k

Anthony Lim — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:58:42 +0000

Well, after months of it being spotted around the Peninsular, the Peugeot 408 has finally made its Malaysian market debut – Nasim launched the C-segment sedan earlier tonight at its new Blue Box facility in Glenmarie.

Badged as an ideal choice for young professionals with families and looking for a car that offers space, performance and elegance, the new 2012 Peugeot 408 – which is manufactured at the Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) facility in Gurun, Kedah – arrives in two variant forms, the 408 Turbo and the 408 2.0.

The 408 Turbo gets the familiar Prince 1.6 litre THP twin scroll turbo, but the EP6CDTM offers improved output with 163 hp at 6,000 rpm, while maximum torque is 240 Nm at 1,400 rpm – the power output makes the 408 the most powerful C-segment sedan in the market locally, Nasim says.

The increased output is the result of a revised turbo, changes to the ECU mapping and reworked pistons. The upgraded mill is mated to the AT6 six-speed auto adaptive transmission with Tiptronic and a sport mode, and performance specs include a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 9.2 seconds and a 215 km/h top speed.

Meanwhile, the 408 2.0 is powered by the EW10A+ normally-aspirated four-cylinder 2.0 litre unit, which offers 145 hp at 6,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm, and the engine is partnered with an AT8 auto adaptive gearbox – the four-speed unit, which also has Triptronic and a sport mode, features a new torque converter. Performance specs for the 2.0 litre include a 195 km/h top speed and a 0-100 km/h time of 12.5 seconds.

Design-wise, the front end of the 4.68 metre-long car includes elements such as Peugeot’s trademark feline headlights and thin chrome strips on the radiator grille, while the ruby red rear lights are trimmed with a clear white strip that hint at a lion’s claws within the cluster. At night, they take on the form of three diagonal strips that are a homage to historic models such as the 504 coupe.

Other external dimensions are a 1,815 mm width, 1,525 mm height and 2,710 mm long wheelbase, which is one of the longest in its segments – as a comparison, it’s just 15mm shy of the D-segment Mazda 6′s wheelbase.

Inside, the 408 features a large, cosy cabin, replete with premium leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with aluminium inserts, automatic dual-zone air-conditioning system with rear air-conditioning vents and almost 33 litres of storage space within the cabin.

In terms of boot space, there’s 562 litres of volume on call, and the rears seats can be folded in a 40/60 split (backrest and seat squabs) to create extra load-carrying space.

Items on the list include a six-speaker World In Peugeot Sound system with CD/ MP3 playback capability and USB/Bluetooth connectivity, an instrument panel LCD, tilt and telescopic steering, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and one-touch power windows with anti-pinch for all four windows.

Both variants also feature cruise control with a speed limiter, “Follow Me Home” headlamp functionality, sensor-activated headlights and wipers as well as automatic retractable side mirrors.

Suspension-wise, the front features inverted pseudo MacPherson-type struts and an antiroll bar, while the rear axle comprises a deformable U-shaped cross member and an integrated antiroll bar. The suspension settings for both cars are a bit different though, the 408 Turbo’s being tuned for a sportier and sharper ride while the 2.0’s suspension offers more comfort.

Both Pugs come equipped with 17-inch wheels, but in different designs as well as profile rubbers – the Turbo wears eight-spoke Melbourne wheels and 225/45 tyres, while the 2.0 features five-spoke Rinjani alloys and 215/50 tyres.

In terms of safety, both variants feature ABS, EBD and EBA, among others. The car has also been designed with a double-impact force dissipation channel to provide maximum passenger compartment protection. In the case of the 2.0, the variant features two airbags.

The 408 Turbo adds four more to the equation (driver and front passenger side, front and rear curtain airbags), making it six, as well as electronic stability programme (ESP), which features anti-slip regulation (ASR) and dynamic stability control (DSC) functions.

Six colours are available for the 408, these being Alpine White, Velvet Silver, Metropolis Bronze, Aster Grey, Bourrasque Blue and Premium Black. Pricing wise, the 408 Turbo goes for RM125,888, while the 2.0 goes for RM109,888, both on the road, with insurance.

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This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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CONFIRMED: Peugeot 408 to be finally launched next week

Danny Tan — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:16:44 +0000

Nasim Sdn Bhd has announced that it will finally launch the Peugeot 408 next week. This doesn’t come as a surprise, as groups of unmasked units of 408 were caught on camera last week.

From the pics, we noticed two variants – a Turbo and a 2.0 NA – and Nasim has confirmed that the C-segment sedan will indeed be available in two variants, “with one variant fitted with an enhanced fuel-efficient engine that produces the most power in its segment.” Nasim also claims class-leading cabin space and 562 litres of boot volume.

“The Peugeot 408 is locally-assembled at Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) in Gurun, Kedah and is ready to be launched for both the Malaysian and regional markets.

“We are targeting to produce 60,000 units of the 408 over a five-year period beginning 2012 and we plan to export 60% of that total to markets in the region,” said SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group Executive Chairman of the Naza Group.

He also revealed that Nasim hosted Peugeot distributors from Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Philippines and Bangladesh last week for a test drive event.

Datuk Samson Anand George, COO of Nasim, said the 408 will contribute significantly to the company’s sales target of 9,300 units this year, which will represent a 72% jump from 2011 figures.

Click here to view live shots of the locally-assembled Peugeot 408. The studio pics seen here are from the official Peugeot Malaysia Facebook page, so we presume that they accurately reflect the Malaysian spec car.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Nasim opens Peugeot Blue Box Seremban

Anthony Lim — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:38:03 +0000

Nasim has opened another Peugeot outlet, and this one follows on the recent introduction of the 2S centre in Balakong, the company’s largest in the country.

The opening of Peugeot Blue Box Seremban brings the number of sales outlets in the country to 22, and service to 19. The outlet, operated and owned by Millennium Century Automotive, consists of a showroom on Jalan Tun Dr Ismail and a nearby 2S centre located on Jalan Lombong Emas 12, off Jalan Tun Dr Ismail.

Nasim is set to launch eight more outlets in the country this year, and will also move its existing outlets in Glenmarie and Bangsar to larger premises. As far as number go, in 2011, Peugeot sales in Malaysia grew 92% to 5,400 units, and for 2012, the company is targeting to sell 9,300 units. Peugeot Blue Box Seremban is anticipated to contribute 30 units a month to this figure.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Groups of Peugeot 408s spotted – 1.6 Turbo and 2.0 NA

Danny Tan — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:16:39 +0000

Yes, it’s the Peugeot 408 caught on camera, again! But these latest sightings are different from the previous ones – not only are the cars fully uncovered, they are in groups, as opposed to roaming/testing solo.

First, reader Khairul Affendi Bin Johani sent in a set of pics of the Peugeot 408 on trailers. Spotted on the North-South Expressway near Sungai Petani, the three trailers were fully loaded, south bound, according to the man.

Look hard at the upper right side of the boot, and the bottom car has a 408 Turbo badge, whereas the car upstairs has a smaller 408-only emblem. So two variants will be offered, we presumed.

Hours later, reader Kumar sent in pics of a group of 408s in what looks like a storage yard. According to the 406 owner, the loot was from Tanjung Bungah in Penang, but since we can see Motel Sri Pantai in the background, the good man may have got his Tanjungs mixed up Kumar’s pics tell us more – the cars without the “Turbo” rear badge have a “2.0″ emblem on the side.

What this could mean is that Nasim will be introducing a turbocharged engine (likely to be the 1.6 THP Prince engine from the 308) and a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine for the 408.

In China, the 408 can be had with the EW10 2.0L engine with 147 PS and 200 Nm – could this be a “safe option” for C-segment buyers who are accustomed to a 2.0L engine? With the sedan bodied 408, Peugeot will be casting a wider net at the mass market compared to the 308, so it makes sense.

Sources hint that the launch is near, could be as soon as the end of this month or early June.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 208 R2 Rally Car – a race-ready car you can buy

Chris Ng — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:44:06 +0000

This is Peugeot’s arrow-tip for the 208 range. Its full name is the Peugeot 208 R2 and yes, it is a rally car that you can buy. If you’re living in Europe, that is. The R2 has been in development since 2011 and it’ll be put to test at the Tour de Corse on May 10–12 in France, where Stéphan Sarrazin and co-driver Benjamin Veillas will drive the car.

Because you can get this off the shelf, Peugeot has put extra eyeballs on the car’s reliability, with additional attention to transmission, electrics and electronics. To make ownership less of a migraine, Peugeot sourced parts from existing cars and assemblies as well as PSA Group’s customer competition catalogue. That way, the number of parts is significantly reduced.

What can you expect from the 208 R2? A leaner car, definitely. The 208 R2 is about 40 kg lighter than the 207 Super 2000 rally car. The R2 also inherits the 208’s long wheelbase, has a lower centre of gravity and short overhangs, to make the car tighter all around. The structural integrity of the R2 is reinforced with a multi-point, welded roll cage.

Providing the firepower is a naturally-aspirated 1,600 cc engine derived from the 1.6 litre VTi. It produces 185 hp and 190 Nm of torque, according to the spec sheet. Specifically, the engine produces 116 hp/litre. Peugeot says this is a totally new competition version of the VTi, which is equipped with variable valve timing (VVT) for the intake and exhaust. The low-weight body and naturally-aspirated engine have made the car fuel-friendly also.

Peugeot worked closely with Sodemo to make the engine driver-friendly, choosing to focus on flexibility rather than peak power that often goes unused. The 208 R2 kits will be sold with the engine built, run-in and checked on the dyno.

Paired with the engine is a new gearbox. The unit is a five-speed manual sequential gearbox mounted on the steering column instead of on the floor. This makes the lever much shorter and higher, and the shifts are more direct and precise because it is in line with the gearbox. The gearbox also gets cooling air ducts at the front that sucks in air to the fins built into the front part of the casing. The heat and oil of the gearbox is cooled this way.

Peugeot have saved the three-way adjustable dampers and shoehorned it into the front of the 208 R2. As for the rear, the R2 rides on a strengthen H-beam modified to accommodate an anti-roll bar. Additionally, there are also new bespoke adjustable Öhlins dampers with hydraulic bump stops for the front and rear. The R2 also has a specific wishbone arrangement that increases suspension travel. Which simply means the R2 has better traction.

As for the steering, Peugeot dumped the electric power steering in favour of a hydraulic system, merging it with a higher-ratio hydraulic rack for more precision and comfort. The hydraulic system is also better at feedback especially on loose surfaces.

The diametre of the brake discs are dictated by regulations, so that cannot be changed. What is different is the single Alcon caliper with standard, re-machined ventilated discs. And because of the floating caliper arrangement, only the mount needs to be moved to get the R2 from gravel-spec to asphalt-spec.

The R2’s wheels follow regulations and have different specifications. For asphalt, the R2 wears the 6.5 X 16, while gravel tracks require the R2 to put on the 6 X 15 wheels – Michelin tyres provide grip.

The price – if you have a 208, you need to spend €37,500 for the kit that includes a fully-built engine. If you want to buy the car in fully built form, you need €57,500. In both cases, you can spec it to gravel or asphalt. Deliveries are scheduled for November this year.

One more thing, before the year ends, Peugeot will also be releasing a circuit version of the 208 that features specification similar to the R2. The circuit version will be followed by a FIA R5-compliant 208 in September, which will replace the 207 Super 2000 rally car at national and international levels.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot Urban Crossover Concept hints at the future

Jonathan James Tan — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:10:20 +0000

Set aside sensibilities like practicality and emissions regulations for a moment and see what happens when you really bring together the purest forms of ‘Motion and Emotion’ in a car. Peugeot has done just that with its striking Urban Crossover Concept, displayed for the first time at Auto China 2012.

At 4.14 metres long and 1.74 metres wide, the Urban Crossover is a compact vehicle designed for city driving. It shares the same platform as Peugeot’s 208 supermini, and targets the competitive European B-segment.

Penned by Peugeot’s studios in Paris, Shanghai and Sao Paulo, it is mainly a styling exercise to showcase how future Peugeots might look like. If this looker is anything to go by, we say bring it on!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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White Peugeot 408 with black tape testing on the NSE

Danny Tan — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:13:58 +0000

Reader Nazree Ismail sent these shots in yesterday, and they’re of the Peugeot 408. According to the alert snapper, he was heading back to KL in the afternoon from Penang, and saw the car around KM 227 of the North South Expressway.

White car wearing black tape doesn’t show us what we haven’t seen before, except for the colour. Previous sightings of the 308-based C-segment sedan were of grey and silver coloured taped-up units, before one was caught completely naked. Click here for a full view of it, including the interior.

Should be due anytime soon, we guess.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Nasim opens Peugeot 2S centre in Balakong

Anthony Lim — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 06:57:50 +0000

Yet another Peugeot service and spare parts centre has come about, and the latest one is the Balakong 2S centre, which was launched today. The centre is set to serve Peugeot customers in Balakong, South Cheras, Kajang, Semenyih, Seri Kembangan, Serdang and Bangi.

The 29,000 sq ft outlet is equipped with 12 service bays, with the capacity of servicing 36 cars a day and is currently the largest Peugeot service centre in the country until Nasim’s new headquarters in Glenmarie is launched later this year.

With more Peugeots on the road, Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George said it was essential for Nasim to expand the number of after sales outlets in the country – he said that by the end of the year, the company will have expanded the number of Peugeot service bays in the country by 62%.

Peugeot Balakong 2S will offer regular vehicle maintenance service, body and paint service, tyre service, wheel alignment and balancing services. It will also offer its customers a shuttle service to and from the centre, the Serdang KTM Kommuter Station and Jusco Cheras Selatan.

In addition to the launch of the 2S centre, Nasim also announced today that it will now offer a five-year warranty – with unlimited mileage – with all new vehicles sold. The five-year warranty will be applicable to all vehicles sold from April 1, 2012 onwards.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Naza Automotive Manufacturing invests RM30 million for new robotic assembly line to build the Peugeot 408

Anthony Lim — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:38:32 +0000

The Peugeot 408 is set to begin rolling out from Naza Automotive Manufacturing’s (NAM) plant in Gurun, Kedah, in the not too distant future, and NAM looks to be ready for the mass production run to begin – the company has invested RM30 million for a new robotic assembly line for the car.

The new assembly line is the first line at the 140-acre facility with automated robots to ensure the quality consistency for the C-segment Pug, which is set to be exported to other markets in the region.

A total of 60,000 units of the vehicle – which has been seen on a number of occasions now, with tape on the tail lights (in Melaka and Kulim, Kedah), will be produced at NAM over a five-year period, with some 60% of the volume targeted for export to right-hand drive countries in Asean as well as markets outside the region.

The RM30 million assembly line is part of the company’s RM714 million expansion and upgrading exercise which began in 2010 and is scheduled to be completed end-2015. The exercise includes investments in facility upgrades, plants expansion, new model introductions as well as research and development.

Martine Dorance, the French Ambassador to Malaysia, recently visited NAM for a tour of the new robotics assembly line and was given a briefing on the Group’s plans for Peugeot and the new 408. She was accompanied by members of the French Embassy, the Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as officials from Automobiles Peugeot.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 408 sighted again, still wearing tape

Chris Ng — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:31:42 +0000

Thanks to Xdaudx for taking photos of this slightly disguised car. No prizes for guessing what this car is. Astute eyes will reveal that the open slit above the air dam and the placement of the covered badge is actually a Peugeot 408.

There are pictures of it without blinders for its blinkers and if you want to have a peek at it again, click here, here and here.

So, there is nothing new here other than the fact that we can safely assume that Silver and Black are two colors that will be on sale when the car in the near future.

With the frequent sightings of the Peugeot 408, one question remains – when will it be launched?

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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PSA Peugeot Citroën forms alliance with GM – platform sharing, joint purchasing and development on the cards

Danny Tan — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:39:37 +0000

PSA Peugeot Citroën and General Motors have formed an alliance. The move will see the US carmaker buy a 7% stake in PSA as part of a share issue by the French automaker. GM says it expects to spend from $400 million to $470 million on that.

“This partnership brings tremendous opportunity for our two companies. The alliance synergies, in addition to our independent plans, position GM for long-term sustainable profitability in Europe,” said GM CEO Dan Akerson. But “each company will continue to market and sell its vehicles independently and on a competitive basis,” the statement added.

The scope of the alliance includes the sharing of vehicle platforms, components and modules, and the creation of a global purchasing joint venture for the sourcing of commodities, components and other goods and services from suppliers with combined annual volumes of approximately $125 billion. Bigger buyer gets better deals, as always.

There is also talk on joint development. GM and PSA said the alliance will at first focus on small and midsize vehicles, MPVs and crossovers. The carmakers may also develop a new common platform for low emission vehicles, with the first model expected to debut in 2016.

Cost savings from the deal will be limited in the first two years, but will eventually amount to $2 billion annually, split equally, the companies said. The deal is expected to close and take effect by the second half of this year.

GM is certainly not new in linking up with other companies. The US carmaker had shares in Suzuki Motor Corp, Isuzu Motors and Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries before disposing off the stakes few years ago. In the same period, but in Europe, GM had to pay Fiat to end an unsuccessful alliance. They also flirted with Renault-Nissan before. GM’s Opel brand is not doing well at all in Europe, and this move has it in mind.

On the other hand, Peugeot has a better track record with other carmakers, including JVs to build commercial vans with Fiat and an engine partnership with BMW. PSA also makes diesel powertrains with Ford and sells Mitsubishi models in Europe with its own face and badge.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot Design Competition enters final phase – category winners to be announced on March 8

Anthony Lim — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:21:49 +0000

The first Peugeot Design Competition, which was announced last May, is set to have its winners announced on March 8. The competition, organised by Nasim and Automobiles Peugeot together with the New Straits Times, is offering college and secondary school students in the country a chance to design a car, in this case what is envisioned to be the perfect Peugeot for Southeast Asian markets in 2018.

After poring through hundreds of entries from university and college students across the country, the judging process has entered its final phase, with the jury set to pick the top three winners out of nine entries that have been shortlisted in the college category.

The judges – made up of representatives from the Malaysian Automotive Institute, NST, Nasim and Automobiles Peugeot – will also select the winners from the secondary school category out of five entries that were shortlisted.

The competition received excellent response from both secondary school and college students, with a total of 105 entries received from university/college students and 43 entries from secondary school students.

“The response we received for this competition is an indication that there is a strong interest in automotive design among students in Malaysia,” said Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George. “Our aim in this competition was to give students a platform to showcase their talent and creativity. With the results that have come in, we believe there are many students with a strong potential of becoming automotive designers,” he added.

For the competition, secondary school students were required to submit a design illustration mounted on an A3 or A2 board that included a perspective and package drawing and a description of the design in English.

University and college students were also required to participate in teams of two and submit a design illustration mounted on an A3 or A2 board. The nine shortlisted participants were required to submit a ¼ scale model of their proposed design.

The grand prize winner in the college category will receive a five-day, four-night all-expense paid trip to Paris and Peugeot’s Design Centre in Velizy for all members of the team, including the professor/tutor who oversaw the project. The winning team will also receive RM1,000, Peugeot merchandise worth 100 Euros and a three-month automotive internship with the Naza Group.

The second place winner will receive a five-day, four-night all-expense paid trip to Paris and the design centre, but in this case for only two members of the team, as well as 100 Euros worth of Peugeot merchandise and a three-month automotive internship with the Naza Group.

For secondary school students, the first place winner will receive an iPad 2 and Peugeot merchandise. The second place winner will receive RM500 and Peugeot merchandise, while the third-place winner will receive RM250 as well as Peugeot merchandise.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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GM and PSA Peugeot-Citroen in possible alliance talks

Anthony Lim — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:33:22 +0000

Reports have it that General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are in talks about a possible alliance. The news broke after PSA CEO Philippe Varin informed the French government – French Labor Minister Xavier Bertrand confirmed that Varin had told him about the talks between the two automakers earlier in the week.

Reuters reported that the two companies are discussing a broad manufacturing alliance, designed to stem losses in Europe and lower production costs in other markets, with a focus on sharing vehicles and parts rather than on a capital tie-up. PSA did however say in a statement that “there can be no certainty at this stage that these discussions will result in any agreement.”

It was also reported elsewhere that a tie-up would see the automakers jointly build cars and components in Europe. If the deal comes through, then PSA and GM’s Opel/Vauxhall unit are set to jointly develop engines, transmission systems and complete vehicles, which will then be sold under their respective brands.

Both companies are lagging behind in the European market – GM’s European business, including the Opel brand, was US$747 million in the red, before taxes and interest, with sales dropping by 1.9% to 1.17 million units. Meanwhile, PSA’s 2011 European sales volume went down by 8.8% to 1.68 million units.

If there’s a positive outcome to the discussions, an accord could well be announced at the Geneva show early next month, yet another report indicated.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 408 – car goes completely clean in new shots

Anthony Lim — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:07:35 +0000

When sightings become a regular scene and image contributions start pouring in, raining down a bit like bricks, you know something’s about to happen, like a market introduction perhaps.

Such is the case with the Peugeot 408 Turbo – no official indication as to when the car is to be introduced, but the recent sightings cannot be mere coincidence, so expect something on the cards soon. The upcoming C-segment sedan has been seen on at least three occasions, twice wearing tape around the tail lights (in Melaka and in Kulim, Kedah) and once on a trailer here in the Klang Valley.

Now, reader Andrew Ng has sent in a set of – quite literally – back alley shots, in which the Pug can be seen in its entirety, completely uncovered from tip to toe. The choice of location might not be a select one, but at least the photos give the most complete view (especially the front) of how the 408 shapes up. Thanks for the photos, Andrew.

As mentioned previously, the Turbo suffix indicates that the car will wear a 1.6 turbocharged Prince mill under the hood. The car is expected to slot into the hole previously occupied by the 407, now that the 508 has taken its presentation up the ladder chain.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Locally assembled Peugeot 408 – interior view spied!

Paul Tan — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:55:17 +0000

Reader Nazmier Amzar managed to snap some spyshots of the new Peugeot 408 under test around Taman Selasih in Kulim, Kedah. I suppose he got chummy with the test car drivers as he managed a shot of the interior, which is pretty much similiar to the 308, including the nice white dials.

Earlier we saw a spyshot of a completely undisguised 408 loaded on a truck – the badging on the rear said 408 Turbo, which indicated that it had the 1.6 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder Prince engine under its hood. Nasim might introduce the 408 Turbo as the high end model, with another normally aspirated 2.0 liter model slotted underneath it.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 208 GTi Concept to debut in Geneva

Anthony Lim — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:54:33 +0000

Peugeot is set to reveal how its next GTi incarnation will shape up when the 208 GTi Concept previews the next iteration of the type at the upcoming Geneva show.

The GTI Concept will be powered by a 200 PS 1.6 litre THP 200 engine, the same as found on the RCZ GT, and the mill will be combined with a six-speed manual gearbox. Some dimension changes coming in from the base 208 – the concept has a 36 mm wider track both at the front and rear to enhance the dynamic experience.

Elsewhere, the car gets a rear roof spoiler, and is equipped with all-round disc brakes, measuring in at 302 mm diameter at the front and 249 mm at the rear, replete with red-painted brake calipers.

Exterior design cues include chequered-flag motifs that embellish the metal mesh of the grille, and the lower bar proudly affirms its origin by displaying the French Le Tricolour flag or alternatively, the Union Jack.

Other items include double chromed exhaust tailpipes, aero lower bodywork spoilers and lower sill skirt extensions, and placed within the grille is a brushed aluminium GTi Concept logo that are also on the rear quarter panels – the mark is a salute to the car’s illustrious predecessor, the legendary 205 GTi.

The cabin, meanwhile, gets sports seats trimmed with Nappa leather on the outer section and cloth in the centre, with an embossed tartan motif, doble stitching and a leather head restraint completing the job. There’s also a red perforated leather steering wheel, which features a pronounced lower flat section and which carries the GTi Concept logo set in an aluminium ring.

Elswhere, the fascia capping is dressed in Alcantara with grey stitching, the roof lining is fitted out in black, while the centre console architecture and ventilation vents all feature a graduated red to black effect, with the chequered-flag theme again present on the aluminium door crossbars. Aluminium pedals and LED backlighting for the instrument surrounds finish the treatment.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 408 Turbo is the name, caught without disguise

Danny Tan — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:24:41 +0000

We’ve seen spyshots of the Peugeot 408 before, with black tapes on the edges of the lamps and badges covered up. Now, here’s a fully naked rear shot of the upcoming C-segment sedan from Nasim, courtesy of reader Scott Ng. The snapper says he saw a truck loading up the Peugeots in Damansara Heights.

With this uncovered shot, we can confirm that the new sedan will be called 408 Turbo, as said on the badge. We also see the rear lamps for the first time, and they have the style of those on elder brother 508. Like that RM170k D-segment car, the central Lion badge has ‘Peugeot’ underlining it.

Garnishing includes a rear spoiler and a wrap around chrome strip on the bumper. The wheels are the same as those seen on the previously spied dark coloured unit. Click here to read more about the 408, and why it isn’t just a 308 hatchback with a boot.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Nasim donates Peugeot 207 SV to charitable organisation

Anthony Lim — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:17:56 +0000

Nasim has donated a Peugeot 207 SV to Grace Community Services, which runs orphanages and provides food banks to the poor. The donation is part of Nasim’s collaboration with The Star for the publication’s Bid & Win Charity Series, which concluded recently.

The charity series – which also had UOB Malaysia as a partner – was an extension of the English daily’s Bid & Win promotion held last year in conjunction with its 40th anniversary, with the grand prize for that one being a Peugeot RCZ. Readers of The Star were required to submit Star Points to a list of charities that had been identified by the publication during the initial Bid & Win promotion.

Grace Community Services runs Rumah K.I.D.S, a home for orphans, abused and neglected children, as well as a centre in Kuala Lumpur that provides food, medical care and counseling to the poor, a nationwide food bank, a home for destitute women and welfare services for senior citizens.

Its chairman, Dr Henry Pillai, said the 207 SV would provide much needed transport for its administrative staff, who travel to Grace Community Services centres nationwide on a frequent basis.

“We have two orphanages in Klang and two in Subang. These orphanages have a total of 70 children. We also have a nationwide food bank which feeds 6,000 people every day. So our administrative staff need to travel often,” he said.

“As a responsible corporate citizen, Nasim is proud to be involved in this effort to offer a helping hand to the less fortunate. We believe this donation will provide Grace Community Services some assistance in carrying out its charitable activities,” said Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 308 Sedan vs Peugeot 408 – two different sedans!

Paul Tan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:43:50 +0000

Peugeot unveiled the car above – the Peugeot 308 Sedan – at the 2011 Chengdu Motor Show in mid-September last year, a new three-box vehicle based on the C-segment 308 platform. But wait – isn’t the 408 essentially a 308 sedan? Well, not exactly. The 308 Sedan is an entirely different model.

It looks like Peugeot has created two different sedan products from the 308 platform – a smaller sedan called the 308 Sedan and a larger car called the 408. The 308 sedan stretches the 308′s 2,608mm wheelbase by a wee bit to 2,612mm, while the 408 takes it further to 2,710mm – one of the longest wheelbases in the C-segment.

	308	308 Sedan	408	508
Wheelbase	2,608mm	2,612mm	2,710mm	2,815mm
Length	4,276mm	4,558mm	4,680mm	4,826mm
Width	1,815mm	1,805mm	1,815mm	1,855mm
Height	1,498mm	1,505mm	1,525mm	1,465mm
Bootspace	430L	565L	562L	475L

Nasim’s locally-assembled Project T73 is the Peugeot 408, not the smaller Peugeot 308 Sedan, which is good news for us since the car will end up having greater interior space. The 408 also looks like a proper sedan because of its longer wheelbase and redesigned roofline, while the 308 Sedan has a bit of that “hatch with boot” effect to its looks because it is shorter. The 308 Sedan also has a unique interior that is different from the 308 and the 408 – for example, the round air-conditioning vents have been replaced by squarish ones, and the dash is also shaped quite differently in general although there are some similarities.

However, it could also mean that the 408 sedan might end up being more expensive than the 308 hatchback, since Peugeot considers it a separate model, which might not be what people expect, given that our consumers are used to hatchback models being more expensive. This is just an educated guess on our part, of course, as no prices for the 408 have been announced yet.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 508 GT wagon with Malaysian plates spotted!

Paul Tan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:30:50 +0000

We sighted this sexy white Peugeot 508 SW GT estate at Taman Paramount earlier today while the team were out for lunch at our favorite chap fan spot in the area. We were actually quite stunned to to see this car with a Malaysian plate – we’ve seen it around before but they’ve all had Singaporean number plates.

Not only was this particular car a wagon in the sportier GT equipment level (check out the twin rear exhausts, the panoramic glass roof and the big fancy wheels), it had the clatter of a turbodiesel engine coming from it! A quick ring to our contact in Nasim revealed that this car mostly likely belongs to Automobiles Peugeot’s company fleet. They have a regional management office in Empire Tower, Jalan Tun Razak.

The choice of a turbodiesel wagon is quite typical of an European man’s tastes, but it also made us wonder – if Peugeot decided to use a turbodiesel car here, does it mean that our turbodiesel is all good to go with Peugeot diesel engines?

We heard last year that Nasim had submitted samples of our local diesel to France for testing, as they wanted to explore the possibility of bringing in the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4, a hybrid version of the 3008 that paired a turbodiesel engine to an electric motor. At that point of time, Nasim’s CEO SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin said the tests have yielded positive results so far, but there are still more tests to be done.

We won’t be surprised if our diesel fuel was given the green light – after all derivatives of the Peugeot HDi engine family are used in the Ford Focus TDCi, the Land Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Freelander.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 408 spotted in Malacca with minimal disguise

Paul Tan — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:31:27 +0000

Known internally in Nasim as Project T73, locally-assembled versions of the Peugeot 408 sedan have been spotted being tested on Malaysian roads for over half a year so far, and these tradeplate-bearing locally-assembled units have been slowly losing their disguise since we first spotted them way back in mid-2011.

We first heard news that Nasim was going to assemble the Peugeot 408 in mid-2010. The 408 is Peugeot’s C-segment sedan competitor, loosely based around the Peugeot 308, but this time Peugeot didn’t simply tack on a boot to the car, like it did with the 207. The Peugeot 408 gets a longer 2,710 mm wheelbase and a redesigned roofline, so it looks pretty good unlike a typical hatch-turned-sedan.

These pictures were snapped by reader Barry Lim in Malacca. Thanks, Barry! Globally, the 408 is available with various engine options including a 110 hp / 147 Nm normally-aspirated 1.6 litre engine, a 147 hp / 200 Nm normally-aspirated 2.0 litre engine and a variant called the Peugeot 408 Sport, which has the Prince THP 1.6 turbo engine making 163 PS.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot ends its Le Mans endurance racing programme

Danny Tan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:15:27 +0000

Racing, and winning, is good for the brand, but it takes up a lot of resources, which is not abundant in lean times. So many manufacturers have pulled the plug on racing recently, and this time it’s Peugeot announcing that it will end its endurance racing programme with immediate effect.

This means that Peugeot will cease to challenge Audi in sportscar racing, something the French manufacturer has been doing very well. Peugeot ran variants of its diesel 908 prototype in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours and the Le Mans series since 2007. The lion’s finest hour was the Le Mans victory in 2009. Last year, Peugeot won the inaugural Intercontinental Le Mans Cup title.

“This decision has been taken in the context of a difficult economic environment in Europe. Peugeot has chosen to concentrate resources on its sales performance in 2012,” Peugeot said in a statement yesterday.

Peugeot’s decision means that this year’s World Endurance Championship will be a lonely affair. Looking further ahead, Toyota has a new LMP1 programme and Porsche is set to join the sport.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Nasim hands over Pug 308 Turbo to ‘Gimme More’ winner

Anthony Lim — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:11:46 +0000

Lim Hui Min of Kuala Lumpur didn’t expect to be having two Peugeots in her household, but now she has. The owner of a 207 sedan now has an additional Pug, in this case a 308 Turbo, and she didn’t have to fork out a sen for it.

Lim was chosen ahead of 434 other Pug 207 owners as the winner of the Peugeot 207 Gimme More campaign, which sought to reward customers who purchased either a 207 or a 207SV during the campaign period, which ran from July to December last year.

Participants were required to answer three questions and complete a slogan describing what they like the most about the 207. A total of 50 winners were selected from the entries, with Lim bagging the grand prize. The following 20 winners received an iPad2 each, while the remaining 29 winners received exclusive Peugeot merchandise.

Local Pug boys Nasim recently handed over the car to Lim at a special handover ceremony at Peugeot Puchong. Speaking at the ceremony, Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George said that the campaign gave the company a chance to see just how creative its customers were in describing what they liked the most about the 207.

“It wasn’t easy picking the 50 winners and judging by the response we received, there are many proud 207 owners,” he said.

Lim’s winning entry was: “I love the Peugeot 207 because it brings back the joy of driving!”
The 33-year-old IT consultant, who purchased her 207 in September, said she came up with her slogan while in her car during heavy traffic.

“I was stuck in a jam and the idea came to my mind. I like the stability and smoothness of the 207. I didn’t think I would win, so it was a pleasant surprise,” she said. Despite winning the 308 Turbo, Lim said she will continue to drive her 207 while her husband will use their brand new ride.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 208 introduces new 3-cylinder petrol engines

Paul Tan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:05:43 +0000

Peugeot has introduced a new family of 3-cylinder engines with its latest B-segment segment contender, the 208 hatch. The new 3-cylinder engines come in two capacities – 1.0 litre and 1.2 litre, and are built at the firm’s Trémery factory in France.

The 1.0 litre 3-pot lump makes 68 hp and a peak torque of 95 Nm from as low as 3,000 rpm, which is a sign of good VVT tuning as it is a surprisingly low RPM for an engine that doesn’t make use of any funky (and potentially expensive) tech like direct injection. The 1.2 litre does even better – it does 82 hp and its peak torque of 118 Nm comes in from as low as 2,750 rpm. We hear a turbocharged version of the 1.2 liter 3-cylinder will be produced at the Douvrin plant later this year.

We’re familiar with the rest of the petrol engines – a 1.4 VTi, a 1.6 VTi and a 1.6 THP, all from the 4-cylinder BMW-PSA Prince engine family. The 1.4 does 95 hp and 136 Nm of torque, while the normally-aspirated 1.6 litre does 120 hp and 160 Nm. The top-of-the-line petrol 4 potter turbo does 156 hp and 240 Nm, with a 260Nm overboost, mated to a 6-speed transmission. The other petrol engines are mated to 5-speeders.

The 208 also comes with a range of oil burners, with the baseline being a 1.4 litre HDi FAP making 68 hp and 16 0Nm. The 1.4 litre is also available as an e-HDI engine, which means it is equipped with Peugeot’s automatic Stop & Start system.

The addition of the auto start/stop system improves the 1.4 litre’s fuel economy and emissions from 74.3 mpg and 98 g/km CO2 to 83.1 mpg and 87 g/km CO2. There’s also a 1.6 litre diesel in two tunes – 92 hp / 230 Nm as well as 115 hp / 285 Nm.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 208 Ice Velvet – limited edition of 650 units

Anthony Lim — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:44:34 +0000

Peugeot has announced a limited edition 208 called the Ice Velvet – it’s based on a three-door version of the new hatch, which will enter the market shortly, and the edition features an exclusive paint finish and comprehensive equipment levels. Only 650 examples will be made, and released across 18 markets in Europe; France has an allocation of 208 units.

The edition’s satin paint finish gives the exclusive 208 its name, and the exterior shade is complemented by chrome detail on the bodywork – the radiator grill, fog lamps, panoramic glass roof and rear view mirrors wear dark chrome, while the exhaust pipe and window surrounds are in bright chrome. The car also gets 17-inch Technical Grey alloy wheels.

The interior is fitted with a Peugeot Techno TEP trim and high quality stitching, and features for kit a large touchscreen, satellite navigation, directional static lights, front lights with LED signature and DRL function, automatic air conditioning, blue guide lights for the panoramic glass roof and sports seats, among others.

The variant will be equipped, according to country, with either a petrol 1.6 VTi 120 engine linked to a manual five-speed gearbox or a diesel 1.6 e-HDi 115 engine, which is paired to a manual six-speed gearbox, complete with a satin chrome gear knob.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot 107 gets reworked for 2012 – hatch gets new face, upgraded interior and enhanced equipment

Anthony Lim — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:02:28 +0000

Peugeot has given its 107 a restyling job for 2012, and the update includes a new face and an upgraded interior, with enhanced equipment also in the mix.

Leading the way in for the rework is a new front styling job, with a deeper lower front panel that includes a housing for the front fog lights, LED daytime running lights and a redesigned front bumper.

Three trim levels are on offer, these being Access, Active and Allure, and within these trim levels, features such as Peugeot Connect Bluetooth, USB and daytime running lights are now to be found for the first time on the 107 range.

In addition to the new equipment available, the second facelift for the car (it was originally facelifted in 2009) also sees better equipment being offered across the model range, which continues on in both three- and five-door form.

In its petrol form, no change mechanically – the 107 carries on with the 1.0 litre three-cylinder unit as found previously, still offering 68 hp at 6,000 rpm and 93 Nm at 3,600 rpm. Performance specs for the five-speed manual transmission version is a 160 km/h top speed and a 0-100 km/h time of 14.2 seconds.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Five-fold mega SUV shootout: Mitsubishi ASX v Nissan X-Trail v Honda CR-V v Hyundai Tucson v Peugeot 3008!

Danny Tan — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:35:33 +0000

Granted, the sport utility vehicle segment has a different luster than that of more than a decade ago, when the class was fresh and burgeoning, and manufacturers were falling over each other to fill the slots in the new opening. Then, robustness was generally the operative word, so an SUV had to be tough to tackle terrain and yet be compliant enough for urban use. Not the easiest thing to manage, you can imagine.

Time – as well as trial and error – has seen the category become more refined, and the sparkle these days is probably better at wooing buyers. A more focused scope has come about, with the need to be able to traverse the great outdoors in rugged fashion pretty much left behind, like it should have been in the first place. Today’s SUV is very much a suburban-centric offering, aimed at the urban crowd for which a sedan doesn’t have enough space and presence, and a MPV too much, and boringly so.

Now, most of us know how capable these vehicles are, taken on their own, but how do they fare when pitted against each other? With that in mind, we decided to take a closer look at how they match up, pitting five examples – the Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Peugeot 3008 – in a quintet face-off to see how it all shapes up.

There are other contenders, namely the new Kia Sportage, the Suzuki Grand Vitara, the long-in-the-tooth Ford Escape as well as the likes of the Chevrolet Captiva, for example, but adding more than what we ended up with would have made the task unmanageable. It’s all nice to read a nine or 10 SUV shootout, but doing one is another thing altogether.

That said, on with the show to see which one ends up as the king of this particular hill.

EXTERIOR

Danny says

The five SUVs assembled here range from a big box to one not much bigger than the hatchback it’s based on, from building blocks to fluidic sculptures, so there’s bound to be one to suit one’s taste. Agree?

I’m not much of an SUV kind of guy (the Audi Q5 is another matter), and there is no overwhelming favourite for me either, but I like the blend of sharp lines and compact proportions of the Mitsubishi ASX. This deep shade of red probably isn’t the most flattering, and it could do with a sportier set of wheels, but I like it best.

The most flamboyant of the group by a mile is the Hyundai Tucson. It’s very eye-catching, and like Anthony, I like that muscular rear three-quarters view the best. Not so in love with the fussy face, but this is a great example of a self-confident, expressive design, as opposed to the “play safe, don’t offend” looks of previous gen Koreans. It’s a gamble, but it’s paying off big time for Hyundai.

Never liked the popping eyes + double grille look of the CR-V, which for reasons unknown, brings a startled hippo to mind. The Honda is no longer repulsive thanks to familiarity, but it’s not pretty either, which brings us to the Peugeot. The 3008 is just too odd for me – the proportions, overhangs, and that face – I just don’t get it. Would love to interview the designer someday, just to know what inspired him. I quite like how its MPV sibling 5008 looks, though

One can’t fault the X-Trail for being a box, because that’s wholly intentional on Nissan’s part. The carmaker says that first-gen X-Trail owners (and there are many of them) love their SUV’s macho square cut lines, so they made more of the same. And with more rivals going the crossover route, the “keep it true” X-Trail may find itself serving a large number of taste buds.

As they say, one man’s meat…

Harvinder says

Lets face it. Looks are somewhat important when you talk about cars and it’s correct to assume so in this case. Good looking cars somehow attract us, but at end the of the day, if a car is good looking to one it doesn’t necessarily mean it is good looking to another. All subjective, to say the least.

In the case of these five SUVs I must admit that two cars stand out from the pack. One is the Peugeot 3008, while the other is the Hyundai Tucson. I think you can safely guess why the 3008 is in my standout list. Well, yes, you’re right, it stands out because it does look a little quirky, perhaps a little too modern for today’s tastes.

Don’t get me wrong, the 3008 does have some good angles, but definitely not as many compared to the rest of the line-up we have here. The taillights remind me of strawberries for some reason, while the front makes me think of JAWS. Weird, I know, but that’s what crossed my mind. Then we have the Hyundai Tucson at the end of spectrum, something that has gone through a lot to come this far.

At first glance, the Tucson strikes you as a good looking thing. Very sweet and pleasant from almost any angle. Hyundai’s designers have been working around the clock to come up with the designs they have now, which I must say, are rather appealing. In this case, just like other Hyundais at the moment, the form is treated with the fluidic design concept and it’s working well here.

However, I do feel that the car is a little too ‘fluidic’ for me, if you know what I mean. There’s a tad too much on the design lines, which I consider the only off-putting thing the Tucson has in terms of design. Nevertheless, that’s just me as the design seems to the be cup of tea to many out there, and I can understand why.

As for Nissan X-Trail, I find this one a bit too utilitarian, a little too boxy. It looks as though it has a lot of design elements that doesn’t seem to fit well together. At times, I feel that some design elements on the X-Trail are afterthoughts. The Honda CR-V seems like a decent looking offering, with the right proportions and not overcooked. However, I think the Tucson comes up ahead of the X-Trail and the CR-V in the design department.

Among all the SUVs we have here, I consider the Mitsubishi ASX as the SUV with the right balance in the looks category. I like the fact that it has Mitsubishi’s trademark jet fighter grille. The aggressiveness is a nice touch and it doesn’t breach the “too much” point in the scale. The ASX looks very good from almost every angle, and is the only SUV here that really looks like a car.

Overall, the Hyundai Tucson and the Mitsubishi ASX are my choices in terms of design. Comparing both, I find that the Tucson is a bit too flashy for me, probably like a model who has a little too much make up, while the ASX feels about right.

Anthony says

The assembled bunch looked every bit the motley crew, what with the box-like X-Trail mixing it up with the flowing Tucson, and the ASX and 3008 looking more crossover than SUV. An interesting mix of shapes, to say the least.

From an aesthetics point of view, the X-Trail isn’t going to win any contests for being the curviest creature, or indeed the sexiest thing on four donuts. With a shape that feels like slabs chunked together, this is very much a box on wheels. The utilitarian shape, however, hints at the volumetric scope within, and you just know this one – which is larger than the first-generation model – is going to offer loads of it. Function over form, indeed.

The Tucson takes its place at the other end of the swing, and showboats all those curves and swoops like it’s going out of fashion. Certainly, there’s nothing reserved about how it parades its wares, though I have reservations as to how the lines will hold up as time progresses. I love the rear though, viewed straight on from behind; of the five, it’s the derriere with the most flair and appeal.

As for the CR-V, the third-generation model is heading towards its end of duty tour, but retains a balanced appeal about it. Not the most exciting, the RE, but plying the safe route means the exterior has held up well enough over the four years plus of its life cycle so far. For sure, the buying public has found – and continues to find – its quiet elegance to be more than agreeable, and this includes my other half; the CR-V here happens to be her vehicle.

Meanwhile, the Peugeot rolls into the fray here looking a bit of an oddity, like it doesn’t quite belong. It’s the smallest looking vehicle of the bunch, and the shape drew mixed opinions from the team. I quite like the front from certain angles, but for sure it’s not the type of vehicle you’d gawk at the whole day. The European influence in its lines is unmistakable though, and it does look very solidly hewn compared to the Asian opposition.

Finally, the ASX. It’s the one with the leanest, most athletic stance, essentially looking very much the prowler. The wedge front works for me and the overall lines offer good proportionate scale, despite its lack of overall mass.

Indeed, it’s my pick of the five from the exterior point of view, the ASX. I’ve always preferred my cars lean and on the smaller side, and while the 3008 may also be so, its disposition is a bit too soft and too rounded for my taste. I’ve gotten so used to the CR-V it’s become a familiar shoe, so it doesn’t have quite the charm it once had. You can probably tell the X-Trail doesn’t work at all for me, and it never did even with the first incarnation. The Tucson’s flash is striking though, so it’s a close second in my books.

INTERIOR

Danny says

Throughout our test period, I spent the most time in the Nissan and Peugeot, collecting the former and returning the latter to their owners. I love the X-Trail’s cabin for its excellent view out (lots of glass, square corners) and comfort. The fabric seats are big and cushy, typically Nissan, and there’s nothing to learn or get used to – you just step in and drive.

However, the spartan look and feel may be a disadvantage in the showroom, making Nissan look stingy. But that’s not entirely true either.

While the X-Trail lacks some basic kit such as climate control, leather and buttons for the steering, as well as flashy toys such as the Hyundai’s push start button/panoramic roof, Mitsu’s 2-DIN head unit or Honda’s cool instrument panel, it’s the only car here to come with electric adjustment for the driver’s seat as well bi-xenons, kit that even the “fully-loaded” Euro-spec Peugeot doesn’t have. And if given a choice, I’d have those over auto air con and auto cruise.

It’s a car that that the family will love as well. Tall seating position, high roof, large windows and the useful boot trays with compartments are good for road trips or ronda-ronda sessions.

The Peugeot is a good family car as well, if you have a small family with young kids, that is. The expansive panoramic glass roof is spectacular, but rear legroom is very tight. Passable if someone my height is seated in front, but if they are tall, rear knee-room can go down to almost nothing. The 3008 must be tried for size, because it’s not for all.

It’s for those who want some sports car feel from their SUV. The Pug’s driving quarters is very cozy and enclosed, with a sloping centre stack and a tall centre console that divides the front section into two distinct areas.

It’s very cockpit like, and the driver is boss, which matches the driving character of the 3008. He/she is faced with plenty of toggle switches and twin pod dials. There’s also the much boasted head-up display (HUD), although I personally find this to be rather gimmicky.

Unlike BMW’s version, the image here is shot on a separate screen that can be erected by a toggle switch, and although the image (only digital km/h) can be adjusted for height, I still had to lower eye focus to view it, defeating the very purpose of HUD. The operation of the screen in our test car was also very noisy.

That aside, I wasn’t very comfortable with the angle of the left foot rest, and my idle foot became quite restless as a result. This is an unusual observation, since I’m usually immune to many ergonomic challenges pointed out by Paul and Harve.

Step into the Honda CR-V and it becomes clear why this is THE SUV to have for many upper middle-class households. It doesn’t have as many toys as some other cars in this test, or even as much soft touch plastics, but feels the most premium from behind the wheel. This isn’t easy to explain, but the lighting, that nice MID between the dials, the brushed trim, the tactile quality of the knobs and buttons, and the full house centre stack gives off a full-function, technical and expensive feel.

I also like the abundance of storage spaces and cubbies in the Honda, derived from locating the gear lever on the centre stack. Rear passengers are also in for a treat – legroom is superb in this company, although it could feel even more spacious with a lighter coloured cabin, as opposed to black.

The Mitsubishi ASX, which also has a dark room cabin, is much less spacious than the CR-V inside, something the spec sheets won’t tell you – the ASX’s 2,670 mm wheelbase is actually 50 mm longer than the Honda’s.

The good stuff surrounds the driver – nice sporty steering wheel, long magnesium shift paddles, clear (almost VW/Audi like) dials – but MMC has improved perceived quality over that in the Lancer.

The dash areas closest to occupants are now padded with soft touch plastics, as are the door caps. The multi-info display is colourful and high res, a big improvement over the jagged figures in the Lancer. Also, the instantaneous FC bar also has a “bookmark” for the average done so far, so there’s extra motivation to be light-footed, if that’s your direction.

The head unit is the usual locally-fitted (by MMM) Kenwood system, which isn’t the most user friendly, but it’s feature-packed (reverse camera, DVD player, large full colour touch-screen, etc) and looks impressive, so no complaints.

Last but not least, the Hyundai Tucson. Just like the bold shell, Hyundai has gone for showcar dashboard design that matches the exterior bravado. Lots of sweeping curves and elements means your eyes are in for a workout. There’s this theme of two opposing kinks in the overall dash mould, the centre stack as well as the steering wheel. As with modern Hyundais, the theme is blue. I can understand the modern, techy appeal of the Tucson’s dash, but personally I prefer something more subtle and refined.

Plenty of adjustment available in the Tucson, so driving positions for various sizes shouldn’t be a problem. Outward visibility is not great in this group, a high waistline and shallow windows see to that. Off the shoulder rear view is also poor, but with such a design, you can’t win it all. The showroom appeal and many toys (keyless entry, push button start, integrated stereo with USB, iPod and AUX input) might delay the dreaded knuckle rap, which reveals hard plastics. They don’t feel super nasty or cheap though, and is not an issue to many.

It’s also good that our 2.0 High Spec test car comes with a panoramic glass roof (split into two, like the W211 Merc E-Class, Sonata YF), since the cabin feels rather enveloping and dark in this company.

In terms of design, in and out, the Tucson is everything the X-Trail isn’t, vice versa. One is unapologetically utilitarian and functional, the other designed to wow and impress. I want some from both ends, and like the CR-V’s blend of good comfort and space, plus premium feel dashboard.

Harvinder says

The cabin is one of the most important things one should consider when buying a car, and unfortunately many potential buyers or owners out there spend less time thinking about a car’s interior before making the decision. It is a place where the driver and his passengers will spend most of the time throughout the ownership experience.

Before I continue with my bit on the interior, I must point out that out of all the SUVs we have here, three are Japanese, one is Korean while another is French. Now, I don’t think I need to emphasize that when it comes interior, the European guys have been doing it well and the Asian rivals, although some are pretty good, are still playing catch up in this department.

To me, I feel that is is true in this case at least. The Peugeot 3008 to me, has the best interior when it comes to tactility and comfort for the driver. As soon as you get into the driver’s seat, you’ll instantly tell yourself that “this is not a driver’s seat, this is a cockpit”. The driver’s section is truly like a jet-fighter’s cockpit with the centre dash somewhat focused towards the driver.

Even the switches and knobs make you imagine you are in a car with wings. The tactility of the interior is pretty good as well, with soft-touch materials in the right places. Personally, I take seat comfort seriously and it is important to have something that is able to support your back properly. It pays when you have those long distance drives and to me, the seat also plays a role to making you feel that you are in a premium vehicle.

The French have got it right with the 3008. The front seats are very comfortable and they offer the best support among all SUVs we have here. I particularly like the headrest design, which reminds me of the ones used in the W211 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. You can tilt it forward to better support your lower neck.

Other features like the glass roof, the rear two-piece tail gate, dual zone air-conditioning and electric parking brake is a nice touch too, but I do agree with Danny on the part HUD portion which is a bit tricky to use. The major downside of the 3008’s interior is that the rear legroom is a little on the tighter side of things. It’s not a very comfortable place for large-sized occupants. Also, it would be great to have a fully-electric front seat, at least for the driver.

The Nissan X-Trail is not a bad place to be in either. It does look a bit utilitarian on the inside, with a rather simple feel to things, but it is quite comfortable and the space, including the rear cabin, is pretty good too.

If you’re okay with the simplistic approach, the X-Trail’s interior can be a nice place for you to be in. There are plenty of compartments, including a double luggage floor system, as well as a 6-way adjustable power seat for the driver, which interestingly is not offered with rest of the SUVs we have here.

The Honda CR-V also has a decent interior and for some reason, it does feel a little premium despite not having many soft-touch surfaces. Honda seems to be good in doing this, even with less expensive cars like the entry level City.

To me, the most striking thing about the CR-V’s interior is its rear legroom, which is very good. You’d be a very happy rear passenger; it’s reminiscent of the Civic, which also offers good legroom space. Just like the X-Trail, storage compartments are very much adequate in the Honda. There are also features like dual zone air-conditioning and cruise control, similar to the 3008.

Just like the exterior, the interior of the Hyundai Tucson also has carries over the flowing design. It looks pretty good if you ask me, but there is a let down though. The interior does not feel premium and it is even outperformed by the X-Trail, if you ask me. There are hard plastics everywhere and even for a car that has done over 30,000 kilometers, the interior felt worn a little, which isn’t a good thing.

Don’t get me wrong, the design is nice, but you have to wonder if it’ll last the distance. Things like the start-stop button are nice to have, but it does little to overshadow the flaws. The ASX has a decent interior which doesn’t look cluttered and at the same time, it doesn’t look cheap as well.

The seating position for the driver is just about right, making it a better option for those who like a sporty feel behind the wheel. I find that the full colour high-resolution LCD multi-information display nestled in between the instrument gauges quite a cool feature to have, thanks to a fuel consumption monitor that incorporates both instantaneous as well as average readings. The rear cabin could have used a little more legroom though.

Overall, I find that the Peugeot 3008 has the best interior; I can make do with the smaller rear cabin, although I really feel that an electric driver’s seat should have been included.

Anthony says

From an interior perspective, the differences in character continue to show. With practically most of the time being spent in the driver’s seat during the comparo, there was little time to delve in detail the sub-practicalities of things such as boot space and rear seat comfort levels, save for the CR-V, which I’m, erm, rather intimate with.

First up, the Tucson, which lends its allure through more sweeping contours on the inside, as well as with a host of tech bling – there’s stop-start button ignition and an auto dimming rear view central mirror, for starters. These mask the lack of items such as cruise control and going the manual air-conditioning route.

If there’s a gripe with the Tucson’s interior, it’s with the presentation – no complaints about how the layout is presented, but the design elan notwithstanding, the hard-looking plastics cheapen the visual appeal considerably. There are also questions about material durability. The interior of the evaluator, with more than 30k on the clock, looked a bit worse for wear. For example, the engine stop-start button’s wording was already looking quite worn, hence the questions.

Still, there’s much more fanfare in it than on the likes of the X-Trail and ASX, which both feature rather austere cabins. The ASX, with its blackened interior, feels the more spartan of the two, and is reminiscent of the Lancer sedan’s bare approach. It’s more premium in feel though than the Lancer material-wise, so points for this.

The ASX also doesn’t feel as small as you think it would be. The cabin is intimate, but not claustrophobic, even if larger-sized drivers in the Mitsubishi look like they’re driving a Hyundai Getz (not my words). The driving enthusiast will find much to like in this one, with everything presented in line with the vehicle’s sporty pretensions, as will those who like their porridge plain.

Meanwhile, the X-Trail offers very much the same path, presenting a cabin that looks plain bare upon first glance. The plastics are typically Nissan, serviceable but not the final word in premium. This plainness is offset by plenty of practical features – cubby holes and storage space are to be found galore, and items such as rear air-con vents, for example, add to the list. And that volume suggested from the outside is translated when you’re in the vehicle. It feels downright spacious, the X-Trail does.

A note too about its seat comfort, which is the softest in terms of comfort of all the five vehicles; it is a little bit too soft for my liking, especially over long distances, but many will no doubt value its plushness. The Peugeot’s front seat, however, is the standout for me.

The Peugeot’s cabin also features the best material and trim, clean and unfettered, but all hewn together in solid fashion and very elegant in its presentation. Cabin space, however, feels pinched, and if you have tall occupants in front, it’s bad news for those in the rear, where legroom is concerned.

And the 3008 still feels lacking in open and accessible storage space, as previously noted when I drove it during its original media test drive a good while back – attempts to house wallet, phone, keys and cigarettes without having to call in the large storage box were as challenging as before. I still think there’s a photon torpedo launcher housed underneath that huge-assed centre console tunnel, but the firing button is proving rather elusive to find.

So, of the lot, my pick is with the CR-V’s interior. It’s easy to forget how well Honda gets it right where it matters – aside from the excellent rear legroom, the cabin presentation has a premium feel to it, even if there’s not much bling and fanfare in terms of tech and features.

The plastics may be hard, but they don’t look cheap, and the centre console layout, along with the instrument cluster – especially lit up at night – is fetching. It’s not quite Pug territory, but it’s well ahead of the rest of the group. Storage in the CR-V’s front is more than adequate, though there are quirks elsewhere, like where the 12V socket is placed, which is set too low and difficult to access, especially in the dark.

Still, throw in items such as cruise control and auto climate control as well as the small, almost imperceptible tactile bits (the feel of the switchgear operation is a perfect example) and you can see exactly how the Honda scores where it counts.

PERFORMANCE

Danny says

Although it’s no sports car, the Peugeot is the sports car of the group. It’s the only Continental on call here, and preaches Europe’s downsizing philosophy – direct injection, smaller capacity, forced induction. The 156 hp it makes is no big deal in our 2.0L SUV party, but it’s the turbo engine’s 240 Nm from a mere 1,400 rpm that makes all the difference here.

This gives the 3008 useful punch away from standstill, and good flexibility. Although the pace is subdued a little from the 308 Turbo, which it shares its drivetrain with, possibly due to the extra weight, it should be more than enough go for those shopping in this segment. The official 0-100 km/h time is 9.5 seconds – it practice, the 3008 feels faster than that. As usual, it’s smooth revving and quite linear in delivery.

We must also mention the six-speed automatic gearbox, which is a quantum leap over the “Porsche Tiptronic” four-speeder of old. It’s still not the fastest or snappiest torque converter auto around, but it no longer has a mind of its own, and is competent enough to not annoy.

The “sports car of the group” rep isn’t just from the pace, though. The 3008 feels quite agile and pointy in the bends, and the way the car resists body roll is impressive. This flat stance encourages one to push harder, since there’s no clumsy weight transfer to put you off. No, it doesn’t claw into corners like a hot hatch, but one can at least make the most of what he has in the Peugeot with ease. Sacrifices? Ride comfort is not the best, others soak up bumps better.

If there’s an element from the other SUVs I would want in the Peugeot’s drive, it’s the ASX’s steering. Direct and blessed with good feel, the Mitsu’s helm is as “sporty” as the wheel itself looks. The ASX is also good to drive, but one downside is the lack of cruising refinement. There’s a good deal of road/tyre roar seeping into the cabin. I wonder if a tyre swap would help…

The ASX carries over the Lancer’s 4B11 engine and CVT gearbox. I’m not a fan of CVT, but the transmission works well, and there’s always the manual mode when the mood arises, although it still doesn’t feel 100% natural in those six virtual ratios.

For non-fans, the company in the best position to persuade is Nissan. Their Xtronic CVT works like a charm in the Sylphy and the X-Trail we have here. It’s the CVT, as advertised. Mostly smooth and cohesive like the best torque converter autos (except pedal to metal from rest, perhaps), I never once used the manual mode because I couldn’t have done it better. There’s real connection between the speedo and tacho needle, and the drivetrain feels almost resistance-free as you pull away.

Stats that read 139 PS and 198 Nm look below par on paper, but the X-Trail’s smooth flowing style meant that I didn’t crave for more go. The only time it felt lacking was when we were searching for top speed way above the speed limit – a lot of effort was needed to get past the 130-140 km/h zone.

That easygoing drivetrain is part of a similarly likeable package. The X-Trail’s ride comfort is best of the lot for me, soaking up bumps like they were never there and staying rock steady on the highway. We get our supply from Indonesia, so perhaps it’s the local tuning to suit the harsh roads there at work? Whatever it is, our roads aren’t great either, so it’s all good.

All these fit well with a tall ride height with cushy seats and good all round visibility, making the X-Trail a great urban machine and a soothing long distance one.

The Honda CR-V would have also been a good highway cruiser, if not for its hyper sensitive steering. It’s good for the most part, but I found myself feeding constant small inputs to keep it on course during highway drives. It’s not a major or safety issue, but it meant that I wasn’t fully relaxed, and my hands got tired after awhile.

Other than that, the popular segment leader is typically Honda. The engine revs happily with a familiar mechanical buzz, and is quite nice to work on, although more grunt would have been very welcome here. The five-speed auto is as precise and quick as ever. The CR-V’s well judged ride is firm, but never crashy or noisy.

Which leaves the Tucson. I truly admire Hyundai’s brave new direction with its latest products, which has dramatically increased desirabilty. Their cars are now technically on par with class leaders, if not better, and there are plenty of toys to maximise showroom appeal. For me though, the most effective weapon in their new arsenal is design, capturing the imagination of many who previously overlooked Korean wheels. Perfect cars then?

Not yet. Technically, all’s good, but the Tucson (and Sonata) aren’t class leaders in subjective matters. For instance, while the 2.0 Theta II engine’s 166 PS and 197 Nm sound impressive and provide decent go, the engine isn’t the smoothest revving four-pot around, and is quite resonant in the third half of the rev range. The six-speed gearbox, while competent, isn’t as intuitive as the Honda’s, for instance.

There’s not a lot of mechanical grip either – I’ve seen the ESP light come on in corners where I didn’t expect any help. And steering, a very subjective thing, is something that Hyundai-Kia has yet to master.

But these finer points are invisible to the majority of buyers, so we don’t blame Hyundai for not putting “driving pleasure” and “finesse” as top priority. If I were them, my resources would have went into the exact same areas: on paper spec, equipment to wow and bold design.

Strangely, I ended up preferring the X-Trail in this segment, although the Peugeot’s pace and Mitsu’s steering are on the wish list. For me, SUVs are family cars, and the Nissan’s ride comfort, ease of use and silky drivetrain is the best combo here. Looking in the rear view mirror, my family agrees too!

Harvinder says

Now to the part I love the most. Let us start off with the CR-V. It comes with a 2.0 litre i-VTEC that makes 148 hp and 190 Nm of torque from 4,200 rpm. The numbers are anything but impressive, and unfortunately with 1,540 kg to haul it feels as if the CR-V can do with a more powerful engine.

Acceleration does feel heavy but once you’ve reached a set cruising speed, the power issues fades away, until you slam the accelerator to overtake the car in front of you, that is. The shifting of its five-speed automatic is decent enough and the electric power steering feels a little heavy at times, but it’s not really an issue to me.

Its ride comfort is good, with no irritating bumpiness whatsoever. In terms of handling, I find the CR-V performance at an average level. The X-Trail’s MR20DE twin-cam engine has less power than the CR-V, at 137 hp, though torque is slightly higher, 198 Nm to be exact, from 4,400 rpm. It does pull away slightly better than the CR-V, and it uses Nissan’s Xtronic CVT transmission, with a six-speed manual mode.

To be honest. I am not a fan of the CVTs – I find the sound that the engine makes because of it being rather irritating. However, the Xtronic isn’t that bad and it works smoothly, or fluidly, to use another term. Acceleration is effortless; however, it does take a while for it to achieve higher speed. In terms of ride comfort, the X-Trail does well in absorbing bumps and irregularities. At the same time it is also firm enough for high speed travel. The Nissan boys have got it right with this one.

The Hyundai Tucson’s Theta II 2.0 litre engine is quite powerful on paper, with 164 hp and 197 Nm of torque at 4,600 rpm, and carries over the power into actual driving. It does however tend to sound a little rough when you rev it hard. The power unit is paired with a six-speed slush box, which does its job well enough, although it could use a little more refinement.

This applies to the drivability of the Tucson as well. It handles good enough for normal day-to-day driving and its un-refinement is easily hidden if you don’t push the car hard. Even so, you can actually toss the Tucson around corners, though it would definitely benefit from a more refined handling and a steering with a better feel. In terms of ride quality, this Korean seems to be a bit stiff, a little bumpier on the rough roads.

The Mitsubishi ASX is one car that seems to excel in the handling department. This is one SUV or crossover or what ever you fancy that handles like a car. Agile and nimble would be the right word to describe the ASX. It is no Megane RS, but among its rivals in this shootout, it is right at the top.

You can practically chuck it around bends and it won’t bite back, as long as you don’t go overboard. The chassis seems to communicate with you well through the steering wheel, which also offers a good feel. In terms of power, it is decent with its 2.0 litre DOHC MIVEC putting out 148 hp , identical to the CR-V, and 197 Nm of torque at 2,400 rpm.

Although quite similar in terms of power figures, you do feel more punch in the ASX. This also joins the X- Trail in offering a CVT unit with six-speed manual mode.

Finally we have the Peugeot 3008, which doesn’t really give us an apple to apple comparison in terms of engine type when put against the other four SUVs we have here. There are two major differences. First up is the fact that the engine is a 1.6 litre, instead of a 2.0 litre with the rest. Secondly, it is force-inducted. It is basically the same engine as the MINI, the rather famous 1.6 litre Prince unit.

It makes 156 hp and most importantly, 240 Nm of torque from as low as 1,400 rpm. The higher torque at lower revs proves to be very instrumental in zipping around traffic. Overall, you can safely say that 3008 is the most powerful of the lot, all thanks to the turbo, so no issues at all with acceleration and getting fast quickly. The Pug uses a good old six-speed transmission, which works without a fuss.

The ride comfort is pretty good, with high levels of comfort too. In terms of handling, you can take some pretty serious corners with it, but I still prefer the ASX. Something about the latter’s character makes the whole driving experience sportier. Overall, my pick would be the ASX in regards to overall performance from the SUVs we have here.

Anthony says

Ambling along the highway isn’t how one should define which of the lot to be the best, but the time spent plying the route did reveal a fair bit about each vehicle’s character; there was some hard driving done briefly on each later, which revealed yet more, but given that 99% of these SUVs owners aren’t likely to subject their rides to such, most of the basis – for me at least – was from that gleaned waltzing along.

The Tucson was my first ride out, and as before, when I drove it at point of launch, the 2.0 litre Theta II mill proved willing to get things moving. It feels perky from the get-go, buoyant in its character; conversely, it feels that bit less refined when pushed, and can be a bit zingy at the top end. As a cruiser the Tucson does well enough, though there is a fair amount of road noise, and the steering needs a bit of corrective input in terms of straight-line retention, but the light, easy feel of the rack makes it simple on the shoulders.

The plastics notwithstanding, the itemisation of the layout and switchgear operation in the Hyundai is pretty much fuss-free. One minus is the lack of reach adjustment for the steering, something that is also an oversight on the X-Trail and ASX. Seat comfort is decent, though not group-leading.

As a driver’s car, or crossover, if you prefer, the ASX is by far the leader of the assembled five-pack. The level of steering feel and communication is by far the highest of the lot, as is the vehicle’s response to dramatic changing load/direction. Agile, in a flamboyant manner, the main reason why you’d want one is because you love to drive, with everything else secondary.

Meanwhile, the 3008 drove well, and the turbocharged Prince 1.6 mill chugged along with the least amount of strain of all the engines throughout the drive. It felt like it was consuming the most fuel, based on the onboard readout, but this proved to be deceptive (see fuel consumption section below). In-cabin comfort is high, and the plushness of the interior, despite that pinched feeling, makes doing the miles all that bit easier.

Still, its size means that it is at a slight disadvantage compared to the rest of the crowd here, the ASX notwithstanding. I still don’t think it’s a SUV, which it was tagged when it was launched. A good compact-ish crossover for the young urban family, yes. Super utility people mover, er, no. Drives well though, so it gets brownie points here.

From an interior perspective, the Nissan simply overwhelms the rest. The rather-too-soft driver seat aside, everything about the X-Trail screams functionality. It isn’t the fastest, nor the most agile, nor does it have the sense of presence or grandeur. But there’s acres of space in that cavernous cabin, and something about it works, at least to me – I found myself liking it more with every passing mile.

Easy to drive, there’s nothing imposing in its character; it’s vanilla, really – you get in, turn the key and get to your intended destination without fuss, fanfare or any sort of emotion, for that matter. All that functionality, dished out in a completely neutral manner. It isn’t as bad as it sounds, actually.

Finally, we come to the CR-V. I spent the least amount of time in it during the test session, but driving it regularly keeps reminding me why so many view it as the de facto choice in this market when it comes to putting their money on the table for a mid-price, mid-size SUV.

Yes, the 2.0 litre block can feel slightly underpowered at the lower end pushing that mass (it felt the laziest of the lot in start-offs). The steering is also on the heavier side of things, and needs quite a bit of corrective input during highway driving.

But in every other sense, the Honda gets it right. From the tactility of the switchgear operation (which makes all the others, save the 3008, feel cheap) to the interior presentation levels, the CR-V feels good to the touch and sight. It is agile enough when asked, and balanced would best describe its overall level of driving engagement. In all, it feels well thought out, the type of product that you know a copious amount of time has been spent refining all the key points. In this regard, it’s an absolute toss-up between the neutral functionality of the X-Trail and the refined, cultured presentation of the CR-V.

FUEL CONSUMPTION

During the group test drive, we travelled 412 km from the Klang Valley to Ipoh, and back. It included stop and go traffic, town driving and, of course, highway cruising along the PLUS Expressway.

The route we selected allowed us to test the cars in various road conditions where we spent quite a bit of our time on the highway. During the test drive we also carried out a fuel test for all the SUVs involved, with measures employed to ensure accuracy such as adhering to the 110 km/h national speed limit, keeping a safe distance between the cars, ensuring that all cars are driven by all test drivers (to make sure all SUVs get a consistent driving pattern overall) and so on.

Here are the final results:

Peugeot 3008 (1.6 litre Turbo) – 7.37 litres / 100 km
Mitsubishi ASX (2.0 litre NA) – 7.5 litres / 100 km
Honda CR-V (2.0 litre NA) – 8.3 litres / 100 km
Nissan X-Trail (2.0 litre NA) – 8.6 litres / 100 km
Hyundai Tucson (2.0 litre NA) – 8.7 litres / 100 km

The 3008 took the top honours, with the ASX following closely behind. These were the only two which breached the 8.0 litre per 100 km mark following the test, and the 3008’s lower displacement (and turbocharger) 1.6 liter engine likely has contributed to its number one spot here.

It’s also interesting to note that the ASX, which uses a normally-aspirated 2.0 litre engine, achieved 7.5 litres per 100 km, just 0.13 litres behind the 3008, which makes it the most fuel efficient vehicle among its 2.0 litre competitors and it is also very comparable to the Pug.

We reckon that the ASX achieved almost similar numbers due to its engine tune, its MIVEC (or Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system) calibration and of course its transmission tune. The engine also utilises a lightweight aluminium block which helps the ASX achieve positive such results. We must also take the vehicle kerb weight into account. It appears that the ASX is lighter than the 3008, with a kerb weight of 1,375 kg. Its French rival is 1,450 kg in comparison.

CONCLUSION

Danny says

Big or small, boxy or curvy, there’s an SUV for every one. No lemons here, just entries that excel in various areas. At the end of the day, it depends on what you want out of an SUV, whether as a great family wagon (Nissan fits the bill, Peugeot is out), a personal urban mobile (Peugeot and Mitsu are compact enough and drive well) or great value and bold design (Hyundai).

I love to drive, but I also view the SUV as a family car, which means that practicality and comfort are high in the list. The Honda CR-V is a good all-rounder, but I like the honest, self-confident X-Trail. The Nissan is comfortable in its own skin, and will make you feel as comfortable, too. As for those itchy moments, I’ll buy a cheap fun car.

Harvinder says

Overall, there’s no obvious winner here – all the SUVs here definitely pass the minimum requirement, so it’s a matter of personal choice. You should also look at other factors such as safety features and pricing. The 3008 comes with a 5-star Euro NCAP rating which is made up by 6-airbags, ESP and ISOFIX points, among others. It retails for RM146,888 (all prices here are OTR including insurance).

The Tucson on the other hand has two airbags and ESP and it retails at RM139,888 for the 2.0 litre High Spec. The ASX is also fitted with dual airbags and ESP (or ASC, as Mitsubishi calls it). Also in the list is Hill Start Assist. The ASX goes for RM139,980, which is similar to the Tucson. The CR-V comes with four airbags and ESP (or VSA) and it goes for RM149,980.

Finally, the X-Trail, which goes for RM149,500; it comes with, yes, you guessed it right, dual airbags but without ESP, which is interesting to note. It only has ABS with EBD and BA. That’s a bit of a downside, given a price tag that’s a shade off being the most expensive of the lot. To me, the fight would go down between the Mitsubishi ASX and the Peugeot 3008, if I were shopping for an SUV.

Anthony says

There wasn’t a runaway pick of the heap, not where I’m concerned; it’s nice to see how close things have gotten in the segment that there wasn’t one dominant player. The ASX is my weapon of choice from a driving perspective – the CVT aside, it is engaging, to say the least. But that’s never the only reason why one buys a vehicle in this segment. and its size means that those shopping for a full-fledged SUV may find this crossover too small for their needs.

The same goes for the 3008. Pluses are a highly refined interior and tractable, crowd-pleasing mill, but its lack of heft may preclude it as a straight choice to most. Its appeal lies with those who find the allure of a Continental offering winsome, and provides those seeking an alternative to the predominantly Japanese/Korean crowd a perfect option. A small family (quite literally, for rear occupants!) is also a prerequisite.

The Tucson shows how much the Koreans have closed the gap, but still, haven’t quite gotten the cigar – there are key areas in which its lack of absolute refinement shows it up (it’d have been very interesting pitting the plusher Sportage cousin into the mix against the Japanese competition). Still, the external shape is light years ahead of the previous one, and its main point is that it now offers a serious contender as an alternative if you don’t want to go with a Jap offering, and think a Pug is too much work.

In the end, from the assembled crew, I’d take my pick from the X-Trail and CR-V. I didn’t expect the X-Trail to figure as highly as it did – looks truly can be deceiving. I liked its honesty; it doesn’t paint anything more into the picture than it should, and it goes about everything in such clean, unfettered fashion there is much to like about it and its character.

As for the CR-V, well, its strength is in its overall presentation and coherency – here, it never led in any particular aspect, but scored high and kept pace with its overall level of refinement and, most importantly, its consistency in delivery across the board. A large number of buyers have likely found that very essence – and composition – appealing, given the numbers shifted through the years. With this household being one of these, I’m not inclined to disagree with the collective, that plying the safe, consistent route is not such a bad thing. The tick goes in this box for me then in this particular five-way.

Look after the jump for mega photo galleries of all 5 contenders.

GALLERY: Mitsubishi ASX

GALLERY: Honda CR-V

GALLERY: Nissan X-Trail

GALLERY: Peugeot 3008

GALLERY: Hyundai Tucson

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Nasim opens Peugeot Blue Box Sungai Petani in Kedah

Danny Tan — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:28:23 +0000

Nasim Sdn Bhd, official distributor for Peugeot in Malaysia, has opened the Peugeot Blue Box Sungai Petani in Kedah. This is part of a network expansion drive that has yielded five new outlets in 2011. The other new facilities are in Melaka, Kota Bharu, Balakong and Kota Kinabalu.

With Sungai Petani onboard, there are now a total of 21 Peugeot sales outlets and 19 service centres in Malaysia. Operated by Le French Lifestyle Sdn Bhd, a unit of the Chye Seng Group of Companies, Peugeot Blue Box Sungai Petani is a 3S centre offering sales, service and spare parts.

The outlet is equipped with the Peugeot Planet System Diagnostic tool that can perform full static and dynamic diagnostics on the vehicle’s management software. It can also be utilised to carry out software updates. Peugeot Blue Box Sungai Petani is equipped with two service bays and can service up to six vehicles per day.

Nasim is also looking at a great year in terms of sales growth. As at end November 2011, the Naza Group company has sold 4,949 units, which is 92% higher than the volume sold in the same period in 2010. In addition, Peugeot sales in Malaysia as of end October 2011 accounted for 86% of the French carmaker’s total sales in the ASEAN region.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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Peugeot wins Le Mans Cup for the second year

Anthony Lim — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:32:08 +0000

Peugeot finished off the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011 season on a winning note, with a one-two finish at the six-hours of Zhuhai race in China last weekend securing a sixth race win – and a fourth one-two – in seven races for the automaker. It had earlier secured the ILMC manufacturer and team titles at the Petit Le Mans race in the United States in October.

At Zhuhai, Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Bourdais, in the number 7 Peugeot 908, claimed victory ahead of teammates Franck Montagny and Stéphane Sarrazin, who were in the number 8 Peugeot 908, after a close race in which the Peugeot 908s once again combined performance, reliability and endurance.

After making its competitive debut this season, the Peugeot 908 celebrated its fifth win in seven races, and the car has displayed exemplary reliability, with only one DNF this year, low fuel consumption and low tyre wear on its way to victory.

The 2011 ILMC season has also seen five pole positions, 13 podium finishes and seven fastest race laps for Peugeot on its way to bagging the championship, which had the 12-Hours of Sebring, 1,000 km of Spa-Francorchamps, 6-Hours of Imola, 6-Hours of Silverstone, 24-Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans in Atlanta and the 6-Hours of Zhuhai as the races.

The manufacturer’s title was secured with 211 points, with Audi a distant second on 119, while for the team title, Team Peugeot Total finished with 113 points, ahead of Audi Sport Team Joest on 85 points.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:01:32 +0000.

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