Archive for Peugeot

This strange cute yellow thing is the Peugeot honey-B concept, and like it’s namesake looks pretty much like a big honey bee on wheels. It was developed to combined the feeling of being in a large SUV-like car but with the efficiency of an aerodynamic design, something tall and bulky SUVs are hardly capable of achieving.

Like all futuristic concepts, the Peugeot honey-B concept is powered by hydrogen fuel cells and in-wheel motors. The honey-B is also disabled-friendly, with seats equipped with hydraulic arms that can deploy to various pre-set positions outside the car, and retract back in again automatically after you’ve sat in it.

Designer’s description and more photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Peugeot Design Contest: Peugeot honey-B

This is the Peugeot Venom, another entry for the 2007 Peugeot Design Contest. This particular concept car was designed by 23 year old David Seesing from the United Kingdom. The car has a narrow cockpit inspired by Formula 1 car design, and seats two. A description by the designer as well as more photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Peugeot Design Contest: Peugeot Venom

This entry for the 2007 Peugeot Design Contest is the Concept LiiON by Sano Cristian, 27 years old from Romania. it is a 3-wheeled concept vehicle, with a single wheel at the back, and it is able to lean from side to side for cornering. The vehicle is powered by an electric motor powered by lithium ion cells (hence the name LiiON) which drives the single rear wheel. A description by the designer and more photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Peugeot Design Contest: Concept LiiON

I will be posting all 30 entries to the 2006/2007 Peugeot Design Contest for your viewing pleasure. The 2007 Peugeot Design Contest theme for this year is P.L.E.A.S.E. Innovate. P for Pleasurable to Drive, L for Lively, E for Efficient, A for Accessible, S for Simple, and E for Ecological. This is the Peugeot PLAIRE, by 35 year old James Ma from the USA. More photos and details after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Peugeot Design Contest: Peugeot PLAIRE

[ LATEST UPDATE: Naza has updated the Naza 206 Bestari for the 2008 model year. Click the link for more information! ]

Finally after a long wait, the press fleet for the Naza 206 Bestari is ready and I managed to get a hold of one unit to write a test drive report. The Naza 206 Bestari, codenamed the NX-02 is basically a locally assembled rebadged version of the Peugeot 206, in fact the Peugeot lion badge is still displayed proudly on the rear hatch. Look after the jump for what I think about the Naza 206 Bestari.

Click here to read the rest of Naza 206 Bestari Test Drive Review

Peugeot’s 206CC revolutionalised the convertible market, bringing the coupe-cabriolet concept not just to the high-end luxury market, but in a price range that was comfortable for everyone, well, almost everyone anyway. It achieved sales figures of 500,000 units worldwide in the past 6 years since it’s introduction in 2001. It’s successor, the Peugeot 207CC was first shown to us as a preview in the form of the Peugeot 207 EPURE Concept, which was basically a 207CC body with an electric powertrain. Today Peugeot announces details and specifications of the new Peugeot 207CC.

More details after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Peugeot 207CC announced

Here’s the exact list of enhancements you will get when you choose to purchase a Naza 206 Bestari in Sportivo trim at RM76,888.00 over the normal Naza 206 Bestari.

Full list after the jump, as well as more photos of the car.

Click here to read the rest of Naza 206 Bestari Sportivo Specifications

Here are some due updates on the few companies that might end up as a new stakeholder in Proton, as well as have a controlling stake in it’s manufacturing arm.

Mofaz

Mofaz has teamed up with a foreign technical partner in it’s bid for a stake in Proton Holdings Bhd. This proposal was submitted three months ago, but the foreign partner in question was not named. Mofaz intends to help turn Proton around, and stresses this is more important than owning a stake in it. How do have the power to turn Proton around without having a controlling stake in Proton, I don’t know. Apparently Mofaz has it’s own way of influencing Proton’s management without a stake?! - Source

Sime Darby

No firm acknowledgement of the intention to buy shares so far. Sime Darby itself has had it’s shares suspended to be merged with Kumpulan Guthrie, and Golden Hope.

Naza

Naza, being a private company, has no Bursa Malaysia sending them queries to explain news so they’ve been quiet about this for quite sometime. But Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin finally let the bird out of the cage at the launch of Naza’s new 3S facility at Juru. A letter of intent has been submitted two months ago to the government on the matter of the Naza Group acquiring a stake in Proton Holdings Bhd. Naza believes it can bring the company to greater heights. - Source

DRB-HICOM

Refer to this post for the latest on DRB-HICOM’s plans to take over Proton. No new updates since then.

Volkswagen

No word from Volkswagen themselves, but our government has confirmed it is in talks with Volkswagen again, with the possibility of a controlling stake purchase, which is what Volkswagen wanted but was denied before talks broke down some time ago.

PSA Peugeot Citroen

PSA’s technical team is in town to conduct feasibility studies in the areas of collaboration highlighted in the previous MoU signed. However, Proton says it is not aware of any intentions by PSA to take up a stake in Proton, while officials from PSA itself has mentioned that there are no intentions to take up a stake, merely to partner up for doing business together in the region. Since PSA Peugeot Citroen already has a preexisting partnership with the Naza Group, there seems to be some form of “tag team” of local and foreign partners in place here with Naza and PSA. If not so, then PSA’s collaboration with Proton could be for the Citroen brand instead - remember PSA Peugeot Citroen doesn’t necessarily mean Peugeot! - Source

Unnamed sources told the NST’s Business Times paper today that PSA Peugeot Citroen will be sending a top team to meet with Proton’s top management as well as officials from the Ministry of Finance and Khazanah Nasional on the proposed purchase of Proton shares.

Apparently this brief was scheduled to be presented later, but the time was brought forward due to pressure from the news of Volkswagen’s renewed interest in Proton’s manufacturing arm last week.

The proposal will include a proposed stake purchase in Proton’s manufacturing arm as well as technical tie-ups between the two car manufacturers that will benefit both parties. Possible collaboration in areas such as product development, manufacturing, quality initiatives, vendor development, contract assembly and distribution will be discussed.

On a side note, updates on this blog from now until next Wednesday might be scarce and sporadic as I will be out of the country - updates will depend on the availability of internet access in the hotel.

Okay, so it looks like Peugeot is trying to milk as much cash as it can from the Peugeot 206 body with it’s latest Peugeot 206 Escapade sold in Brazil, but does anyone remember what the original Peugeot 206 Escapade Concept car looked like?

A perfect example of how a production version might be very different from concepts, the Peugeot 206 Escapade Concept shown in 1998 was based on the 3-door version of the Peugeot 206, kitted out to look like an offroader, had a higher suspension (by 5cm to be exact) and came complete with the spare tyre mounted on the tailgate.

Three more photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of The original Peugeot 206 Escapade Concept