Nasim kicked off the 2011 new car launch calendar today with the market introduction of its Peugeot 308 CC, the first of four new models the company is planning to unveil here this year.

As mentioned previously, the 2+2 arrives here in THP 156 form, with the 156 hp and 240 Nm Prince twin-scroll turbo, direct injection 1.6 litre block at the heart of things, working with a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic and a sport mode. Performance figures include a 212 kph top speed and a 0-100 kph sprint time of 9.8 secs.

The good news is that the pricing is well below that of the indicative one from last week – the 308 CC rolls in at RM186,888, on-the-road with insurance. Two body colour choices are available, these being Pearl White (with contrasting Integral Vintage leather for the interior) and Mocha Brown (with what is a very exotic sounding Luxury Grey Lama leather interior).

Exterior-wise, while the Pug family face is pretty evident upon first glance, the CC features a steeper-sloped front windscreen and a more distinctive sports bumper to help differentiate it from its other 308 siblings. Elsewhere, there’s dynamic directional xenon headlamps with automatic height adjustment and washers, LED rear lights, 18-inch alloy wheels (with 225/40 series tyres) and a twin rear diffuser as part of the exterior parcel.

For the interior, there’s plenty of leather about, with seating, steering wheel and even the dashboard getting the cowhide treatment. Features include dual zone air-conditioning, electric front seats (with memory functionality for the driver’s seat), cruise control, instrument dials with white backgrounds and a retractable high resolution 7-inch 16:9 LCD screen.

For entertainment (as if the car isn’t enough already), there’s a CD player/MP3 head unit with Bluetooth connectivity, partnered to a JBL Hi-Fi audio system replete with 10 speakers and a 240 watt amplifier. As for the two-piece electrically retractable hard-top roof, this one folds up and down within 20 seconds; boot space volume is 465 litres with the top up, and 266 litres with the roof folded.

As is the usual, a host of three-letter acronyms abound here: ESP, ABS, EBD, EBA, DSC and Anti-Skid Regulation (ASR), surely enough TLAs to convince. Meanwhile, passive safety kit in the 5-Star Euro NCAP-rated vehicle includes a rear roll-over protection system – comprised of active extendable aluminum roll-over protection bars that pop up within 20-miliseconds in the event of a roll-over – as well as six airbags, which include the world’s first side head airbags, housed in the seat and deployed laterally from the head restraint.

If you’d like to get a closer look at this topless act, then the Nasim roadshow – which runs from tomorrow to Sunday – at Bangsar Shopping Centre is surely the place to do so.

Live gallery of launch photos after the jump.
[Read more...]

Looks like Peugeot boys Nasim will have the honour of being the first to kick off new car launches in 2011 – the 308 CC is set to make its local debut on January 6, the first of three Pug models that will make their way here next year (the RCZ should be one). Folks in KL will be able to get to grips with the two-door convertible the day after the launch at a Nasim roadshow, which runs from January 7-9, in Bangsar Shopping Centre.

The car, which is indicatively priced at RM200,000, is powered by a THP 156 Prince 1.6 litre twin scroll turbo engine with direct injection. As found on the recently launched 5008 MPV, the block offers 156 hp and 240 Nm of torque, and it’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with Triptronic and a sport mode.

Features and kit includes a two-piece electrically retractable roof which folds up/down within 20 seconds, dynamic directional xenon headlamps, LED rear lights, 18-inch alloy wheels and a twin rear diffuser design. Safety-wise, there are six airbags, as well as the world’s first side head airbags which are housed in the seat and deployed laterally from the head restraint.

Inside, the 308 CC features a premium leather interior designed in the tradition of prestige cabriolets, a retractable high resolution 7-inch LCD screen, a JBL Hi-Fi system, dual zone air-conditioning and premium leather electric front seats with memory functionality for the driver’s seat.

Nearly popped under the radar, this one – Nasim is having a nationwide 207 sedan test drive event this weekend, so if you’re looking to test drive the car, which has already recorded over 350 bookings locally since its launch on November 3, this is a good opportunity to do so.

The sales outlets that will host the test drives are the Peugeot Blue Box in Glenmarie, Kampung Pandan, Kampung Baru, TTDI Plaza, Nasim Petaling Jaya, Nasim Klang, Nasim Bangsar, Nasim Plentong (Johor Bahru), Nasim Juru Auto-City, Nasim Puchong, Nasim Ampang and Nasim Ipoh.

Five Nasim dealers will also be involved, and these are Ang Leng Motor Trading (Muar), Epigenic Corporation (Penang), Eurofrance (Johor Bahru), KS Peugeot Blue Box (Jalan Chan Sow Lin) and KS Kemaman.

All 17 sales outlets will be open from 10am to 7pm today and tomorrow, and you can also pop on by to the Royal Selangor Club today until 10pm and tomorrow from 10am to 6pm for a test drive, if that’s a more convenient location for you. Customers who test drive the 207 will receive a mystery gift, while light refreshments will be served at the sales outlets.

Following plans that were already on the cards, Nasim and Automobiles Peugeot have signed a master agreement for the production of the T73 C-segment sedan, which will be built at the Naza Automotive Manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah.

Nasim is slated to produce 60,000 units of the vehicle – which is expected to be the Peugeot 408 that was launched in the Chinese market earlier in the year, though the official designation for the car has not yet been announced – over a five-year period beginning 2012 and ending in 2016.

The car will be launched in early 2012. Of the 60,000 units, some 60% is being planned for export to other right-hand drive countries in Asean as well as markets outside of the region.

The signing of the T73 master agreement brings things one step closer to making Malaysia Peugeot’s production hub for the region, and there are plans to develop Malaysia into the parts distribution hub for Peugeot for Asean and Pacific countries as well.

The new 207 sedan was the first wave of the expansion plans. Launched locally in early November, the car has already begun making its foray into the Thai market, and first deliveries have begun for the initial order of 44 units. Following Thailand, Nasim intends to begin exporting the new 207 to Indonesia, Brunei and Sri Lanka in the first quarter of 2011.

Nasim Sdn Bhd, official Peugeot distributor, will launch the recently spied Peugeot 5008 MPV at the 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS). The seven-seater will have an indicative price of RM165,000.

Like its 3008 sibling, the 5008 is powered by the THP 156 Prince engine. It’s a 1.6-litre twin scroll turbo engine with direct injection producing 156 hp and 240 Nm of torque. It’s paired to a six-speed auto gearbox with Tiptronic. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 7.9 litres per 100 km.

The dashboard design is similar to the 3008′s, which means you get a wraparound driver focussed “cockpit”. As is the norm for recent Peugeots, the MPV is very well equipped, and standard kit includes a head up display (HUD), leather, 18 sq ft panoramic glass roof, 17in rims and Distance Alert.

The latter has a radar which measures the time in seconds between 5008 and the vehicle in front, transmitting this data to the HUD. An alert can be set between 0.9 seconds and 2.5 seconds. The Available Space Measurement aid gives a visual indication of whether the 5008 can fit in a parking space.

There will be two 7-inch LCD screens in the front seat head restraints, two Bluetooth wireless headsets and a connection console for a DVD player or game console. This makes it possible to connect two video sources simultaneously – one screen for one rear passenger. By the way, the second row comprises three individual seats that can slide, recline and folded flat when you want the maximum 2,506-litre cargo space.

Safety wise, the five-star Euro NCAP rated 5008 has six airbags, Hill Start Assist, ESP, ABS, EBD, EBA, Anti-Skid Regulation, Dynamic Stability Control and anti-whiplash front seat headrests. Click here to see official images.

The Peugeot 308 Turbo has received an update to its engine and transmission just in time for KLIMS 2010. The 1.6 litre Prince engine now puts out 156 horsepower, up 16 horses from the previous 140hp figure, and is now mated to a 6-speed transmission, essentially a similar combo to that installed in the 3008. Peak torque of 240Nm of produced at 1,400rpm.

Other revisions include black-coloured dials for the meter cluster instead of the previous white dials as well as Bluetooth/USB connectivity. Other features include rear passenger air-conditioning vents, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, a six-speaker system, air-conditioned glove box and an instrument panel LCD multi-info display. The 308 has 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, traction control, and two ISOFIX points for child seat installation.

The price tag has also been revised to RM118,888, and with these updates, Nasim plans to sell 30% more 308s a month. The 308 currently sells at an average of 150 units a month.

This Peugeot 5008 was snapped last week while traveling on the LDP via a trailer together with what looks like a 308CC by reader CL Chin. Given that there are only one model of each car on this trailer I think they could be in Malaysia for display at Nasim’s KLIMS 2010 stand. Nasim has already revealed their intentions to bring in the 5008 MPV into Malaysia in the past so this is no surprise, the only question being when, what specs and for how much?

The 5008 is essentially Peugeot’s take on the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso MPV, and the more quirky sibling is already available in Malaysia for RM138,000 non-OTR, equipped with the Prince 1.6 litre turbo engine mated to a 6-speed EGS automated manual transmission. Peugeot’s 5008 will likely have the same 156 horsepower 1.6 litre Prince turbo engine but will use conventional torque converter automatic instead, with 6 cogs as well.

It’s basically the similar powertrain as the one found in the 3008 crossover, and the vehicle’s chassis, like the 3008, is derived from the 308′s C-segment platform. It can seat up to 7 passengers in a three row 2-3-2 configuration. It’s Eastern competitors would be vehicles like the Toyota Wish and the Honda Stream.

You can look after the jump for a full gallery of the 5008 from our previous post covering the 5008′s world unveil.
[Read more...]