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The new 2016 Peugeot 408 was previewed in April, but today marks its official launch in Malaysia. Available in a sole e-THP variant, the locally-assembled (CKD) C-segment sedan makes its debut here some two years after it made its world debut in China – but the Malaysian-spec model had a number of changes since then, adding some choice items from its 308 hatch sibling, as well as a few goodies of its own.

We’ll get to the most important item first – the 408 is priced at RM143,888 on-the-road with insurance. Buyers get a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty (three years from the factory, two years extended), plus complimentary 24-hour Peugeot Assistance service and access to the Peugeot Lounge at Subang Airport.

The 408’s lineage is clear to see from the front – it’s obviously a derivative of the 308, with the same “fanged” full-LED headlights and a similar front bumper design as the hatch. Differences include chrome slats on the grille, with the lion badge now inset, instead of being located on the bonnet as on the 308.

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Fitted here are 17-inch alloy wheels, featuring the same “Rubis” turbine design as on the base 308 THP Active, instead of the Chinese market’s multispoke items. At the rear, Malaysian models are identical to Chinese ones, with C-shaped LED tail lights and dual trapezoidal exhaust exits.

Most of the changes from the Chinese sedan occur inside. Out goes the conventional dashboard layout, replaced by the 308’s avant-garde design with a small-diameter steering wheel, an i-cockpit instrument cluster perched high up the dash, and twin centre air-con vents that flank the 9.7-inch centre display instead of sitting above it.

The electrically-adjustable seats (manual on the 308) feature full leather upholstery instead of Alcantara centres on the high-spec 308 THP and fabric on the Active, and includes the massage function from the upper model. Elsewhere, standard kit includes keyless entry, push-button start, auto lights and wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air-con vents (not available on the 308), a six-speaker sound system with Arkamys 3D and a Smart Park Assist II system.

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Safety kit includes six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, stability control and a blind spot information system. Unfortunately, the car doesn’t get the top 308 THP’s Driver Assistance Pack, which includes Dynamic Cruise Control, Emergency Collision Alert and Emergency Automatic Braking.

Under the bonnet, the 408 carries Peugeot’s ubiquitous 1.6 litre Turbo High Pressure (THP) direct-injected four-cylinder engine that develops 165 hp and 245 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with Quickshift technology. The “e” in the engine’s e-THP moniker refers to the car’s automatic engine start-stop feature that makes its debut in Malaysia on the new 408.