Peugeot wants to change, but is the SR1 the right path?

Peugeot wants to take a big step forward. In fact, three, as it aims to become the seventh biggest automaker in the world (it is currently the tenth). Besides changing its badge for the one you can see at the end of gallery below, it has announced 14 new cars from up to 2012. Will it work? If the new design directions it takes are well received by the public, perhaps. And the SR1 Concept gives us a hint on what this new design direction will be.



Some have called this car stunning, but it really does not look that striking or revolutionary for us. It's nice, to say the most. Anyway, the car presents other qualities that may help it sell well, if it manages to reach the production lines.

The SR1 is 4.83 m long, 1.92 m wide, 1.25 m tall and bears a wheelbase of only 2.60 m (not enough for a car this big). It points out one of Peugeot's main problems lately: big overhangs. They may help the car look beautiful (discussable), but are a pain in the neck for handling.

In a straight line, anyway, the SR1 is able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 s, a respectable mark. This is due to the total 230 kW (313 bhp) the car has available. Follower of the HYbrid4 concept (preached by Peugeot for a long time, but still not accomplished), it uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged THP engine, good for 160 kW (218 bhp), for the front wheels, and an electric powerplant, able to generate 70 kW (95 bhp) for the rear wheels. All that with only 119 g/km of carbon dioxide.

The transmission is a six-speed automated manual gearbox. No double-clutch mentioned, a sign Peugeot should be concerned about other things rather than design. Double-clutch automated transmissions are considered to be the best units of the world and should become predominant in the years to come.

Peugeot also says the car is a unique 2+1 vehicle (as if it was something to be proud about; Toyota iQ, that tiny little thing, is a 3+1) and will present the car at the Geneva Motor Show, in March, with shiny 20" alloy wheels. We still ask: will that be enough to reach the seventh biggest automaker goal? Car buyers will decide.


















Source: Peugeot

SCOOP! - Peugeot 308 Sedan makes its first appearance in China

Although Europe already counts on Peugeot 308 for the past two years, the Old World is still about to see news of this car family, even though some of them may not reach their shores. And it is a pity, once the forthcoming 308 Sedan seems to be one of the most beautiful hatchback-based sedans the French company has ever managed to produce. Take a look at it below and thank the guys from Che51.com, in China, for it.



Although it is based on 308, the new sedan takes inspiration from Peugeot 407. With a wheelbase of 2.61 m, the new saloon is sure to have a huge luggage compartment, considering the hatchback can carry up to 430 l.

Engines must be the same used by 308 in China, where it will be presented for the first time. In the beginning of next year it will also be produced in El Palomar, in Argentina, from where it will be exported to other markets, such as the entire Latin America, as well as some East European countries. Peugeot may even consider selling it in more traditional markets if its looks really are as promising as the disguised cars seem to anticipate. In Argentina, the car will be built with petrol and flexible fuel 1.6-litre and 2-litre engines.





Source: Che51.com

SCOOP! - Reader photographs Peugeot 207 Pick-Up (based on the 206) in Brazil

Last February the reader Bruno Francisco da Silva sent us a very nice picture of the future Peugeot 207 Pick-Up, the first car-based small pick-up truck from the French automaker. Although it is called 207, it is, in fact, a 206 with a 207 face, a car that will be called 206+ in Europe. And so should it have been called in Brazil, also, but that's another story... Now the reader Vinicius Davoli Rossi has sent us more pictures and they present us to details we had not been able to spot before. Check them out with us.



"I was filling up my gas tank and the pick-up parked beside me to refuel, too. I grabbed my cell phone and took these pictures", said Rossi.

With the same suspension used for 207 Escapade, a sort of a crossover version of 206 SW, the new 207 Pick-Up is currently under development, as you can see by the heavy disguise, and it will be presented by the end of 2009. Exports are certain, or else, this vehicle will also be sold in most South American markets. Besides the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre flexfuel engines, it will also offer two diesel options, a 70 bhp 1.9-litre and a 90 bhp 2-litre. According to Rossi, it resembles a lot Chevrolet Montana, known in other South American markets as Tornado.

If you manage to find and photograph a new car running around, disguised or not, and want to share you finding with us, do not hesitate to contact us andsend us your pictures. Please do not forget to authorise us to publish them. We will be glad to share them with our other readers, as we have done with Rossi's picture!





Source: Vinícius Davoli Rossi

Peugeot presents its new midsize minivan, the 5008

Citroën wants to become a more upscale carmaker, but it offers products Peugeot does not have in its range. At least not for the time being, but the idea in PSA seems to include a change in that. This is probably the reason why Peugeot, after presenting its 3008 crossover (sort of), will also introduce the new 5008 minivan at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Even though the German event is only in September, Peugeot has already provided us with pictures that present the new minivan in full details.



The new 5008 will be a seven-seater (five, in really, because the third row is composed by very small seats, similar to the ones used by Opel Zafira). It is 4.53 m long, 1.84 m wide, 1.64 m tall and bears a wheelbase of 2.73 m. The car, just like Citroën C4 Grand Picasso, is built over the Citroën C4/Peugeot 308 platform. The lugagge compartment can hold up from 579 l to 679 l with third row seats folded down. This difference in space is due to the fact that the second row of seats slides in order to make more room in the lugagge compartment, if that is necessary.

Besides the Head-Up Display, which projects speed information, for example, in the windshield in order for the driver not to look any other way than the road, 5008 also features six airbags, standard ESP and other safety equipment in order to be one of the safest people movers around.

As for the engines, there will be six options, two petrol and four diesel units. At first, buyers will only have the 1.6-litre VTi petrol engine, with two different outputs: 120 bhp and 156 bhp. Later, they will be able to choose two 1.6-litre HDi diesel engines. Both produce 110 bhp, but one of them, the BMP6, is slightly more fuel efficient, what, apparently, does not make much sense. This is possibly due to the adoption of an automatic gearbox in the other one, the BVM6. The top diesel engines, both 2-litre HDi units, produce respectively 150 bhp and 163 bhp.

Considering Peugeot has never tried to sell anything in this market segment, let's see how the 5008 performs. If looking good has something to do with sales performance, Peugeot may have a great contender in its hands. Or should we say claws?