Peugeot targets low $20K price for 2008

Peugeot will launch its 2008 city-SUV in Australia in October with a starting price just north of $20,000.

The local distributor, Peugeot Automobiles Australia, has yet to completely finalise pricing -- or whether it will bring diesel as well as petrol engines -- and is reticent to forecast sales, but suspects it could be become its biggest selling model.

The 2008 (officially pronounced ‘two thousand and eight’ rather than ‘two double-o eight’) will launch into a rapidly expanding small SUV segment that is currently led by the Hyundai ix35, Nissan Dualis and Subaru XV, but will soon also add the Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke, Holden Trax, Opel Mokka and Renault Captur.

PAA, which was the fastest growing brand in terms of in SUV sales in Australia in 2012 (albeit off a tiny base), believes it could sell more than 1000 examples of the 2008 in a full year. In 2012, the top-selling Pug was the mid-sized 508 model family with 1053 sales.

“We don’t know what the potential is but we do know Australians seem to resonate very strongly with SUVs,” said PAA General Manager/Director Bill Gillespie. “But not everyone wants an SUV with a big footprint, so there’s a lot of potential for a car like that in major urban areas.”

Based on a 200mm longer wheelbase version of the PF1 platform that underpins the 208 mini-car, the 2008’s five-door body measures 4159mm long, 1739mm wide and 1556mm high. It is a five-seater with 360 litres of luggage space that expands to 1194 litres with the rear seat folded.

There are eight engines offered with the 2008 in Europe, but the three that seem most likely for Australia are a 1.2-litre triple-cylinder VTi petrol, 1.6-litre four-cylinder VTi petrol and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder HDi turbo-diesel.

A 1.2-litre triple-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is expected within months and is also being considered for Australia.

Transmission choices will be manual-only for the naturally aspirated 1.2 and turbo-diesel, or the choice of manual or old-school four-speed automatic with the 1.6 VTi. A new generation of autos has been promised by Peugeot for its small cars, but is still approximately two years away. The 1.2 turbo is expected to be the first engine to be matched with it.

Whichever choices are made the small, relatively light (as low as 1045kg kerb weight) and front-wheel drive-only 2008 will have fuel economy and emissions cleanliness among its major selling points.

Based on ECE testing, the 82kW/118Nm 1.2 manual’s combined claim is 4.9L/100km (114g CO2/km). The 84kW/270-285Nm turbo-diesel averages 4.0L/100km (105g CO2/km) while the 88kW/160Nm 1.6 VTi averages 5.9L/100km and 135g CO2/km (auto: 6.5L/100km and 150g/km). Most engines in the range come with a fuel-saving idle-stop function, although the 1.6 VTi misses out.

Performance is less compulsive reading. The manual 1.6 VTi is the only drivetrain to accelerate to 100km/h in less than 10 seconds.

PAA is yet to publicly confirm details of the model grades, but is likely to follow the same designations as it does with the 208, which includes Active, Allure, Allure Premium and Allure Sport variants. Gillespie promised the 2008 line-up would be feature a “high specification”.

In Europe equipment offered standard or optionally includes 16-inch alloys, satellite-navigation, auto park assist, a panoramic sunroof, distinctive interior LED strip lighting, a seven-inch media screen, cruise control, heated seats and dual-zone climate-control.

Safety equipment includes switchable stability control, six airbags and lap-sash seatbelts and adjustable head restraints for all passengers.

Peugeot has yet to decide whether to offer the 2008 with five-mode Grip Control, an advanced form of ‘off-road’ traction control fitted with chunkier tyres in the front-wheel drive 3008 crossover.

Gillespie revealed that PAA conducted customer clinics with the 2008 in Sydney and Melbourne in January and found a strong response among families with young children, couples and singles.

“We are looking at 2008 as a chance for us to talk to people we haven’t talked to before,” he explained. “It’s a little bit edgy and a little bit different so it puts a spin across the brand that we are a little bit different to the other marketplace offerings and allows us to separate ourselves out in that way.”

Gillespie admitted that the 2008 didn’t offer all sales upside for Peugeot, as it would probably cannibalise some sales from other models in the range such as the 3008, 4008 and 308.

The 2008 will also act as the replacement for the 207 Touring, which is not being carried on in the 208 line-up.

“But we’d rather cannibalise ourselves than the sale go somewhere else,” he said.

Australian 2008 supplies will come from France, but it will also be built in China and Brazil, reflecting Peugeot’s plan to sell up to 200,000 examples per annum across 180 markets.
Peugeot targets low $20K price for 2008

All-new 2008 mini SUV could become French brand’s biggest Australian seller

Peugeot will launch its 2008 city-SUV in Australia in October with a starting price just north of $20,000.

The local distributor, Peugeot Automobiles Australia, has yet to completely finalise pricing -- or whether it will bring diesel as well as petrol engines -- and is reticent to forecast sales, but suspects it could be become its biggest selling model.

The 2008 (officially pronounced ‘two thousand and eight’ rather than ‘two double-o eight’) will launch into a rapidly expanding small SUV segment that is currently led by the Hyundai ix35, Nissan Dualis and Subaru XV, but will soon also add the Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke, Holden Trax, Opel Mokka and Renault Captur.

PAA, which was the fastest growing brand in terms of in SUV sales in Australia in 2012 (albeit off a tiny base), believes it could sell more than 1000 examples of the 2008 in a full year. In 2012, the top-selling Pug was the mid-sized 508 model family with 1053 sales.

“We don’t know what the potential is but we do know Australians seem to resonate very strongly with SUVs,” said PAA General Manager/Director Bill Gillespie. “But not everyone wants an SUV with a big footprint, so there’s a lot of potential for a car like that in major urban areas.”

Based on a 200mm longer wheelbase version of the PF1 platform that underpins the 208 mini-car, the 2008’s five-door body measures 4159mm long, 1739mm wide and 1556mm high. It is a five-seater with 360 litres of luggage space that expands to 1194 litres with the rear seat folded.

There are eight engines offered with the 2008 in Europe, but the three that seem most likely for Australia are a 1.2-litre triple-cylinder VTi petrol, 1.6-litre four-cylinder VTi petrol and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder HDi turbo-diesel.

A 1.2-litre triple-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is expected within months and is also being considered for Australia.

Transmission choices will be manual-only for the naturally aspirated 1.2 and turbo-diesel, or the choice of manual or old-school four-speed automatic with the 1.6 VTi. A new generation of autos has been promised by Peugeot for its small cars, but is still approximately two years away. The 1.2 turbo is expected to be the first engine to be matched with it.

Whichever choices are made the small, relatively light (as low as 1045kg kerb weight) and front-wheel drive-only 2008 will have fuel economy and emissions cleanliness among its major selling points.

Based on ECE testing, the 82kW/118Nm 1.2 manual’s combined claim is 4.9L/100km (114g CO2/km). The 84kW/270-285Nm turbo-diesel averages 4.0L/100km (105g CO2/km) while the 88kW/160Nm 1.6 VTi averages 5.9L/100km and 135g CO2/km (auto: 6.5L/100km and 150g/km). Most engines in the range come with a fuel-saving idle-stop function, although the 1.6 VTi misses out.

Performance is less compulsive reading. The manual 1.6 VTi is the only drivetrain to accelerate to 100km/h in less than 10 seconds.

PAA is yet to publicly confirm details of the model grades, but is likely to follow the same designations as it does with the 208, which includes Active, Allure, Allure Premium and Allure Sport variants. Gillespie promised the 2008 line-up would be feature a “high specification”.

In Europe equipment offered standard or optionally includes 16-inch alloys, satellite-navigation, auto park assist, a panoramic sunroof, distinctive interior LED strip lighting, a seven-inch media screen, cruise control, heated seats and dual-zone climate-control.

Safety equipment includes switchable stability control, six airbags and lap-sash seatbelts and adjustable head restraints for all passengers.

Peugeot has yet to decide whether to offer the 2008 with five-mode Grip Control, an advanced form of ‘off-road’ traction control fitted with chunkier tyres in the front-wheel drive 3008 crossover.

Gillespie revealed that PAA conducted customer clinics with the 2008 in Sydney and Melbourne in January and found a strong response among families with young children, couples and singles.

“We are looking at 2008 as a chance for us to talk to people we haven’t talked to before,” he explained. “It’s a little bit edgy and a little bit different so it puts a spin across the brand that we are a little bit different to the other marketplace offerings and allows us to separate ourselves out in that way.”

Gillespie admitted that the 2008 didn’t offer all sales upside for Peugeot, as it would probably cannibalise some sales from other models in the range such as the 3008, 4008 and 308.

The 2008 will also act as the replacement for the 207 Touring, which is not being carried on in the 208 line-up.

“But we’d rather cannibalise ourselves than the sale go somewhere else,” he said.

Australian 2008 supplies will come from France, but it will also be built in China and Brazil, reflecting Peugeot’s plan to sell up to 200,000 examples per annum across 180 markets.

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