The new version of the Peugeot 208 is scheduled to hit the showrooms in the UK by June and is labeled to be ever greener. The engine range were done as if they have a heavy responsibility to save earth from doomsday. The weight and dimensions went down significantly and about twenty five percent of the polymers utilized are made of recycled materials.

Peugeot offers 208 choices for anyone who has the tendency to be picky. Buyers can go for 5-door or 3-door variants, automatic gearbox or manual transmission with five- or six-speed gears, stop-start system, and an option for a navigation system which is already touch screen.

In terms of its looks, the Peugeot 208 displays elements of sharpness and modernity. It has a funkier grille pattern hugged by a redesigned headlamp. The tail lights too are bulkier and also does not have a definite shape. The lines are so French, if we can say so.

The most potent engine for the Peugeot 208 is the 1.6I THP which runs on gas and produces 156 bhp and a torque of 240 Nm. This engine returns a 48.7 miles per gallon. If you are looking for better fuel mileage you can go for the 1.2 or 1. Vti 3-cylinder petrol powerplants which return 62.8 and 65.7 mpg respectively.

The diesel version of the engine the 1.4I e-HDI has the best returns with 83.1 miles per gallon and around 87 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide. The numbers are attributed to the stop-start system and the diesel engine technology.

The Peugeot 208 is lighter by 100 kilos compared to its older sibling the 207. It is also shorter by about 7 cm. The design went on a diet and this gives the occupants of the vehicle additional space.

The driver controls are also very simple with the usual speedometer, fuel gauge, rev meter, and a temperature gauge. The layout of the console and everything else inside the car is pretty basic and functional. Some high tech setup up include the touch screen, Bluetooth or USB connectivity, and other multimedia bits.

The only remaining issue for us will be the handling of the vehicle.

Peugeot unwrapped the 908 Hybrid4 during the motor show in Geneva last March, and just recently, Peugeot subjected the vehicle to its first tract testing at Estoril.

The 908 Hybrid4 had its shakedown run last September in a private venue of PSA Peugeot Citroen. Earlier this month, the car took its first tract test in Portugal. The Peugeot 908 hybrid covered a distance of about 300 kilometers or so under the control of three test drivers. The objective of the test was to cover as much distance and also see if the primary functions of the cars perform according to standards.

After each run, the engineers and team of experts of Peugeot analyzed the data of the car before advancing into the next step of testing. Necessary adjustments were also made during the track test.

The 908 Hybrid4 by Peugeot is a product of years of effort which started bacin in 2008 when the car producer unveiled a hybrid demonstration vehicle deriving its DNA from the 908 HDi FAP at Silverstone. During that time, the goal of the company was to point out the challenges that may be encountered when using the new technology. . In 2010, Peugeot work on the design of the car and as scheduled, benchmark tests are being conducted this year.

The testing of the 908 Hybrid4 is schedule to continue and will be done on a different race track.

Peugeot makes the RCZ even better as it rolls out the limited Asphalt Edition of the exciting coupe. The new styling gets a Telluric Grey paint in matte finishin that enhances the subtle curves of the ride. The carmaker will only release forty of the RCZ Asphalt edition in the United Kingdom.

The Peugueot RCZ Asphalt also gets black brake calipers and badges of the Asphalt. It also rolls on 19-inch alloy rims as standard.

The custom work is also very evident in the interiors. The leather seats come with Asphalt badging and contrast stitching. The designers also gave the ride unique floor mats and door sills. The switch gear also gives that solid feeling plus the high quality leather dashboard.

The low riding Peugeot does not give a lot of space but adults can survive a short trip in the cramped rear seats. The luggage room is adequate enough at 384 liters and can even increase it up to 780 liters when you fold the rear seats.

The RCZ Asphalt takes inspiration from the GT 200 version of the RCZ which is the sharpest and fastest of the line up. The 1.6L turbo powerplant gives out 197 bhp and comes packed thru the rev range. The engine also gives off a good sound through the twin chrome tail pipes. It can go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in a matter of 7.6 seconds. This RCZ returns 40.9 miles per gallon on combined standards and around 159 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide.

The RCZ Asphalt is also setup for a sharper drive with bigger wheel hubs and anti-roll bars. So you can expect this car to handle corners well with good stability, grip, and control.

Other features include smaller steering wheel for sharper responses, parking sensors, satellite navigation, and upgraded sound system.

The RCZ Asphalt Edition has a sticker price of £29,995.

The spectators of the 2010 Paris Motor Show was stunned when French automaker Peugeot finally revealed its latest creation—the EX1 concept. The striking EX1 concept car is a 100% electric-powered vehicle. It runs on two motors that give out a total of 340 bhp and 240 Nm of nonstop torque power. There is an electric motor attached to each of the car’s axles. The initial size of the Peugeot EX1 has been reported at 1.77 meters in width and 0.9 meters in height with the length of the vehicle soon to be announced.

Peugeot’s new baby was designed not just as a city car. Rather, it has been modeled to beat every record in the world of battery-powered vehicles. In order to test the Peugeot EX1, French car enthusiast Nicolas Vanier, together with Han Han, a famous Chinese blogger have planned an event to record the car’s performance. The record-beating event happened in Sichuan province at the Chengdu Military airport. The EX1 reported an unofficial rating of 3.49 seconds during the 0-to-100 kilometers per hour sprint.

Han Han reported figures at 7.0862 second in the eighth-mile run and 12.6754 seconds in the quarter mile test drive. The French car maker have officially released that both figures beat every record in the tests done for battery-powered automobiles. Clearly, the Peugeot EX1 have caught the attention of every electric vehicle company. With the new records set by the Peugeot EX1, it won’t be long before other competitors take up the challenge.

The French automobile company, PSA Peugeot Citroen, has officially kicked off its production of the Citroen C4 hatchback at its Kaluga Plant in Russia last spring.  At present time, the Kaluga plant is concerned with the initial assembly of the Citroen-C4 hatchback, which is one of the highest rated and most popular Citroen vehicles in Russia.  The French car company made an announcement that in the next two years, they will employ welding and painting procedures as they kick off production to a full stretch.  Towards the end of 2010, the Kaluga plant strives to produce 700 Citroen-C4 hatchbacks per month.

The Citroen-C4 hatchback boasts of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 120-horsepower that comes in both manual and automatic transmissions.  The C4 hatchback model comes in three types:  the Optima, which is manufactured specifically for the Russian market, comes with 16-inch wheels, side curtains, leather-bound steering wheel, and a climate control mechanism.  The C4 is expected to be released with a price tag of $19,000 for the Comfort type, $20,000 for the Russian-specified C4 Optima, and $22,500 for the top-of-the-line exclusive version.

The Kaluga plant opened in April 2010 with an expected manufacturing capacity of 125,000 annually.  All the cars manufactured at the Kaluga plant will be exclusive to the Russian market only.  The Kaluga plant sits just about 15 kilometers off the city of Kaluga and approximately 3 kilometers off the Moscow-Kiev highway.  The Kaluga plant has at least 3,000 employees.

PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi Motors are teaming up to make a compact SUV. According to reports, this collaboration will pave the way for the adaptation and development of both Citroen and Peugeot marques. These vehicles are both compact SUVs based on the Mitsubishi RVE platform.

The SUVs are set to be released in Europe by early 2012. These compact SUVs will carry specific design details marking the Citroen and Peugeot lines. Components from the Mitsubishi ASX will also be incorporated. The SUVs will also be stylized to consume low fuel levels. Electric steering and a regenerative breaking system will also be used to promote a more efficient power generation control.

These vehicles will be available in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive. The projected production volume of both the Citroen and Peugeot are set at 50,000 units per year. PSA Peugeot will use a 1.6 HDI diesel engine for models produced under its brand. This type of engine emits low CO2 levels, particularly in the two-wheel drive versions.

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Peugeot recently released the iOn sedan, an all electric vehicle that got its DNA from their i-MiEV platform. The autoworld is also expecting another vehicle based on Citroen soon.

Like the name suggests, the iOn runs on lithium-ion battery. It has an output of 64 horsepower with a torque of 133 pound-foot. Peugeot claims that the top speed of the vehicle is pegged at 81 mph and a single charging can go the distance of 81 miles.

Another great feature of the vehicle that may be useful for fleets is its ability to communicate through a local dispatch so each vehicle can be located.

Charging the vehicle will not really be a problem since the iOn can be plugged into a regular outlet that carries 220 volts. Full charging can be done in as short as 6 hours. There is also an option to fast charge the EV in just 30 minutes and it will carry 80% of its capacity.

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The efforts of Peugeot on building and running diesel race cars on the track may be showing its fruits on their street cars. The French car maker recently announced that the diesel engine of the 407 Coupe is getting an upgrade.

To keep up with the demand of the market today, the 407 Coupe combines power and environmental responsibility with its power train variants:

The Peugeot 407 Coupe gets a V6 3.0L HDi PEF powerplant that is coupled with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. This engine outputs about 241hp and a torque of 450Nm at 1600 rpm which makes it the most powerful engine Peugeot ever produced in its more than one century of car making history – but, as this is still an environmentally-friendly car, it’s also one of the greenest!

The 3.0L engine can zoom the 407 Coupe from 0 to 100 in a matter of 7.7 seconds. In addition to that, it boasts of a 15% improvement in fuel mileage compared to its older V6 sibling that had a displacement of 2.7L.

The other 407 Coupe engine is the 2.0L HDi with PEF that is capable of giving 163hp and a torque of 340Nm. Coupled with PEF or particle emission filter and manual 6-speed gearbox, the car brings a total value package in terms of price, performance, and kindness to the environment. This 2.0L variant can drive for 100km in just 5.4L of fuel plus a 20% power improvement from the previous generation.

In France, the 3.0L V6 variant of the 407 Coupe has a sticker price of 47,600 Euros while the 163hp 2.0L variant goes for 33,350 Euros.

Concentrating on manufacturing smaller cars running with highly efficient diesel power plants seems to be collecting profits for Peugeot which figures an 18.6% sales share of cars with sub 120 g/km in the UK and around 15.5% all over Europe. Peugeot also ruled 14.3% of shares in the sub 130 field.

To make the picture clearer, there was 1 Peugeot in every 6 vehicles sold in the UK and Europe for 2008. That is the reason why the car company tops the sales for low CO2 emitting vehicles that part of the globe.

The range of cars of Peugeot has 36 kinds of vehicles that are below the 121 g/km. The commitment of the car manufacturer to build environment friendly cars had made their Blue Lion standards a household name in the UK. The Blue Lion standards refer to their vehicles that are all below the CO2 emission rating of 131 g/km.

In the UK, the Peugeot 107 led the pack of the best selling vehicles with a very low CO2 emission of 106 g/km for 2008. The 107 sold 16701 units in 2008 which is a jump from the 15333 in 2007.

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Most cars have their own history that tells about their beginning and the routes and models the car took before they reached where they are now today. Sometimes in their glorious history most of the organizations that manufacture cars have had built cars that have participated in races too. The same holds true for the Peugeot stables too. Peugeot too has a fabled racing history.

Pictured above, a Biodiesel Powered Peugeot Racer!

Just check the racing history and you will observe how Peugeot blazed across the racing tracks in the early part of the 20th century. Check out the race history of Indianapolis for the years 1913, 1916 and 1919 and you will observe how the opponents were just crushed by Peugeot. If they did not come first, one could be rest assured that they would either be in the second or in the third position, such was the awe and power of the Peugeot car. The year 1915 and 1916 both saw Peugeot winning the Vanderbilt Cup.

Peugeot had started a new trend in the races with their small, four cylinder high rpm engines. This was a move away from the big cars that used to dominate the races. Later on the entire racing cars of the world took over that same style. It can be said that the revolution that was started by Peugeot, changed the way racing cars were built. This is but a small glimpse of the racing history of the world famous Peugeot car.