Peugeot 308 Turbo retested (6-speed)

Time flies. I could still recall that I was somehow smitten by an early version of this Pug 308 turbo some two years ago. Though it had only 4-speed auto, the road holding and handling were sweet, albeit ride was a little firm. The value-for-money buy (at RM112k) had even gone on to handsomely win the 2009 Car of the Year title from New Straits Times (NST) .




All manufacturers improvise on their cars as years go by. The 'new' 308 turbo is no exception. The sampler that you see in white here has gained a Japanese slush 'box good for six forward ratios. All for the better, lower emissions and more importantly, better fuel economy. Admittedly, it is very smooth on the go now and the car tested licked 190 km/h with ease and the twin-scrolled blower found in this 1.6 engine is quite the lag-free deal, in the vein of BMW turbocharging these days . After all, it is a J-V offspring from BMW-Peugeot union.




However, in its quest for a more fancy panoramic roof (read: heavy), this Pug seems to have a more jello-wobbly suspension setting now, perhaps to offset the added higher mass, suspended above. This warm hatch now rolls, pitch and get busily wobbly with almost every bit of your steering input. Grip levels from those pricey Conti rubbers are still admirably good. Even the rack itself is overtly sensitive, even with input just that wee-bit off-centre.




In short, somehow, the whole package just don't gel. Not anymore. Not when even the driver gets carsick easily. And what's with the noisy A/C blower at full blast and neither hot-nor-cold mostly, climate control? Maybe I am being a bit harsh here with the steeply rake huge front windscreen and glass panoramic roof being untinted yet, in a new car. But it gets uncomfortably hot easily in this 308 with the A/C being stuffy or overwhelmingly noisy most of the time.

Hey, where's the nice good 'ol white face meters? The new "mono-chromed" amber on black is just cheaper-looking and a bore to look at. A lame attempt to mimic BMW items if that was the true intention.

After a few days with it, I have to admit that the latest 308 turbo isn't as desirable as before, not in this latest guise anyway. But it cannot be denied that the sticker price of RM118k is indeed still very tempting against the similarly-classed (RM156k) VW Golf 1.4 TSI. Such is the reality. A cheaper and slightly smaller VW Polo perhaps...anyone?




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Peugeot 308 Turbo tested (2009)

Peugeot 207 Sedan Extreme Test

Peugeot via Nasim has done a promo footage for its new 207 sedan for the Malaysian market.
You will probably never see it being driven this hard on private and public roads in the near- or distant-future...so enjoy the video clips below!

All-new Peugeot 508

The all-new Peugeot 508 - successor to both Peugeot 407 and 607 - looks rather breathtakingly Germanic. Not to be undone by its brethren camp's Citroen C5, the body lines and contours are very teutonic versus its predecessors.

As the numbering nomenclature suggests, the new 507 will be bigger than the outgoing 407 in all dimensions. No engine sizes are confirmed at this moment but there will be a 200 hp-capable hybrid in the mix, available in both sedan and station-wagon (SW) guise. Expect a good range of turbodiesels and petrol units as the singular (fuel) power options.

The new 508 will go on sale sometime Q1 2011 in European markets, following a debut at the Paris Motor Show 2010 this October.

Peugeot 308 (5-door) test part deux: the Turbo version

Apparently, the Malaysian car market is at dearth of proper (officially sold) turbo cars that this Pug seemed heaven sent. More so at quite unbelievable prices of RM112k (initially) to RM114k now. With larger and better looking 17" 5-spoke alloys shod with expensive ContiSportContact3 tyres, climate control A/C, a nice exhaust-gas driven compressor to complement direct injection, plus recently added panoramic glass roof, this Peugeot with a "BMW engine" or "Mini Cooper engine" (BMW-PSA to be precise) must be the default choice for many, seeing that it is the middle child, sandwiched between the sub-RM100k VTi and near-RM160k GT THP175.



I have always been a sucker for soft-touch dashboards, whatever the class or segment. The slab found in the 308 range has hit my (equally) soft spot, albeit a bit too clinical in design i.e. typical Frenchie style. Ditto the chronometer like instruments. Some say it's a bit too old fashioned in the face of LEDs, Optitrons and the likes. I absolutely love the glow behind the instrument needles and those fine fonts embedded within fully illuminated face et al.





Countlessly , I have mentioned how much I dig those soft yet comfy and supportive seats in the VTi n GT. Strangely, the Turbo' ones get a little bigger but too spineless especially around the edges aka lateral flanks. More shapely versus the VTi's but not as comfortable or hugging, though just a tad so.




There's no mistaking the turbo boost here, since you can actually hear the turbine whine upon quickly lifting off the gas pedal after some amount of revving. With a torque of 240Nm lugging the hatch along, it was definitely a better get-up and go. Gaining mid band speed was also a breeze, thereby hastening overtaking manouvres and delivering spades of confidence along with good body control. But somehow, the overall drive experience came across as being busier than the VTi. Likely due to a missing 5th ratio on the gearbox which was more perceptible here, in the sea of higher and wider torque band.




Ride comfort and suspension pliancy seemed lost too in the crowd of the cheaper VTi and even the GT. Being a little too firm and harsh at times, which even the 18" shod GT don't seem to be bothered with. However, the upside to this is excellent tracking composure, nice incisive lane changing and feeling of axles plantedness (due to excellent rubbers?) exhibited by the 308 Turbo. In fact, on two trips up to Bukit Tinggi and back, the 308 Turbo seemed to have aced even my '07 Colt Turbo with original Ralliart "hard-setting" suspension. That's Peugeot suspension tuning wizardry working for you, I guess.




Slightly biggish steering wheel aside and a wee-bit synthetic light feel, the overall performance of this modern-engined 308 cannot be faulted. And yes, my kids love it on other outings too, they didn't get flung around unnecessarily or got nauseated on even longer interstate jaunts. So those with a young family, you don't need to assasinate the boy-racer in you. Boot space is pretty decent too, but of course the ubiquitous Vios/City or Civic/Altis for that matter have rumps that can carry more cadavers. Still personally, I wish this Turbo had that manual 6-speed auto from the GT or the latest 6-speed auto 'box from the upcoming 308CC. And perhaps a little more of that Lion's magic sprinkling on the suspension damping for more suppleness.





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Driven: Peugeot 308 VTi
Peugeot 308 VTi & Turbo launch in Malaysia
Peugeot 308 GT in Malaysia now
All-new Peugeot 308

Driven: Peugeot 308 VTi

There's a lot you can tell of a car just by its seats. Firstly, you can differentiate whether you are made to sit on one or to properly sit in one. While one of the most famous Japanese marque seem to dictate that you plant your gluteus maximus muscle on one of their car 'stools', the Pug that you see above has simply one the most cossseting and supportive item around - for its class or even one segment up. Paired with a suspension pliancy that reeks of Conti finesee - French to be specific - it's truly very pleasant to drive around in one. Case in point, even when you have failed to brake in time for one of those free-for-all-tall-supersized speed bump, the 308 dampers seem to have taken it all in stride. No bottoming out, no jarring thump, no post hump wallow.

While this base 308 may roll a little more than desired around corners, the whole package seem to work very well with the naturally aspirated 1.6L engine. Power is mostly adequate and definitely not underpowered, what's with the 4-speed Titronic Porsche gearbox working well across the sweep of engine speed. Of course, there's that Turbo sibling with much more verve and with what higher bookings probably translating to a notion of better value-for-money. However, all is not lost on this VTi. At sub-RM100k for a C-segment Conti hatch, I doubt you will be able to find anything with ride, seats and body control better than this, brand new with warranty et al. Heck! You can't get even a brand-new Honda Jazz i-VTEC for that kind of money. Go figure.

Peugeot Lion Save Package for 308VTi & 407

Nasim Sdn Bhd (NSB) introduces its new Peugeot Lion Save Package for buyers of the stylish new Peugeot 407 or the sporty Peugeot 308VTi.

New Peugeot 407 and Peugeot 308VTi owners will be able to enjoy a 70% mark down on their respective scheduled service maintenance charges for the first 60,000 km or 36 months, whichever comes first.

In addition to the Lion Save Package, NSB is also providing FREE V-Kool and Solar Gard tint vouchers for the Peugeot 407 and the 308VTi respectively.

The Peugeot Lion Save Package runs from 15 May 2009 to 15 June 2009 at all Nasim branches and authorised dealers. For more information, please call Peugeot Careline toll free at 1-800-88-6292, or log on to www.peugeot.com.my.

Peugeot 308 VTi & 308 Turbo available in Malaysia now

Nasim, the official franchise holder of Peugeot automobiles in Malaysia, has launched the Peugeot 308 and pricing it competitively at RM96,500 for the 308 VTi and RM111,000 for the 308 Turbo, (on-the-road with insurance) in an event officiated by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak.

The new 308 which was the winner of the �Golden Lenkrad� award in 2007 in Germany in its category and also recently the AMI NZ Autocar Car of the Year 2008 in its class. It is set to offer Malaysian car buyers more choice apart from the current mainly Japanese offerings available in the market.

Being locally assembled at the Naza Automotive Manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah, the gorgeous 308 will be available in 5 door form and has the new EP6 series of 1.6 L engines. The EP6 engines have won the International Engine of the Year Award twice, in 2007 and 2008 and are a result of a technical collaboration between Automobiles Peugeot and BMW.

Malaysians will be offered 2 variants of the new Peugeot 308; the Peugeot 308 VTi and the Peugeot 308 Turbo. Both are available with only automatic transmissions with System Tiptronic Porsche; a feature that allows drivers to select manual gear selection or fully automatic. En SM Nasarudin said that these two models reflect the growing taste of Malaysian buyers for European automobiles. He added that the cars have been very well specified and are being positioned as premium offerings within their respective segments.

�The performance of the 308 Turbo is already as good as some 2.0 litre competitors and in some cases even better. The 308 offers a combination of strong engine performance, with top-notch creature comforts, space and safety for both the VTi and Turbo and these alone, are strong points for anyone considering the new 308. Our theme �Naturally Efficient� for the launch shows just how far the automobile has progressed and in the 308�s case, it represents efficiency in all areas; performance, spaciousness, fuel economy, safety and also towards the environment.� He added that customers should get into the car and feel the difference when compared to the car�s competitors.

The Peugeot 308 VTi and Peugeot 308 Turbo models are Nasim�s spearhead into the hotly contested C-segment, at near premium Japanese B-segment hatch (CBU) price levels. With the Peugeot 407 as a testimony to the marque�s acceptance into Malaysian mainstream automotive market, Nasim Sdn Bhd is confident of the 308 repeating the success. En SM Nasarudin hinted that Nasim Sdn Bhd will continue to introduce new and exciting Peugeot models into the Malaysian market that are very competitive in their price and size segments as part of Nasim�s strategy for Peugeot in Malaysia.

Peugeot 308 promo trucks spotted on highways

In a refreshing departure from the usual black-masking-taped vehicular spy shots, Nasim has been very bold with the 308 emblem of its upcoming Pug C-segment hatch. Estimated to be priced circa RM90k for the base version 308VTi 5-door hatch.

The new 308 will be launched on 29th January 2009 by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister (and Prime Minister to-be), YAB Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak at 8.30am. Official details to follow only thereafter...

Related post:

Peugeot 308 coming soon to Malaysia

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Driven: Peugeot 308GT

Driven: Peugeot 308GT

I used to dread the thought of piloting a manual car ever since I sold off my Proton Wira 1.3GL and my Honda Accord (SM4) 2.0i manual from my houseman and medical officer years. Of course, I'd still bear that occasional Langkawi rental car e.g. Iswara LMST in manual guise, for its bargain-basement day charges.

Strangely, after having sampled the new Saga 1.3M, Toyota Vios J, Fiat Bravo 1.4 T-Jet, Civic Type-R, Renault Megane R26 F1, Clio RS and of course, the Peugeot 308GT, I have discovered how much we have drifted away from it all - the joys of a manual 'box. Things like having better control (engine braking) going into corners and livelier overtaking, all while harnessing an engine's torque band more instantaneously. In short, being on top of things when your drive gets more spirited and/or competitive.

Certainly, there is that twin-clutch automated gearbox of late. I have no qualms about such technological advancements since a gearbox having twin drive shafts in tandem with dual clutches - for uninterrupted torque transmission - is simply better than singular (AMT or the regular fully manual clutch). Afterall, such robotic gearbox is the way to go for the future. However, for junkies who simply love their heel-and-toe antics and that stick shifter, the manual tranny is as 'connected' as one can be. Undiluted, good 'ol driving pleasure. Blame it on our horrendous city or urban traffic congestion for such paradigm shift since late 1980s. I could still vividly remember the good times when my dad bought a Datsun 160J SSS, Datsun 120Y, Mazda 323 and Toyota Corolla 1.3 LE (my brothers' memorable Ford Laser TX3 1.6i, Ford Telstar TX5 and Mazda Familia too). Back then, people used to scoff and swear at auto trannies! Can't believe I am now advocating and rediscovering lost love for the manual 'box since it was just early this year that I had quite an animated debate on the virtues of VW's DSG versus a 6-speed manual with a silly fiend (no typo here) of mine.

Click on all images to enlarge



Which brings us to this 6-speed manual Peugeot 308GT with one of the finest gearknob around town. I thought I had carressed the best in the business in the FD2R Civic Type-R but this French 'cap' is real solid and exudes a quality, premium feel. Shift quality is accurate - though not exactly a short shifter - only to be let down by the rather highly set clutch pedal.



The Swiss really know their watches but here I'd say the French know their instrument gauges. Look at the speeedometer layout, contrasts, fonts and that fine needle with a red backdrop-surround glow. I am sure you'd too likened it to a fine chronometer. Ditto the tachometer and the temp/fuel gauges. Clean, neat, easy-to-read and classy. These hopeless romantics also dig shapely wing mirrors. Never mind its rather small field of vision or droopy appearance, like a semi-subluxated fractured wrist, they just looked sexy from both inside and out. Note where the turn signal repeaters are placed, at the base of the wing mirror stalk, and you reckon the French are non-conformist.







On the flipside, they are pretty conforming when it comes to the shared turbocharged Prince powerplant of BMW-Peugeot collaboration. Yes, this is the same 175bhp direct-injected lump found in the new New Mini Cooper S, good for 240Nm of torque from a displacement of just 1.6L.


The new 308GT is simply a looker. It may sport a 3-door sports hatch body but it is indeed spacious on the inside. This Pug rides pliantly well, even on 18-inchers and grippy around corners with standard Pirelli P-Zero Rossos. Those typical French seats are adequately sized, well padded and supportive all around for long journeys. With soft leathers looking upmarket in black, they're pleasantly cosseting and comfortable. In fact, the interior is a nice place to be indeed, as it oozes with plenty of soft touch surfaces and a classy ambience.




At less than RM160k for a fully-imported, continental turbocharged hot hatch, here is one that is loaded with goodies like the JBL hi-fidelity audio system, auto wiper, auto HID headlamps, a multitude of airbags and that airy panoramic roof. Added to this impressive check-list is the heart of the Lion: the New Mini Cooper S' engine with BMW DNA, so you better hurry up to the nearest Nasim showroom if you are serious about getting one for the new year(s) festivities. Last I heard, the equipment specifications and trim may be downgraded with the next CBU batch to keep the new 308GT THP 175's pricing competitive. This is as close as you can get to a new New Mini Cooper S on a 'shoestring' budget.

Related posts:
New Peugeot 308GT in Malaysia now
Peugeot 308VTi and 308Turbo coming soon to Malaysia

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Topless driving: Peugeot 207cc

Peugeot 308 coming soon to Malaysia

Nasim Sdn Bhd (NSB), the official franchise holder for Peugeot has begun taking orders for the new award-winning Peugeot 308. The new car is expected to arrive at all Nasim outlets in January 2009.

Two variants of the new Peugeot 308 will be offered: 308VTi and 308Turbo. Both are 5 door hatchback models with automatic transmission.