Peugeot 408 Sedan Production Begins in South America

Following on from the launch and the start of production of the new 408 sedan in China earlier this year, Peugeot announced on Monday that it has begun building the compact saloon at the PSA Peugeot Citroën Palomar factory, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Not to be confused with the larger 508, the VW Jetta-sized 408 is the sedan variant of the Peugeot 308 family which includes hatchback, station wagon and coupe-convertible body styles.

The 408 will have its South American premiere at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil at the end of October. Aside from Argentina and Brazil, the compact sedan will also go on sale in 25 other Latin American countries.

Peugeot did not release any information on the powertrain options for the South American spec model. In China, the 408 is offered with a choice of 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline engines producing 106HP and 147HP respectively.

New Peugeot 308 GTi Reaches the UK as the 308 GT THP 200

The Golf GTI-rivaling Peugeot 308 GTi has arrived in the UK badged as the 308 GT THP 200. Available only as a five-door model, the hot hatch goes on sale in Britain this month, priced at £21,995 OTR. In comparison, VW's 210HP Golf GTI with a 6-speed manual starts from £24,295 (3d) / £24,880 (5d).

Powered by Peugeot's 1.6-liter turbocharged 200-horsepower THP petrol engine mated to a six-speed gearbox, the new 308 GT THP 200 can get from 0-62mph [100km/h] in 7.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 140mph [225km/h].

It s CO2 emissions are rated at 159g/km, while the combined fuel economy is 41mpg UK, equal to 34.1mpg US and 6.9lt/100km.

The sportiest variant of the 308 family gets a revised suspension and steering wheel system as well as beefier brakes and 18-inch alloy wheels shod in 225/40 R18 tires.

There's also a number of -relatively discreet- styling features that set it apart from the standard 308s including a bright black carbon-style insert under the front bumper lower skirt, a roof spoiler, rear diffuser and twin chrome exhaust pipes.

Inside, there are sports seats, aluminium pedals, footrest and gear lever knob, a leather sports steering wheel with aluminium detailing and a black lacquer fascia front panel.

The new Peugeot 308 GT THP 200 is available in the UK in six different exterior body colours - Bianca White, Nera Black, Aluminium, Shark Grey, Ipanema Blue and Babylon Red, all combined with Payerne black half leather interior trim.

Peugeot Treats 308 Range with 'Millesim 200' Special Edition Models

After the UK market 207 hatchback and SW models, it's time for the 308 range to receive the 'Millesim 200' treatment in celebration of Peugeot's 200th anniversary.

There will be four models (two petrol, two diesel), all based on the 308 five-door S hatchback version but with additional standard specification that includes fully body colored exterior, 16-inch alloy wheels, sports front grille with chrome detailing, sports rear bumper, Peugeot Connect USB & Bluetooth and unique Millesim 200 badging.

There are two petrol engine options, a 1.4-liter with 98bhp or a 1.6-liter unit with 120bhp, and two diesel, a 1.6-liter with either 90bhp or 110bhp.

The 308 Millesim 200 is available for order in Britain with prices starting from £16,245.00 on-the-road for the 1.4 VTi 98 version. As with the 207, all 308 models ordered in June also come with a free Nokia 5230 smartphone with inbuilt satellite navigation and an car-mounting kit.

	On-the-road Price	Combined MPG	CO2 Emissions
308 Millesim 1.4 VTi 98	£16,245.00	43.46	149
308 Millesim 1.6 VTi 120	£16,745.00	43.46	155
308 Millesim HDi 90	£17,495.00	62.70	120
308 Millesim HDi 110	£18,245.00	62.70	120

Peugeot Tries to Challenge Golf GTI with New 308 GTi 200HP

The GTI badge isn't dead for Peugeot after all. Despite previous reports from certain media outlets in the UK, the French firm has just launched a new 308 GTi sport hatchback model for the European market.

Available exclusively as a 5-door model (at least for the time being), the new 308 GTi gets the same 1.6-liter THP engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger found on other PSA Peugeot and Citroen and MINI products, including Peugeot's own RCZ sports coupe.

It produces an output of 200-horsepower available from 5,500 to 6,800 rpm and a maximum torque of 275 Nm or 202.8 lb-ft between 1,700 and 4,500 rpm. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Peugeot says that the 308 GTi accelerates from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.7 seconds, while it completes the 1,000m sprint in 27.8 seconds and returns an average fuel consumption of 6.9 lt/100km or 34.1mpg US with 159 g/km of CO2.

The car's chassis has also been adapted to match the characteristics of the engine featuring a new suspension and steering wheel system setup, a 10mm lower ride height and 340 mm diameter brake discs at the front and 290 mm at the rear. The 308 GTi rides on 18-inch alloy wheels shod in 225/40 R18 sport tires.

The styling upgrades over the standard 308 are rather subtle and include a bright black carbon-style insert under the front bumper, a lower front panel derived from the 308 CC, roof spoiler, a rear diffuser finished in Perla Nera black, GTI badges and twin chrome exhaust pipes.

Distinctive interior features include sports seats at the front, aluminum foot rest and gear knob, leather sport steering wheel with a flattened bottom and thumb rests, and piano black fascia trim.

In France, the 308 GTi will be launched on the10th June, with prices starting from €26,900.