All -New 2013 Peugeot 208 Launched by Nasim
Nasim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor for the Peugeot brand in Malaysia, today launched the multiple-award winning All New Peugeot 208.
Since December 2012, the 208 has been Europe’s best-selling B-segment car for three consecutive months. In February 2013, Peugeot rolled out the 300,000th unit of the new 208 from its plant in Poissy, France.
The stylish and sporty 208 is the first new model launched by Nasim in 2013 and will play a pivotal role in what is set to be another record-breaking year for Peugeot in Malaysia.
“We have set a sales target of 200 units a month for the new 208, which has won multiple awards in Europe. With ever-changing expectations in the market, the 208 was designed to exceed all expectations and appeal to a wide demographic audience,” said Dato’ Samson Anand George, COO of Nasim.
He said the 208 will contribute significantly to Nasim’s sales target of 8,000 units in 2013, which will represent a 30% increase from 2012.
The 208 marks a generational leap from its predecessors with a completely re-generated architecture, style, ergonomics and driving pleasure. Available as a five-door or three-door variant, the new 208’s design evokes agility, modernism and refinement.
The exterior of the 208 is characterised by its signature LED daytime running lights and a floating grille to evoke a modern and agile appearance that is in line with Peugeot’s new design language. The rear LED boomerang-shaped lighting blends into the fluid lines of the body creating a harmonious appearance.
The sporty appearance of the exterior is further accentuated by its 16-inch two-tone Helium alloy rims (on the five-door variant) or 17-inch two-tone Oxygen alloy rims (on the three-door variant).
The structure of the new 208 has been engineered to deliver outstanding levels of passive and active safety while keeping the overall weight of the vehicle low. This has been made possible with the use of an aluminium front beam absorber, strengthened front sub frame, laser welding of the roof and extensive use of Very High Strength Steel and Ultra High Strength Steel panels.
The 208 comes standard with six airbags and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) featuring ABS, EBD, EBA, DSC and ASR. Other safety features include Hill Start Assist, two ISOFIX points at the rear for child seats and all round one-touch anti-pinch power windows with electric child-safety door locks.
As a result, the new 208 achieved a full five-star rating from EURO NCAP under the new and more demanding regulations that were introduced in 2012.
The new 208 also leads in terms of ECO design with the integration of 25% “green materials” out of the 170kg of polymers (excluding rubber) used on the car. In fact, the new 208’s rear bumper is entirely recycled, which is a world’s first.
Other parts that were made from recycled parts include the radiator frame, fan, wheel arch interior, soundproofing, boot mat, steering wheel, engine cover and air filter.
Inside, the new 208 breaks new ground, offering features normally found on larger luxury cars.
The overall interior of the 208 is characterised by high quality interior trim with soft touch plastics accentuated by touches of piano black and satin chrome finishing. The five-door variant comes with high quality semi-bucket Moonlight seats while the three-door variant features semi-bucket Sahara leather and fabric combination seats.
The overall interior ambiance of the 208 is characterised by white lighting, which is said to give the interior a very sophisticated finish.
The overall interior has been redesigned with specific emphasis on improving interior ergonomics, space and comfort. As a result, with a wheelbase of 2,538 mm, the overall interior has been optimised to offer rear passengers more space and knee room while boot space is 311-litres.
A key highlight inside the 208 is its 7-inch HD colour interactive touch screen which provides easy access to various functions such as the radio, music files via the USB connection as well as Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free cellular functionality or audio streaming.
The 7-inch HD colour interactive touch screen also incorporates a high-performance audio system with Arkamys 3D sound that is connected to six speakers. In addition, its audio system can be easily connected to an iPhone, iPod or an Android device. It also displays a rear parking aid with audio visual assistance, as well as key settings of the car such as lighting and security features in addition to trip computer information.
The 208’s 7-inch HD colour touchscreen was awarded Comfort Innovation of The Year at the Interiors Expo 2012 in Germany.
Another key feature of the 208’s interior is its stylish floating instrument panel with a colour LCD screen and a compact leather steering wheel that comes with audio and telephony controls.
A first in the B-segment is the inclusion of a digital dual zone auto air-conditioning system for both the five and three-door variant. The ambience in the three-door variant is further enhanced with a panoramic glass roof with mood lighting that outlines the glass roof at night.
Both variants of the new 208 are equipped with a 1.6-litre VTi engine that produces 122 PS and 160 Nm of torque. In fact, 140 Nm of torque is available from as low as 2,000 rpm making the 208 a responsive and fun car to drive. Additionally, the engine is matched to an auto adaptive gearbox featuring Tiptronic and Sport mode functionality.
The new 208 features Peugeot’s legendary trademark road-holding qualities by incorporating MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar front suspension and a trailing-arm with deformable cross-member axle at the rear.
The architecture of the front suspension, in particular, has been developed to improve the caster angle contributing to better directional stability, steering accuracy and feel. The springs and damper settings in the car have also been finely tuned to offer enhanced driving dynamics.
The fuel efficiency of the 208 on a mixed cycle is rated at 6.7-litres per 100 km.
Among the awards won by the 208 include the ‘Best Supermini 2012’ by UK’s Auto Express New Car Awards, ‘European Car Of The Year 2013’ by Italy’s Auto Europa, ‘Best Car Of The Year 2013’ in Spain, ‘Continental Irish Small Car Of The Year 2013’ in Ireland and the ‘2013 Car of the Year’ by JoongAng Ilbo in Korea.
The 208 is available in five colours – Digital White, Platinum Black, Virtual Blue, Rogue Red and Passion Silver. The price of the 208 five-door variant is RM85,888 while the three-door variant is priced at RM95,888. Both prices are on-the-road with insurance.
The 208 comes with a five year warranty with unlimited mileage and complimentary Peugeot Lounge access. For more information on the new 208, please log on to www.letyourbodydrive.com.my or www.peugeot.com.my
