Peugeot 308 RC Z and hybrids

By Tim Pollard

Motor shows & events

13 September 2007 02:36

Peugeot 308 RCZ: the lowdown

The Peugeot stand at Frankfurt was a timely reminder just how much the market has fragmented these days. It was packed with 27 cars in rambling hall 8 – five of which were new concept cars, albeit mostly versions of existing production cars. But there was little doubt which was most eye-catching: the 308 coupe concept was an elegant reminder that French design shouldn’t be written off quite yet. The 308 RC Z is a 2+2 show car that is tipped for production within two years, and it looks really good in the metal. Where most body derivatives of mainstream hatchbacks retain a strong family look, the RC Z has a character all of its own, by turns Audi TT profile and Nissan 350Z roofline. It’s quite a looker, surprisingly, and that Zagato-style double-bubble roof is deliciously cool. It’s powered by the BMW-PSA 1.6 petrol, turbocharged to produce 218bhp in this example – a good 40 ponies more than in today’s production cars, while lightweight materials are used to keep bulk in check. Watch out for hotter versions of both the Mini and 207/308 family using this engine in the future.

Other Peugeot show highlights

What’s the biggest trend of recent years, an easy way for manufacturers to create new niche products at minimal outlay? You’ve guessed it – it’s the soft-roader. And Peugeot launched a new one at Frankfurt. It’s an Outdoor version of the 207 SW, a slightly toughened-up version of the French supermini. It’s an inch and a bit higher up for a taller stance and has new alloy wheels, tougher rubbing strips and other minor details for the faux-by-four look. It remains resolutely front-wheel drive, though so housewives shouldn’t veer off the road too far. Knowledgeable types might scoff at cars like the 207 Outdoor – named after last year’s concept car – but they represent an easy win for manufacturers ever eager to broaden the appeal of their bread and butter cars. And they can sell them at a tidy premium; Peugeot reckons it’ll charge around £500 more for the Outdoor when UK sales start in November. The same applies to the 207 SW RC concept, a sportier estate unveiled alongside the Outdoor. This one has a more performance bent and is likely to be badged Sport, thanks to its turbocharged 175bhp 1.6 from the GTI. It gets softer suspension than the hot hatch, though, and less extreme sports seats.

Surely the Peugeot stand had a green message, too?

You bet. Frankfurt also hosted the world premier of the 308 Hybrid HDI. That’s right – Peugeot and sister firm Citroen are pursuing diesel hybrids where the majority prefer to chase the petrol hybrid model. We’ll get a production version of the 308 hybrid by the end of the decade, fitted with a particulate trap to burn off the nasties associated with burning derv. Peugeot talks of a 35 percent reduction in CO2 emissions over a conventional diesel, it’s now just working on cutting the cost of the diesel-electric powertrain so it can launch it at a competitive price. If diesel’s not your thing, you should take note of the 308 Bioflex. Like other manufacturers, Peugeot is wisely refusing to put its environmental eggs into one basket, and is also developing E85 versions of its new family hatchback. What was the fifth concept on the Peugeot stand? A 308 SW Prologue concept that’s a thinly veiled teaser of next year’s estate version of the 308. Who said customer choice was dead?

Peugeot 308 RC Z

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

31 July 2007 12:00

Peugeot's TT: the 308 RC Z

If you're designing a mid-sized coupe from scratch, it's hard to ignore the head-swivelling, original Audi TT. Peugeot clearly thinks so - its Frankfurt show star, the new 308 RC Z unveiled today, looks like a Chinese facsimile of the Mk1 TT, especially viewed in profile. Maybe that's why Peugeot introduced a clumsy kink in the waistline (a la Hyundai Matrix), to disrupt the Germanic body language...

Ah, that's a bit less like a TT

Yes, it's just as you'd imagine a mid-sized Peugeot coupe to look: huge, sweptback headlights, inane grinning grille and bulging bonnet lines that characterise modern Pugs. The front end borrows the look of its sister car, the 308 hatchback and the RC Z previews a production coupe that we can expect on sale in 2009. Interestingly, Peugeot intends to fill every nook and cranny of the C-sector with 308 derivatives. We've already seen the five-door hatch, but we'll also have an SW estate, a three-door hatch and a coupe-cabriolet. That's right - Peugeot is following BMW's 3-series lead and having two separate tin-top coupes, one with a folding hard top.

Blimey. So this RC Z isn't a CC? Just look at that rear deck!

Yes, it does look like there should be a folding metal hood robotically sashaying into that rear deck. But a Peugeot spokesman swore blind that this fixed-head coupe looked substantially different from the 308 CC that we'll see in 18 months' time. This is a 2+2 coupe with 'usable' occasional rear seats and a large boot; the two rear perches fold down and the designers claim the resultant space is large enough to swallow a mountain bike. The RC Z is the same length as the standard hatchback, but 25mm wider and a smidge lower at 1320mm high. The roofline is noteworthy for its double-bubble look, designed to smoothe airflow over the rear of the car and obviate the need for a rear spoiler. Tone down the huge 19-inch alloys, 40-profile rubber and postbox-sized exhausts, and you're left with how the production car should look.

What about that kinked windowline? Is this a new Peugeot styling feature?

Possibly. Peugeot says the concept car is exploring new ideas, but the two-step styling line is a bit heavy-handed to our eyes. Let's hope it doesn't spread to the rest of the range, as Peugeot struggles to find its next look. The engineering package is for real, though. Peugeot is the latest manufacturer to jump on the lightweight bandwagon (not hard, after years of successive bloaters) and the 308 RC Z weighs 1200kg, not bad for a coupe of this size. However, you have to take with a pinch of salt the claims that the concept has extensive use of aluminium and carbonfibre. No way will high-tech composites survive into a £18,000 production coupe.

Go on, show me inside...

Here's one of the surest signs that the 308 coupe is a dead cert for production. There is very little in here that's concept-car pie-in-the-sky. The dashboard architecture is largely taken from the 308 hatch, although the fascia is trimmed in plusher leather. Large, chunky bucket seats do their best to gobble any available legroom for those in the rear while, in true Peugeot style, the A-pillars are so far forward that you get the impression it could feel like an MPV from the driver's chair.

This design sketch looks just like a TT as well!

It does rather, doesn't it. Peugeot must be aware of the similarity - and one official even described it to CAR Online as 'our TT'. But the 308 RC Z will be usefully cheaper than Audi's coupe and we anticipate a starting price of around £18,000 in today's money. The concept car uses the familiar 1.6 turbo engine from the 308 and 207, this time boosted to 218bhp. That's a pretty impressive figure for a 1.6, and there is 221lb ft of thrust to call upon for overtaking manoeuvres. Figures quoted are 146mph flat-out and 0-62mph in 7.0sec, which sound credible in light of the claimed kerbweight. More importantly, Peugeot quotes CO2/mpg figures of 160g/km and 42mpg. Are Peugeot crafting a successful new design? Let us know by clicking 'Add comment' on the button below

Peugeot 308

By Ben Whitworth

First official pictures

02 July 2007 01:53

This can only be a Peugeot…

You eagled eyed car spotter, you… Yes, it’s the new 308 that arrives here in October after first making its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. Known internally at T7, it’s taken four years and 4000 people to develop, and in a bid to compact its reliability record, each car will undergo an 1800-point quality check on the production line.

Hmmm. Not sure about the looks. Am I alone?

Not really. It may not be beautiful but British designer Keith Ryder’s creation is certainly distinctive – and that’s what Peugeot wants. The idea is to create cars that are immediately identifiable firstly as a Peugeot, and that distinctiveness doesn't necessarily have anything to do with beauty or grace. Hence the gaping mouth, vast surfboard-sized headlamps, protruding ‘Lion’s Nose’ bonnet and high-seated faux-MPV driving position that all create visual links with the other models in the Peugeot family. That snout and gaping grille come straight from the mid-engined 908 RC concept car. Sportier models get the protruding nose while less powerful models gets a more restrained version.

Is it much different in size to the 307?

No, because much of the 307’s mechanical architecture is carried over largely unchanged. The 308 is within a few inches in every direction of its predecessor. So no surprises there. But open the door and the 308 starts to redeem itself. Every manufacturer harps on about the massive leaps and giant bounds it has made in improving the quality of its cabins, and at the 308’s unveil, Peugeot was no exception. But this time there’s a decent amount of truth in the spin. The 308’s interior – project lead by Karine Caillard – does look exceptionally good, with all the plastics feel soft and padded, all the chrome-ringed dials looking expensively watch-like and all the controls operating with a smooth and damped action. Head and leg room are generous and elbow and shoulder room space even more so. You even get one of those scent dispensers with the choice of Spring Flower, Exotic Vanilla, Cocoon Lodge and the oddly pornographic sounding Wood Sensation.

Less of that nonsense, fool – tell me about the engines

Headline news is the arrival of an advanced diesel-electric hybrid that arrives late next 2008. With stop-start technology, and energy recuperation, it’s claimed to better the economy and C02 emissions of full hybrids. Otherwise the engine line-up will encompass the current line-up of PSA-BMW developed petrol and diesel fourpots. It arrives with 90 and 110bhp versions of the current 1.6 HDi diesel and two petrols - a new 95bhp 1.4-litre and a 120bhp 1.6-litre. Expect green biofuel models to feature later next year, too. Prices should mirror those of the erstwhile 307, starting at £12,250 for the entry-level 1.4, and the familiar Urban, S, Sport, SE and GT badges are carried over. Expect six airbags, air-con, a raft of safety and stability acronyms, a decent MP3-compatible stereo and alloy wheels as standard.

I guess it's going to be popular

If you’re a company car driver, expect you fleet manager to try and foist a 308 on you – up to 60% of the 308 sales will be absorbed by the fleet market. Peugeot UK reckon it will shift around 9000 by the end of the year and a massive 40,000 next year when both three and five door will be on sale. Big numbers, but then Peugeot did sell some three million 307 models in its lifetime. And expect a raft of derivatives – an estate, a metal-roofed coupe-cabriolet and a three-door model - to follow over the next 18 months. The existing 307 versions will continue to sell until they are replaced with 308-based models

Peugeot 207 Outdoor

By Ben Whitworth

Motor shows & events

08 March 2007 09:11

207 estate joins hatch and CC line-up

Peugeot calls it the 207 Outdoor Concept. We call it the 207 SW estate, and it arrives here in July, minus the glitzy showcar bits. Based on the 207 chassis, the estate will use all the hatchback’s transmissions and engines bar the 1.6-litre turbo found in the GTI, with prices starting around the £10,000 mark. For that you get a full-length glass sunroof, sliding and fold-flat rear seats and a well thought-out tailgate where the glass screen opens independently. Expect the diesels to be the best sellers, and all that cladding to make a comeback when Peugeot unveils a faux off-roader model later next year.

Peugeot concept treble

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

14 February 2007 09:37

Three new Peugeot concept cars? What’s going on?

Peugeot is pushing the boat out at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, with news of no fewer than three different concepts. Craziest is the Flux – the winner of this year’s Peugeot Design Competition, a global internet contest to find the best amateur designer. This two-seater eco-sportscar beat off 4000 rival designs and will be built as a concept for the Frankfurt show this autumn. Sadly, 20-year-old Romanian Mihai Panaitescu’s design will remain a pure fantasy. Peugeot isn’t about to launch a stripped-out Ariel Atom rival just yet…

And what’s this Peugeot 4007 Holland & Holland… Pointless concept car alert?

We haven’t even seen this summer’s production 4007 in the metal yet, and already Peugeot has teamed up with outdoor leisurewear specialist Holland & Holland to do a special motor show edition of its new off-roader. H&H makes shotguns, by the way…

Groan… So what have they done to the 4007 Holland & Holland then?

Yes, that is a leather badge you see on the snout of Peugeot’s new 4x4. And the rest of the 4007 has been blinged up, too, with large 20-inch wheels and RSPCA-alarming Chartreuse green bull calf leather smattered across the passenger compartment. Is it just us, or are concept cars getting crazier and more removed from the real world? If you want to see a normal 4007 stripped of such concept-car frippery, and read more about its 156bhp 2.2 HDI engine and 4x4 hardware, click here to see our earlier story on the regular 4007.

This must be the first Peugeot 4x4 for ages?

It certainly is. Peugeot hasn’t done all-wheel drive since the 405 MI-16 of the late 1980s. It’s only used 4wd for its performance cars (remember the 205 T16 rally car?) and the 4007 is the brand’s first proper off-roader designed for light off-roading. Peugeot teamed up with Mitsubishi and used the Outlander for the 4007’s foundation; we’ll also see the mechanically identical C-Crosser from sister firm Citroen.

So to the Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor concept car. This one looks a bit more normal

It does, doesn’t it? This is basically the new 207 SW estate that we’ll see in showrooms this autumn, with a few show-off adornments: blue-tint chrome, day-glo orange roofrails and silken parachute-style door fabrics.

Will this one go off road?

The SW denotes estate in Peugeot-speak – and the Outdoor tag is a hint at a new range of faux-by-four styling packs. Expect to see the slightly beefed-up Outdoor look make it to production cars in the next 18 months, with protective body cladding, chunkier tyres and a raised ride height. They’ll be front-wheel drive, though, so mud-scrabbling is not to be encouraged.

Peugeot 207 SW

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

12 February 2007 10:55

Peugeot 207 SW: the lowdown

Last week it was the 207 GTI hot hatch, now it's the more practical funked-up estate. The 207 range continues to expand, and this SW Outdoor Concept will be shown at the Geneva show next month. What's new? A panoramic glass roof, split-fold rear hatch and sliding seats add some practical touches to the cabin, while the exterior is toughened up with the usual cladding around the sills and wheelarches. Is it just us, or does the wraparound glass on the rear hatch look suspiciously like the Mercedes A-class back end? We'll see a production 207 SW on sale this autumn, with sales starting in September. Unlike the 206 SW, this one won't be built in the UK's Coventry factory, which closed last year. The regular 207 SW won't get the faux-by-four body cladding; it will be reserved for a separate model due in 2008.

Peugeot 207 GTI

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

09 February 2007 11:18

Peugeot 207 GTI: the lowdown

Could this be the hot hatch to restore the sheen on Peugeot’s GTI badge? On the experience of the French company’s past few efforts, probably not – but the 207 GTI looks set to improve on the lacklustre outgoing 206. Headline-grabbing highlights include the same 175bhp turbo 1.6 as the latest Mini Cooper S; although it’s down on power compared with punchy 190bhp+ rivals like the Renault Clio 197 and Vauxhall Corsa VXR, a brief overboost facility unleashes 195lb ft of twist for overtaking moves in the top three gears to narrow the gap. You’ll pass 62mph in 7.1sec, and the hot 207 tops out at 137mph.

Okay, so it’s pretty quick then. Does it look the part too?

We’re slightly underwhelmed by the look of this warmed-over 207, to be honest. It’s a world away from the brash in-yer-face attitude of the Corsa VXR, but we reckon most hot-hatch buyers will want a little more punch than the restrained 207 GTI delivers… Big chunky driving lights dominate the bottom of the cross-hatch grille at the front, while there’s the merest whiff of a front spoiler. At the back, twin exhausts are added and a discreet roof spoiler tops the rear screen. Oh, and the door mirrors have chrome accents, too. It seems that CAR Online's scoop of the 207 GTI was spot on - we published leaked photos a month ahead of its embargoed debut today.

The acid question: will the 207 GTI be any good to drive?

Peugeot has beefed up the suspension of the basic 207’s McPherson front struts and rear torsion beam; new spring and damper rates are designed to give the GTI more sporting poise and the wheels are upgraded to 17in nine-spokers, wearing Bridgestone Potenza 205/45 rubber for extra grip compared with cooking 207s. The electric power steering has been recalibrated, too, and chunkier 302mm vented front discs are added. The ESP stability control can be completely disabled, Peugeot promises, and a new Steering Stability Program applies small steering inputs automatically if the car skids under braking. We’ve not driven the 207 GTI yet, but we have tested the Cooper S, whose engine it shares. It’s a smooth operator, with less of the drama of the old supercharged 1.6 – this one is smooth and delivers a wide spread of torquey pull. It’s a state-of-the-art BMW-developed engine, boasting direct injection, twin-scroll turbo and continuously variable valve timing.

So what’s the 207 GTI like inside?

Peugeot has fitted chunky, and slightly over-the-top, bucket seats to the GTI. They’re trimmed in Alcantara and should hold passengers in place pretty snugly, judging by the huge wing supports. We haven’t seen the rest of the cabin, but it’ll be loaded with goodies. Topping the 207 range brings a raft of standard equipment: six airbags, rear parking sensors, cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, a self-dipping rear-view mirror and tyre pressure sensors. Prices aren’t confirmed yet, but reckon on somewhere around £16,000 when sales start in early summer.

Peugeot 4007

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

09 February 2007 02:18

Peugeot 4007: haven't we seen this before?

You're right. Peugeot issued a couple of teaser images of its new SUV back in October, but it has remained resolutely tight-lipped about more details until now. The 4007 will be seen for the first time in the metal at next month's Geneva show, so we'll soon know what it looks like in the metal. If you're still thinking it looks familiar, that's probably because it's based on the Mitsubishi Outlander. PSA Peugeot-Citroen wanted a short cut to the 4x4 party and struck a collaboration with the Japanese firm to build 30,000 cars a year for them. The 4007, and Citroen's Citroen's C-Crosser, are the French duo's rebadged versions.

So is Peugeot's first SUV just a clone of the Mitsubishi and Citroen?

Pretty much, yes. The cars are mechanically very similar, although the Peugeot uses the French 156bhp 2.2 HDI instead of VW's turbodiesel preferred by Mitsubishi. The glass and most body panels are identical, though. Peugeot's Velizy design studio worked up the new nose treatment, with swept-back headlamps and the lion logo sitting prominently on the bonnet. The 4007 is 4640mm long and comes with wheels between 16-18in. Only that particulate-trap-equipped diesel engine will be offered, initially, although you can safely expect petrols to join the range later. It's the same 2.2 HDI that's impressed in the 407 and 607, and develops a muscular 280lb ft of pull at a lowly 2000rpm. However, it'll need all that grunt to overcome a decidedly lardy 1750kg kerb weight.

Will it go off-road then?

Let's face it, the chances of owners going off-roading in in the 4007 are pretty slim. The ground clearance of 174mm should allow gentle excursions from the bitumen, and an on-demand four-wheel drive system shuffles torque to the wheels with the best traction; it's a front-driver most of the time, but the rear wheels chip in when the front tyres slip. Drivers can select front-wheel drive, automatic and full-time 4wd via a switch on the dashboard; up to 55 percent of drive can be sent rearwards for maximum traction when the going gets sticky. Peugeot acknowledges that this car will spend most of its time on the road and the suspension is designed accordingly: McPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear end. An aluminium roof is claimed to save 5kg over a steel equivalent - helping to lower the centre of gravity by 4mm. We're sure that the average owner will notice the handling improvements this endows at every roundabout...

What's it like inside?

Soft-touch surfaces, chrome accents... do all cabins look the same these days? The 4007 ticks all these boxes, but at least the switchgear is arranged logically enough. The windscreen is massive, giving Peugeot's SUV a panoramic view more akin to an MPV. Very light and airy, from these photos. As you'd expect of a £20k SUV, it comes with a raft of safety gizmos. ESP is standard, as are curtain airbags extending along the front two rows of seats. A 30GB hard drive can hold mapping for the whole of Europe, plus 2500 songs. The rear tailgate is a split item, like on the original Range Rover - the drop-down tailgate can take the weight of two fat people, or 200kg.

What else do I need to know?

The 4007 is a seven-seater, with a third row that folds out of the floor. Adults will find these seats a squeeze, but it's a useful occasional facility, and the middle row slides back and forth by 80mm. The tailgate glass hatch lifts up separately too - letting you drop shopping and smaller items into the 510-litre boot; pop up those rearmost seats, and the boot shrinks to a rather smaller 184 litres. Peugeot's nomenclature is nearly running out of room for a burgeoning product line-up, so the 4007 carries over the double-oh numbering of the 1007. This is reserved for all future niche Pugs.

Peugeot 107 Sport XS

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

18 January 2007 09:30

Is this the 107 GTI, then?

Nope. Peugeot's new 107 Sport XS is aimed squarely at younger drivers who want racy looks that won't break the bank. This model is all mouth and no trousers, you could say. Priced from £8345, the warm hatch uses the standard 68bhp 1.0-litre engine, but is pepped up by the modish racing stripes and matching mirror trim shown above, 14in alloy wheels, a deeper front spoiler and twin exhausts. Inside, the cabin gains a handful of sporting accessories and 1980s-style red stitching - reminiscent of the 205 GTI - to differentiate it from more humdrum 107s: a leather steering wheel, red gearknob and red centre console trim complete the lukewarm makeover. Because the car is mechanically identical to the basic 107, the UK insurance group remains in lowly group 1E. Sadly, there are no plans for a proper 107 hot-hatch in the vein of the 106 Rallye. Peugeot is placing all its chips on the new 207 GTI, which will go on sale in April or May.

Peugeot 207 GTI

By Tim Pollard

Industry news

11 January 2007 01:35

Peugeot's online webzine has accidentally let slip two images of the new 207 GTI, spilling important details of its new hot hatch two months ahead of its launch.

The 206 GTI never recaptured the fizz that made its 205 predecessor one of the iconic pocket rockets, but Peugeot hopes to fix that this time round. For a start, the 206 gets the same turbocharged 175bhp 1.6 as in the Mini Cooper S; Peugeot-Citroen PSA collaborated with BMW, which builds the four-cylinder engines at its Hams Hall plant in the Midlands, UK. Count on 0-62mph in a favourable 7.1sec, according to the leaked Peugeot document, while top speed is pegged at 137mph. However, compared with the recently unveiled Vauxhall Corsa VXR, the 207 GTI looks a little tame; chrome-ringed driving lights, nine-spoke alloys and subtle spoilers are maybe too understated for a true GTI.

Peugeot 207 CC

By Phil McNamara

First official pictures

06 December 2006 08:28

Peugeot 207CC: the lowdown

Peugeot has re-invented its folding hard roof supermini, the car that brought Mercedes-style roof technology to a wider audience. The 207 Coupe Convertible goes on UK sale next March, priced from just under £15,000. This CC is based on the 207's stiffer, front-wheel drive chassis, and the big news is that it has an all-new roof mechanism. Two petrol engines and one diesel will be offered at launch. It's a little bigger, although it remains a 2+2 with rear seats only good for torturing naughty children.

Dropping the top

While the original roof was made by French supplier, Peugeot has taken 207CC production into its own Madrid plant. Although the original was wildly successful, with 360,000 sales making it the world's best-selling (and longest on the market) small coupe cabriolet, the roof mechanism was marred initially by glitches. The current car's twist release handle is gone; all you need to do is hold down a button and the windows drop and the roof folds away. The process takes around 25sec.

In the nose

Three engines will be offered at launch. The new 1.6-litre petrol engine, co-developed by BMW and Peugeot for the new Mini and 207, is offered with two outputs. The entry-level unit kicks out 120bhp and 118lb ft, while the addition of a turbo hikes outputs to 150bhp and 177lb ft. Diesel power comes from the familar 110bhp 1.6-litre common rail unit. All engines are mated to a five-speed manual 'box, although a four-speed auto can be specified with the 120bhp unit. The 120bhp CC cracks 0-62mph in 10.7sec, although this is reduced to 8.6sec by the turbo engine. The diesel takes 10.9sec, but the compensation is a claimed 54.3mpg – compared with 43.4 or 39.2 for the two petrols.

The inside story

The dash is familiar from the 207 hatch, although it can be trimmed in optional leather more befitting a supercar than a supermini. The seats are mounted lower than in the hatch, and Peugeot claims they fold easily to get access to the rear seats. The boot is pretty accommodating for a small car, stowing 187 litres roof down and 449 in coupe mode.

Anything else?

The look, designed in-house, is no surprise: Peugeot has taken a tin opener to the 207 hatch. But this time the look is far neater, with the 206CC's fussy rear end smoothed out, and a neater profile created.

Peugeot 4007 first look

By Phil McNamara

First official pictures

26 October 2006 10:00

Peugeot 4007: the lowdown

This is the 4007, Peugeot's short-cut into the booming crossover-SUV market. Looks familiar? It's a badge-engineered version of Mitsubishi's new Outlander. And it won't be the only faux Frenchie: Citroen will also get a version. The 4007's glasshouse, outline and underpinnings are identical to the Mitsubishi's, although new headlamps and a gaping grille graft on some of the Peugeot family look. The Outlander's two-tone LED lamps are toned down. It's the same principle as the Saab 9-2X, GM's top-and-tailed version of the Subaru Impreza which bombed in America. Mitsubishi will build 30,000 units a year for PSA in its Japanese factory, split equally between Peugeot and Citroen. With the UK expected to take up to 8000 Outlanders alone, PSA is being cautious with its expectations. But Mitsubishi will be glad of the extra volume, helping to boost economies of scale.

Under the skin

Peugeot has made one big change: replacing the Outlander's 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel, bought in from from VW, with its 2.2-litre HDI. The common-rail unit kicks out 156bhp and 280lb ft. For extra grunt, the engine can run on up to 30 percent biodiesel. And a particulate filter traps soot and periodically incinerates it. Power is sent mostly to the front wheels, although torque can be distributed to the rear axle if the front rubber loses grip. The 4007 can also be locked in four-wheel drive mode. Transmission is via a six-speed manual gearbox. Peugeot has yet to open up the 4007. But it retains the Outlander's seven-seat layout, and French sources vow that the cabin will have a 'Peugeot feel' and plenty of storage. The 4007 goes on sale in the UK around September 2007, with prices slightly less than £20,000. No word yet whether the petrol engines will be offered from 2008.

Peugeot Epure

By Chris Chilton

First official pictures

08 September 2006 00:01

The lowdown

Peugeot calls it a concept but let's not kid ourselves: this is the 207CC. A successor to the 206CC, the car that brought folding metal hardtops to the woman in the street, next spring's production CC will look almost identical to the Epure. But don't expect to find the concept's engine under the showroom CC's nose: the Epure employs hydrogen power.

Design

There are no major surprises in the Epure's design except that it appears far easier on the eye than the old hunchbacked 206CC. There's more than a hint of Tigra to the aggressive cab-forward stance too. Inside there's seating for two adults up front and a couple of circus midgets in the back. The ambience is very pimp's pad: white leather covers everything from the seats and dashboard to the steering column. But while numerous cows have been slaughtered to clothe the cabin, Peugeot hasn't forgotten the Epure's ecological heart. It has dotted flourishes of 'absinth green' around the interior, and claims the seat perforations are supposed to look like little bubbles of oxygen.

The engine

Under the curvy bonnet lies PSA's new experimental fuel cell engine, designed with the help of the French Atomic Commission. Peugeot has shown fuel cell cars before but this one's powerplant is smaller, more powerful and more fuel efficient. The 207's front-mounted Genpac fuel cell consists of two modules each containing a stack of thin plates and electrode membranes. In the rear, under the boot floor are five 3kg cylinders of hydrogen which is mixed with oxygen from the atmosphere in the fuel cell. The result is a displacement of electrons and protons that produces heat, water and of course, electricity, which drives the car's electric motor. Peugeot's figures say the understandably tubby 1550kg tin-top ambles to 62mph in a slothful 15.0sec before running out of steam at just 81mph. As well as showing off the compact new powerplant Peugeot chose the 207CC to house it to show that fuel cell cars don’t have to be purely functional. But without the necessary infrastructure, fuel cells won't be appearing any time in the next ten years. PSA's mid-term solution is diesel-electric hybrids but even those won't be available until at least 2010.

The showroom car

Forget the chrome embellishments, dubious leather trim and Buck Rogers powertrain and this is the 207CC that will be in UK showrooms next spring. Expect it to cost between £15K and £17K depending on spec, top money buying a fully loaded car powered by the 150bhp turbocharged four under the nose of the 207 GT warm hatch.

Peugeot 908 RC concept

By Phil McNamara

First official pictures

11 August 2006 01:11

The lowdown

Jaw-dropping luxury car design and a high-tech racing chassis collide in the 908 RC, Peugeot's showpiece concept for the upcoming Paris motor show. Part-limousine, part-Le Mans racer, the 186mph 908 is sure to be one of the most fascinating vehicles at Peugeot's hometown show in September. The four-door, four-seat limousine has an unusual layout reminiscent of the Ferrari Mondial, with an engine mounted behind the back seats. The 908's rear end is highly significant, because its 700bhp V12 diesel engine and the rear subframe supporting it will be adopted by Peugeot's 2007 Le Mans race car. And the highlights don't end there. The design also gives a sneak preview of Peugeot’s forthcoming executive car, the 608.

Part luxury limousine…

The imposing 908 RC is as long as a Mercedes S-class, but its proportions are far less conventional. Big Peugeots are typically blighted by long front overhangs, but the designers have cut this back by rear-mounting the transverse engine and transmission. The windscreen is drawn forward, and it arcs back over the front seats to create a vast glass bubble encircling the passenger cell. The wheelbase is a whopping 3150mm-long, up there with a stretched S-class's, creating plenty of room for four in individual leather buckets. Luggage can be stored in the nose as well as a boot behind the engine.

…part Le Mans racer

Those limousine looks are deceptive, however. Under the skin, the 908 RC shares much with Peugeot's contender for the 2007 Le Mans 24 Heures crown. The chassis is a mix of carbon composite and aluminium, to create an ultra-light, ultra-stiff platform suitable for endurance racing. The body is suspended via double wishbones front and rear. Hidden behind those ornate alloys are race-bred carbon composite brake discs, chosen for their light weight and ability to resist fade. The rims, clad in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, measure 20 inches up front, 21 at the rear.

V12 diesel to take on Audi

Audi won the 2006 Le Mans race with the R10, its V12 diesel racer. In 2007, it will have a Peugeot to contend with, running this twin-turbocharged V12 diesel. Peugeot claims the 5.5-litre unit is already kicking out more than 700bhp, at least 50bhp up on the triumphant Audi. Peak power is backed up by a gargantuan 885lb ft of torque. All this grunt is chanelled to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox, mounted beneath the engine. It's powerful but green, too, says Peugeot. Two particulate filters are fitted to the exhaust to capture soot emissions. And by opting for a more economical diesel racer, Peugeot will have to pull in for fewer pit-stops than petrol rivals – which proved a huge advantage for Audi this year.

The face of a lion

Peugeot's feline design theme is turned up to 11 with the 908 RC. The leading edge of the bonnet juts forward around a super-sized lion badge, inspired by a cat's nose and with the vents resembling its nostrils. And the LED headlamps are spookily reminiscent of cats' eyes, while Peugeot's trademark, wide grille is present and more pronounced than ever.

608 sneak preview

Expect the sculptured bonnet, headlamp shape and vents to influence the face of the 608 executive car, which arrives in 2008. Enlarged glass is also a given, although the 908's unusual, set-back pillars – designed to optimise visibility – may not make the cut.

Powerful rump

The powerful rear wheelarches resemble a crouching lion's hindquarters, and a cat's claw inspired the shape of that aluminium sliver in the rear lamp. Peugeot claims to have honed the 908's shape in the wind tunnel. The underbody diffuser – which sprouts four tailpipes – manages air flow, while a spoiler rises at speed to boost downforce. Rear vents feed air to the engine, and manage cooling.

In the front seats

The dashboard architecture gives strong hints to the 608's cabin. Today's Peugeots are the epitome of user-unfriendliness with their myriad buttons. The 908 RC's important audio, sat-nav and climate functions are controlled by the touch-screen area in the centre console. Hopefully, this will be replicated in the forthcoming executive car.

...and the back

Passengers in the back also have a 'man-machine interface' screen, in Peugeot parlance.That means the occupants can have an endless tug-of-war over the choice of radio station. The plush cabin is trimmed in ‘amethyst grey’ leather; other materials include dark oak, aluminium inserts, chrome and a Bell&Ross clock.