Geneva '08 Preview: Peugeot 308 GT THP 175
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It says a lot about Peugeot that BMW – well known and lauded for its engines – turned to the French automaker to develop and produce the motor for the second-generation MINI. Never to miss an opportunity, Peugeot put the same engine into the 207 GTi, and has now shoehorned it into the 308 to create the new 308 GT THP 175, which parent company PSA will be unveiling in Geneva.
The 1.6-liter turbo four produces 175 horsepower, but Peugeot insists the real kicker is in the torque: 195 lb-ft of it, which gets the hot 308 up to 62mph in a very respectable 8.3 seconds. Even more respectable, however, is the fuel economy of 37.1mpg and low carbon emissions of 180g/km. Naturally, the appearance has been updated to go with the bigger engine, with a new front bumper, rear spoiler and lowered suspension, and a new steering wheel and aluminum shifter and pedals inside. Buyers can choose between manual or automatic transmission, each with six speeds. Although the 308 GT THP 175 will only be offered as a three-door, a detuned five-door will also be offered driving 150 horses through a four-speed auto. What would be even more interesting is if this same engine found its way into the production 308 RC-Z.
Gallery: Geneva 2008: Peugeot 308 GT THP 175
[Source: CarScoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
alexer 10:36AM (2/19/2008)
i used to live in latin-america i owned some of this cars.
its a shame that we dont get them in NA. does anyone knows why? i live in NY and i havent see any!.
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Tim 10:38AM (2/19/2008)
Interesting that the equivalently-engined Mini Cooper S gets 29mpg according to fueleconomy.gov, which equates to 35mpg Imperial. Apart from testing differences, it's still odd that the larger 308 could achieve better fuel economy. Any theories?
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Mikey81 12:56PM (2/19/2008)
It's a six speeder, so my guess is that a long-legged top gear might give better economy.
- 10:40AM (2/19/2008)
I wish we had a wider selection of hatchbacks in the U.S. By the way, aren't hood ornaments getting ridiculously large? I walked by a mid 1980s Honda Accord the other day and it was nice how the front grill "H" logo was a fraction of my thumb.
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compy386 10:52AM (2/19/2008)
European fuel economy ratings could be a lot of lax than US ratings. If you take just the raw data out of US fuel economy tests you'd get numbers that are 40% or so higher. The figures are adjusted to get closer to real world fuel economy. Personally I find that US estimates tend to understate fuel economy.
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Dazza 10:57AM (2/19/2008)
European ratings have included a real-world "combined cycle" figure for the past ten years, which is the figure quoted in the article.
compy386 5:10PM (2/19/2008)
Just as an example. Mazda quotes combined fuel economy of it's Mazda3 MPS in Europe combined as 24 MPG (9.7l/100km).
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2006/02/mazda3-mps-mazdaspeed3-press-release.html
Whereas US fuel economy for a Speed 3 is 20 MPG combined.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm
I'm pretty sure they're identical in performance so that's a 20% increase going from US to Europe measurements.
Philip 11:31AM (2/19/2008)
It could be sold here as a Nissan.
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AlexP 11:46AM (2/19/2008)
Peugeot isn't Renault you douche. :v
Tim 1:03PM (2/19/2008)
Read this to get a handle on Renault/Nissan. http://goodcarbadcar.blogspot.com/2007/08/across-pond-renault.html
Philip 1:51PM (2/19/2008)
Thanks Alex you are so right... haha
PJ 2:10PM (2/19/2008)
Anyone checked the curb weight for the 308 three-door? It's over 3,000 lbs!
Gawd, I miss real hot hatches...
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PJ 3:08PM (2/19/2008)
Anyone checked the curb weight for the 308 three-door? It's over 3,000 lbs!
Gawd, I miss real hot hatches...
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r33 6:07AM (2/23/2008)
old times peugeot was always so simple and light.
this new generation look like those over bottoxed hollywood actress,everything so over stuffed inside and out,and full of perfume!
no fun and not beautifull at all!
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