Autoblog

2012 Peugeot 208 [w/video]

Matt Davis — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Hatchback, Peugeot, Diesel, Quick Spins

Euro Hatch Icon Reclaims Some Of Its Mojo

The challenge of small, efficient and clever hatchbacks catching on with the American masses is a long story that shows infrequent signs of becoming less challenging. The bottom line is that most U.S. consumers feel such vehicles are simply too small for our wide-open-spaces sensibilities. This smallness is only enhanced when one looks around while stopped at American intersections, only to see big and tall sheetmetal in all directions. There are admittedly serious strides being made in this segment in various U.S. markets, usually of the urban variety and on the coasts, but it will always be a struggle.

The last time Peugeot tried directly communicating in American English with imported product was back in 1991 with its 505 and 405 ranges that unceremoniously flopped. There was ongoing talk at that time of bringing over the 205 hatchback to try and improve things, but we missed out and Peugeot was gone. Perhaps the seven percent of PSA Peugeot-Citroën now owned by General Motors will someday result in the importing of the solid hatchback tested here, but I won't hold my breath.

Recently, the new Peugeot 208 was all over the French giant's show stand at the Geneva Motor Show, together with its legendary GTi trim and new XY upmarket trim. Back in 1984, it was the 105-horsepower 205 GTi that established the legend of the French hot hatch. While the 206 was then a smash hit with buyers between 1998 and 2006, the subsequently larger 207 has been far less popular in the face of much improved competitors - a group that blossomed from just 16 different models on the European market in 1998 to now 27 separate hatches today. In its prime, the 206 outsold even the mighty Volkswagen Golf and stayed at the top of Europe's sales charts for a time. The outgoing 207, however, has routinely lingered behind the Volkswagen Golf and Polo, Renault Clio, Opel Astra and Corsa, not to mention the Ford Focus and Fiesta.

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2012 Peugeot 208 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear puts Peugeot 207 rally car up against downhill skier in Italy

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Hatchback, Peugeot, Racing

Leave it up to the Top Gear crew to put this one together. No, not the famous British crew of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May; the staff behind this video of a Peugeot 207 rally car going up against a downhill skier hails from Italy and represents Top Gear Magazine.

Of course, before any downhill festivities can properly commence, the car needs to make its way up the mountain course... and that's when the magic starts to happen, making use of the most serious set of spiked tires we've ever seen.

What goes up, must come down, right? And so down it goes, chasing the Pug's co-pilot, Anna Andreussi, right back down from whence it came. It's all in good fun, with plenty of aerial acrobatics to go along with the expected snow drifting shenanigans. See it all go down yourself in the video below.

Continue reading Top Gear puts Peugeot 207 rally car up against downhill skier in Italy

Top Gear puts Peugeot 207 rally car up against downhill skier in Italy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like a winner: Peugeot 207 S16

Alex Nunez — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:34:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Peugeot, UK

Peugeot 207 S16 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Kris Meeke is the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Champion, and Peugeot UK wants to celebrate that accomplishment. As such, it's releasing the 207 S16 - a 207 Sport tarted up to evoke the Peugeot 207 IRC car Meeke pilots. To that extent, you can get an optional graphics package (which is still more restrained than race car's nose-to-tail Union Jack livery), along with a body kit including "pseudo rear diffuser" (Peugeot's words), upgraded wheels, a mesh grille, tinted glass and special interior badging. All 250 Peugeot 207 S16s are mechanically identical to the regular 207 Sport 1.6 VTi they're based on. Oh, and Kris Meeke signs every one. If you're in the UK, owning the 207 S16 will dent your wallet to the tune of £14,695. The full press release is pasted after the jump.

Gallery: Peugeot 207 S16

[Source: Peugeot UK]

Continue reading Looks like a winner: Peugeot 207 S16

Looks like a winner: Peugeot 207 S16 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennis, anyone? Peugeot unveils 207 CC Roland Garros

Alex Nunez — Sun, 27 May 2007 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Europe, Peugeot

Click image for gallery

To coincide with this year's French Open, Peugeot has released the 207 CC Roland Garros. The yellow coupe+convertible is latest in a line of special models released in conjunction with the tourney, and uses edition-specific badging, interior trim, color, plus features such as A/C and navigation to help lure customers. Power comes from the NA 1.6i 120-horsepower four-cylinder co-developed with BMW and also used in the MINI Cooper. Turbocharged and diesel engines are, of course, offered for the regular 207 CC, which you can read all about here.

[Source: Peugeot via Autoblog Spanish]

Gallery: Peugeot 207 CC Roland garros

Tennis, anyone? Peugeot unveils 207 CC Roland Garros originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 May 2007 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peugeot preps peppy 207 RC for Geneva

Noah Joseph — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:42:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, PSA

Click on the image above for all our high-resolution image gallery.

Peugeot will drop its latest hot hatch on us at Geneva next month with the debut of the 207 RC. After bringing you the skinny on the peppy little hatchback last month with early leaked photos, parent company PSA has been nice enough to give us the full monty ahead of the show, where they'll be releasing a number of new models.

The heart of the 207 RC is the same engine as the top-of-the-line MINI Cooper S, a 1.6-liter high-pressure turbo four pumping out 175 stallions. The engine was co-developed by PSA and BMW, and although the MINI's is coupled to a six-speed shifter, Peugeot has opted for five ratios instead. The corporate spec sheet claims the new Pug makes the run to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds and tops out of 136 mph.

Conclusion, press release aftter the jump.

[Source: Peugeot]

Gallery: Peugeot 207 RC

Continue reading Peugeot preps peppy 207 RC for Geneva

Peugeot preps peppy 207 RC for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Peek: Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor concept

Alex Nunez — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, PSA

Click image for hires photo gallery

While Peugeot calls its 207 SW Outdoor a concept, there's little doubt that the Geneva-bound show car is a very good look at the upcoming 207 SW production car. Nix some of that glitzy metallic blue and bright orange trim, and you're pretty much there.

The 207 SW Outdoor gets some additional ground clearance a la the Audi Allroad or Subaru Outback to give it a soft-roader look. Peugeot says that the car's greenhouse, which includes a glass panoramic roof panel, is meant to help "bring the outdoors in" and create a bright, welcoming environment for occupants. In terms of innovation, the car features a single-movement fold-flat second row seat, and the tailgate glass opens independently of the rear hatch itself.

We wouldn't look for the parachute silk seat and door panel coverings to make it to production, but the car's 1.6L HDi 16v diesel with particulate filter is a good bet. It produces roughly 110 horsepower and 178 pounds of twist. That ought to be more than adequate to scoot the new compact wagon around whenever it bows in production trim.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Peugeot]

Gallery: Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor concept

Continue reading Geneva Peek: Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor concept

Geneva Peek: Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Feb 2007 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peugeot leaks the 207 RC

Noah Joseph — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, PSA

Those European hot hatches just keep on comin'. Following the unveiling of the new Opel/Vauxhall Corsa OPC/VXR and reports on the upcoming Fiat Punto Abarth turbo comes the latest assault on the Renaultsport Clio 197, the Peugeot 207 RC. Parent company PSA evidently snuck the RC under the radar in its December online magazine several months ahead of its official debut at Geneva in March.

The 207 RC gets the most powerful version of the engine co-developed by PSA and BMW for the Mini Cooper S, a 1.6-liter twin-turbo producing 175 horsepower, which Peugeot says should get the hot little hatch up to a hundred kilometers per hour in 7.1 secods on its way to a 220 km/h (137 mph) top speed.

The base 207 is already one of the most stylish and aggressive-looking small hatches on the market, and while the RC version does get some subtle visual enhancements, they're not quite as extreme as the styling previewed by the 207 RCup concept. Will that be enough to pose a serious threat to the competition? That depends largely on how it drives.

[Source: Carscoop]

Peugeot leaks the 207 RC originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jan 2007 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peugeot 207 CC: drop-top good looks

Noah Joseph — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Europe, PSA

Although only a handful are offered Stateside, Coupe-Cabrios - a.k.a. folding-hardtop convertibles - have been gaining popularity overseas. The new Peugeot 207 CC succeeds the 206 CC, which parent group PSA claims is the world's best-selling application of the best-of-both-worlds concept with over half a million sold since 2001. The 207 CC goes on sale across the pond in March 2007, when it will be offered in two trim levels - Sport and GT - with a choice of two gasoline engines - 1.6-liter units producing 120 naturally-aspirated horsepower and 150 turbo horses respectively - and an HDi diesel with 110 hp, all driving through a 5-speed stick-shift (or an available 4-speed Porsche Tiptronic on the 120-hp gas engine).

The folding roof - designed and manufactured in-house by PSA - is now fully automatic, forgoing the manual release on its predecessor. The 207 CC also offers 2+2 seating and leather interior trim, both features not commonly found in the supermini convertible segment. Overall, the styling strikes us as a particularly potent application of Peugeot's new shark-like design language.

Automakers will often be judged by motor-heads on one factor: how close a car company can make their production cars look compared to the concept. In other words, how much worse. We expect some concessions towards reality - production feasibility, safety standards and the like - to hamper the smooth lines and show-stopping curves of a show car before it reaches the showroom. But if you ask us, the production version of the Peugeot 207 CC looks even better than the 207 ePure concept that previewed its proportions.

(Hi-rez images and full press release after the jump.)

[Source: PSA Peugeot Citroen]

Continue reading Peugeot 207 CC: drop-top good looks

Peugeot 207 CC: drop-top good looks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto Express drives the Peugeot 207 GTi

Alex Nunez — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:18:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback

The UK's Auto Express snagged some seat time in the yet-to-be-released Peugeot 207 GTi. The new Pug hot hatch -- one of many that our overseas friends are able to choose from -- sports the same 175-horsepower turbo-4 found under the hood of the Mini Cooper S, one of the car's key market competitors along with the RenaultSport Clio 197. Save for the metallic rearview mirros and the rear spoiler, the 207 GTi is visually identical to its more sedate bretheren in the lineup -- a fact the Auto Express chaps lament, noting that the RenaultSport Clio has a look all its own. They're not crazy about the car's 5-speed manual either, as 6 forward gears have pretty much become the norm in this segment. Other than those quibbles, they're impressed with the car. Sadly, no manufacturers save for MINI, Mazda and VW have really stepped up to the plate to offer us Yanks fun, sporty hatchbacks like this. With any luck, GM will take advantage of this opportunity in our market when it brings the Astra to Saturn dealerships next year. All together now: Astra/Ion Red Line! Please, General.

You can read the full Auto Express preview and check out more photos at their website.

[Source: Oliver Marriage/Auto Express]

Auto Express drives the Peugeot 207 GTi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: Peugot 207 GT

Noah Joseph — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, PSA

Peugot will be taking the wraps off its newest hot-hatch at Paris: the 207 GT. While anticipation had been building for a road-going production version of the 207 Super 2000 rally car (hinted at with the 207 RCup concept shown at Geneva), the latest information indicates that this will be the range-topper, and that PSA will be dropping the "i" from its traditional GTi moniker.

The engine, co-developed with BMW, will be a 1.6-liter four-banger pumping out a decent 150 hp. Sixty is expected to arrive in 8.1 seconds towards a top speed of 210 km/h (approximately 130 mph). These figures point towards more of a warm hatch than a genuine hot-hatch, and likely won't be able to keep up with rival Renault's Clio 197 Renaultsport.

Three-door hatchback will be the only body-style available, and the 207 GT is expected to include such bells and whistles as stability control, an auto-tinting panoramic glass roof, parking assist and 17-inch rims. The 207 GT will be featured at thre Paris show alongside the 207 EPURE fuel-cell convertible concept.

(More pics after the jump)

[Source: Motor Terra via Motorpasion]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Peugot 207 GT

Paris Preview: Peugot 207 GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: Peugeot 207 EPURE Concept

Alex Nunez — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Europe, Green, Paris Motor Show

The Peugeot 207 EPURE concept looks like a production car because, for the most part, it is. What you see is the new Peugeot 207 CC ... almost. A peek underhood reveals the "concept" part of this little French bulldog: it's powered by a fuel cell.

The car's name is an obvious nod toward it's green credentials, and Peugeot used the car's colors to help communicate that theme as well. The white paint, white leather interior, and soft "absinthe" green carpeting and accents communicate the cleanliness associated with its alternative fuel source. Some interior features are concept-specific, such as the instrumentation used to monitor the car's power sources. In addition to that, a lot of the leather-covered interior surfaces will likely be hide-free when the production 207 CC bows.

Peugeot says that it was natural to use a convertible as the platofrm here because the open air dirving experience is most enhanced by the car's quiet operation and emissions-free nature. The power source is a GENEPAC 20 (20 kW) fuel cell that is fed by five 15-liter hydrogen cylinders stored at the bottom of the car's trunk. The fuel cell powers the EPURE's electric motor (Peak power: 95 hp / 133 lb-ft) and recharges its 50 kW Lithium-Ion battery.

(More info, photos, press release after the jump)

Continue reading Paris Preview: Peugeot 207 EPURE Concept

Paris Preview: Peugeot 207 EPURE Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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