Peugeot 408 Debuts In China

No,it is not the successor to the sleek 407 sedan (thank god). It is actually a 308 with a tail according to Peugeot. The rear is a let down in comparison to other models in the peugeot range. Here is the story from Paultan :

The new Peugeot 408 is actually a C-segment notchback sedan based on the C-segment Peugeot 308 platform, but with its wheelbase lengthened to give better interior room since it is a 4-door. Suspension settings have also been revised for the car’s new sedan weight and for a more comfort-biased setup. In China, its positioned against other C-segment sedans like the Civic and the Focus. And this time Peugeot seems to have gotten the ‘hatch to sedan’ conversion right – it looks a lot less awkward than the 206 Sedan.

The 408 measures 4,680mm long, 1,800mm long and 1,500mm wide. It has a wheelbase of 2,710mm which trumps the Civic’s throne as the longest wheelbase C-segment vehicle available right now (well not exactly – the Fluence wheelbase is said to be 2,702mm). It approaches CD-segment territory with that wheelbase length (the Pug 407’s wheelbase is 2,725mm)! This should mean pretty good interior room in theory.

The Chinese launch of the car introduces a two engine line-up – a 110hp 1.6 liter engine and a 147hp 2.0 liter engine. Different markets may get different engines. The 1.6 liter engine’s 110 horses is reached at 5,750rpm while peak torque of 147Nm is reached at 4,000rpm with 85% reached from just 2,000rpm. and 95% (140Nm) between 3,000rpm and 5,500rpm. That’s a good and wide torque spread. The 2.0 liter unit is equipped with continuously variable valve timing. It produces its peak power at 6,000rpm with peak torque of 200Nm reached at 4,000rpm.

The transmission options are either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic, which is the new AT8 Porsche Tiptronic system model. Not the same one as found in the 206 or the 308, which is the AL4. The AT8 uses a torque converter by ZF which improves gearbox output and reduces consumption by about 5%. The gearbox management can also lock the three higher gears to reduce torque converter slip during gentle driving.

Chinese - Themed Ferrari 599

Well it doesn't take a genius to know that China's economic boom will give birth to a wealthy group of elites yearning for a set of wheels to flaunt their status .Knowing that Ferrari the prancing horse pays tribute to the dragon of the middle kingdom with the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE China Limited in a hope of seeing more Ferraris gracing the China's tarmac. This Ferrari was co-developed with chinese artist Lu Hao. Among the Chinese elements incorporated into the Car is the rev counter which has medieval Chinese characters replacing the usual roman numbers. The Red Ferrari 599 you see above gets my vote over the Ming Dynasty Vase inspired version you find in the subsequent pictures. In the Chinese culture, red symbolizes prosperity and it so happens that Ferraris are made to look good in red from the start. The "Glaze cracking porcelain" version would be much better off being a luxury cruiser for Abe Sapien from hellboy.

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AutoAlert: Chery A520 Adds to the Chery Range In M'sia

Another 'Chery' has blossomed in the Malaysian Chinese Car market. It is called the A520 where "A5" denotes the model name and the "20" indicates its engine displacement (1971cc). Sitting on the current Seat Toledo platform the A520 has a brand new sheet of metal designed by Bertone of Italy. The engine is sourced from AVL an Austrian engine manufacturer is able to put out 95 kW(129ps) of power with 180Nm torque at 4300 rpm. Power is delivered to the wheels via a 4 speed automatic transmission with tip-tronic feature. Chery claimed the car could reach a maximum speed of 185km/h but 0-100 sprint time is still unknown. A 490 litre boot should be able to satisfy the amount of space needed by a average Malaysian family and if the need arises one can fold the rear seat down to increase loading space. Personally I feel that the asking price of Rm 95888 (approx 27700 USD) for this car is way too much for me and a better option is to go for the Hyundai Elantra at RM98888.

AutoAlert: Updates on the China Car Market in Brief

BYD E6 will be launch in the second half of the year with pre-sale price starting around 200,000 Yuan. Source: autohome.com.cn

BYD F3DM will now be available to individual customers from September onwards. Before this the vehicle that has a Corolla Altis front with the ASEAN Honda City back was only available to corporate customers only. Source : Beijing Times

Changfeng Auto will release their latest SUV the CS7 manual in 2010 with the asking price between 108,000 and 129,800 Yuan. The front of SUV has strong design influence from the current generation Hyundai Santa Fe with a tinge of Mercedes M-series. Source: Changfeng Motor via Chinacarfans.com


The Hong Kong – Shenzhen-Macao International Auto Fair saw the unveiling of the Chery A5 1.5 L Automatic which comes in 3 trims namely the Standard, Elite & Luxury Edition. Priced between 55,800 Yuan and 67,000 Yuan, this edition did not reveal much change in the interior and exterior design. Source: Chinacarfans.com

The US will be getting the Hafei Saibao electric car that is designed by Pininfarina. This dated looking compact model will make its appearance in California in late 2010. Source : Edmunds via Chinacarfans.com




Let’s give a round of applause for the arrival of the pink lady bug (Chery QQme or S16) slated to launch in June 2009. This 4 –seat 2 – door minicar has a 2315 mm long wheelbase & will be equipped with a 1.3 –liter Gasoline Engine which generates peak power of 62 KW. In the safety department, this lady in pink comes with airbags, ABS + EBD along with reversing radar. Source : Sina via Chinacarfans.com




Personally I feel the Mini inspired interior design language is a small step forward in terms of the quality of materials used but I just can't swallow the Grandma's Rocking Chair door handle that makes the door panel look like a smiley with one red eye.