Showing posts with label Peugeot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peugeot. Show all posts

Friday 8 October 2010

Paris 2010: Peugeot HR1 Concept

Peugeot HR1 Concept


In addition to pulling the sheets back on its new 508, Peugeot unveiled its newest concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Called the HR1 Concept, the car is what we would assume would happen if a Prius knocked boots with the SEMA world. Behind the only-a-mother-could-love face, the HR1 benefits from a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine in front and a 37-horsepower electric motor positioned in the rear of the vehicle. This is a through-the-road hybrid, which means the two powertrains operate independantly and are only connected, well, through the road. Both are bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission, and all told, the company says that the drivetrain is good for a combined "potential power" of 147 hp. Even better, fuel consumption is kept down to 3.5 liters per 100 kilometers, or around 67 mpg US.

In marketing speak, the HR1 boasts an "alternative door structure" as part of its effort to combine as many vehicle body structures as possible. Peugeot says its designers baked elements from the city car, coupe and SUV philosophies into the final look of this hybrid. Surprisingly enough, there are no current plans to bring the HR1 to life.

Paris 2010: Peugeot 508 is a glimpse of things to come

2011 Peugeot 508

Peugeot is celebrating its 200th birthday (as a company), and to mark the occasion, the French automaker is planning an all-out product offensive. Chief among them is the mighty 508 – a sedan that benefits from reduced weight and increased interior room compared to the old 407. In a word: Progress.

Initially, the company says that the 508 will be available with everything from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 120 horsepower and 118 pound-torque of torque to a 150-hp 2.2-liter turbo-diesel engine with a gobsmacking 331 pound-feet of torque. Available gearboxes vary from a six-speed automatic to both five- and six-speed manuals. Peugeot also plans to roll out a hybrid version of the big sedan, though the company says that European buyers can expect to wait a little while on that one. Interestingly, Pug officials say when the 508 does get its batteries, the hybrid will pack a 200-hp diesel engine in addition to whatever the electric motors add.

Friday 18 September 2009

Frankfurt 2009: Peugeot BB1 Concept

Peugeot BB1 Concept



You know what the problem with Smart cars is? Not tough enough! Regardless, meet the Peugeot BB1. Yes, it is the logical result of a one night stand between a Subaru SVX and a Peel 50. What are we talking about? We don't even know what we're looking at. Feel free to read a rational account of the Peugeot BB1 at your leisure.

OK fine -- our editor is forcing us to tell you some facts about the BB1. Four wheels for sure. And the weirdly curved glass is all tilted forward before eventually morphing into solar panels on the roof. You steer it with moto-style handle bars. No word if you can opt for a set of ape-hangers, but why on earth not? Engine? Hey – it's a concept, you don't need no stinking engine. Uh.. oh! There are tiny rear-hinged doors with even tinier roll-down windows. So now you know what happens if you allow French automotive weirdness to go unchecked.

Frankfurt 2009: Peugeot RCZ

Peugeot RCZ

Some things are worth waiting for. Take the Peugeot RCZ, for example. French auto giant PSA has been talking about putting the RCZ into production since initially unveiling it as a concept car in this very hall back in 2007. And that day has finally arrived with the unveiling of the production-ready coupe here in Frankfurt.

The critics may say the styling is too close to the Audi TT, but to our eyes that's no bad thing. And while there are certainly some TT-esque design traits coming through, there is plenty to set this apart as uniquely Peugeot. Sporting a Zagato-style double-bubble roof and muscular wheel arches, the RCZ is easily the most stylish French car this side of a Bugatti.

Mechanically, it's based on the 308 hatchback, but the svelte coupe has dropped the numeric moniker on the road to production. Engines include 1.6-liter turbo fours with 156 or 200 horsepower and a 2-liter turbodiesel with 163 ponies. Also available with the oil-burning mill is a hybrid drivetrain supplemented by a 37-horsepower electric motor that matches the top gas engine's output while upping the ante with all-wheel-drive and environmental bragging rights.

Wednesday 5 August 2009

BMW considers sharing Mini platform with PSA Peugeot Citroën

Mini 50 Mayfair

According to a report from Financial Times in the U.K., BMW may be in preliminary talks to share small car platforms for future Mini variants with PSA Peugeot Citroën. The two European automakers already share the range of small four-cylinder engines powering the Mini line, which seems to lend an air of credence to rumors of an expanded collaborative effort.

While stopping short of confirming the report, both BMW chief Norbert Reithofer and PSA head Philippe Varin have indicated a willingness to work together and have reportedly met twice so far since May. Whispers of platform sharing is nothing new for BMW these days – earlier this year, we again heard the oft-repeated rumor that BMW was working with Fiat on a shared platform for something even smaller than the regular-grade Mini, possibly as part of its long-rumored Isetta revival.

[Source: Financial Times]