Peugeot reveals new Chinese-market 408 at Beijing Motor Show

Mon, 21 Apr 2014

Peugeot might not market in the United States – although according to our compatriots at Edmunds, that may be about to change – but don't think that it doesn't export out of Europe. In fact, together with its Citroën subsidiary, Peugeot SA is among the top ten automakers in the world. China is one of its most vital markets, one where it consistently turns a profit. And reflecting the importance of the Chinese market, Peugeot has rolled in to the Beijing Motor Show with several new debuts.

Aside from launching the new 2008 crossover and RCZ R in China for the first time – to say nothing of the new Citroëns debuting at the same show – Peugeot has created the Exalt concept sedan for the Beijing expo and also revealed its new 408 sedan. Slotting, as you might have guessed, in between the 308 hatchback and the 508 flagship, the 408 is a C-segment sedan designed specifically for the Chinese market but will, like its predecessor, likely find its way into other developing markets like Russia and South America in the near future as well.

Built as part of a joint venture with DongFeng, the new 408 rides on a 107-inch wheelbase to make it marginally longer than the model it replaces. Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbo four with direct injection and stop/start ignition, full LED headlamps, automatic parking system, blind-spot detection and more. It also moves the lion badge from the hood onto the grille, marking what could be a new trend for the French brand. Designed as the first car for a 30-year-old urban dweller, the new 408 promises to give Peugeot an even bigger slice of a pie that's estimated at 1.4 million vehicles strong each year. Read more in the press release below.

New PEUGEOT 408: presented for the first time at the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition

On the occasion of the opening of the 13th Beijing International Automobile Exhibition, PEUGEOT creates a sensation by unveiling as a world first, the new 408, an elegant, dynamic, executive sedan. This model intended for the Chinese market allows the brand to accelerate the renewal of its range, started with the local launches of the 3008 and 2008 crossovers.

The new PEUGEOT 408: design for technology

The new PEUGEOT 408 has all of the qualities of an executive sedan in the upper Chinese C segment. Its design adopts the brand's latest styling cues. Its lines and shapes express the perfect harmony between speed, balance, strength, elegance and safety.

The modernity of its equipment, such as the full-LED headlamps and the 1.6 litre THP petrol engine with Stop & Start, perfectly illustrates the desire to move up-market and the objective of becoming a benchmark in the segment.

The new PEUGEOT 408 symbolises and strengthens DongFeng PEUGEOT's "E power" strategy, in place for more than 2 years. The vehicle combines a direct injection 1.6 THP turbo engine along with the Stop & Start system.

This innovative system opens the door to a new "Micro-Hybrid "era for DongFeng PEUGEOT. A technology much anticipated by Chinese customers which perfectly matches the demands of the market, as it brings together performance and protection of the environment.

The new 408 will be the benchmark in the market for mid-sized vehicles, thanks to the dual benefits it brings: a complete range equipped with Stop & Start and a very long wheelbase of 2730mm, 20mm more than the current 408, a sure sign of space of comfort.

The new 408 will also be equipped with full-LED headlamps, the "City Park" system, and blind spot sensors. All of these systems will be benchmark in terms of safety and technology.

The new 408: new styling cues

La nouvelle PEUGEOT 408, as with the PEUGEOT EXALT concept car, presents for the first time, the brand's new styling cues. The lion is placed in the middle of the grille, an important indication of pride and membership for the brand.

The new PEUGEOT 408: new perspectives for growth in China

Between the 301 and 508 sedans and in addition to the 2008 and 3008 SUVs, PEUGEOT renews its offer in the upper Chinese C segment. A buoyant and very competitive segment, it represents almost 1,400,000 vehicles.

The customer for a PEUGEOT 408 in China is around thirty years old and lives in an urban area, an enthusiast for technology, upwardly mobile socially and professionally and 70% of whom are buying new for the first time. Other than its dynamic styling, the brand's future flagship model has many qualities that will enable to achieve ambitious objectives for volume and image. The new 408 will achieve very high standards concerning its level of equipment and technology within the segment.

Built for the first time in China and on the EMP2 platform, the new 408 benefits from all of the Group's technological advances, as well unprecedented levels of innovation.

By Noah Joseph