A Short Recourse on the History of Motor Car Manufacturer Peugeot and Some of Their Models
Even though it was established in the early 1800s, it wasn’t until 1858 that the lion brand trademark was given not until around 1890 that the business attempted to automobiles.
In this early period of Peugeot’s history they exhibited signals of growth as in 1889 they only developed four cars but a decade later they were manufacturing 300 motors.
Due to the uncomfortable driving of these initial vehicles it was decided that rubber should cover the wheels so that the impact of the bumpy street would not be felt. Due to this reason, Peugeot was the very first manufacturer of cars to use rubber on the tyres of their cars.
Almost thirty years later the company had gone from strength to strength and just before the start of the next decade the Peugeot 201 was designed, which was the most cost effective production car for sale at the time. It was this car that helped to secure Peugeot through the Great Depression and kept them in business until the recession was over.
Once the war was over, Peugeot made 14,000 cars and produced the 202 model. Close to 1950 the model was released again as the 203 with hydraulic breaks, rack-and-pinion steering and suspension. The prosperity of this model secured fantastic sales number and later models with slightly different features until the swinging sixties.
About twenty years later Peugeot constructed and put up for sale the Peugeot 205 in the early 1980s, which aided the company in its quest to position itself one of the world’s heftiest car manufacturers.
As of 1993 Peugeot released the 306, which was a small and extremely popular family car that stayed in production until 2001 when the 307 replaced it. However, the model kept going until 2002 as various cabriolet and estate versions were released.
Peugeot has also had much success in international rallying, particularly in the World Rally Championship with the 4WD turbo-charged versions of the Peugeot 205, and more recently the Peugeot 206.
In the space of the 1990s, the Peugeot 406 saloon participated in touring car championships across the world, enjoying success in France, Germany and Australia. Still, in other races the model did not exhibit as much promise, because of a problem with reduced horsepower and suspension difficulties, in gearing up against Honda and Nissan makes. In 2001, through the model’s end stages, Peugeot entered a trio of 406 coupes into the touring car championship in Britain and had to race with Vauxhall Astra coupes.
More recently, the company has developed a diesel-electric hybrid Peugeot 307 that can hit speeds of 80 miles per hour, which means it is extremely efficient when it comes to fuel use. Yet, this model was just a concept vehicle and never became available to buy or drive as part of a Peugeot leasing pact.
The illustrious firm is now working on hybrid electric power train technology and the Peugeot PROLOGUE HYmotion4. At the present, these have only been installed in concept cars but they could be significant in the future growth of the manufacturer.
Peugeot RCZ Review – Peugeot’s Comeback to Coupe
Going back to about 25 years before today, Peugeot might be a brand that came with quite a high prestige to offer those who own one. This was possible thanks to the manufacturer’s 205 GTI which was considerably amazing back then. However, unfortunately, it seems that Peugeot has not been able to really amaze car enthusiasts any longer for decades. Yet, things are about to change for the manufacturer thanks to their new Peugeot RCZ which is a coupe one of its kind and has a lot to offer. After hearing all that, the next thing that may sound more interesting is often what the car can probably offer for real.
Well, to get things started, car enthusiasts worldwide may think of this Peugeot RCZ as a rival to the Audi TT. Every car enthusiast knows how Audi TT performs and what it can give to the drivers. With that being said, the car enthusiasts out there may have acquired the big picture of the coupe offered by Peugeot. However, it may turn out quite unfair just to look at the big picture instead of paying attention to every detail of the coupe. Therefore, it is wise to read on.
First of all, what Peugeot may offer to the car owners – and the one that may turn out the most innovative feature – is the so-called double bubble curving shape applied to the roof as well as the glass rear window of the RCZ coupe. This is one of the key factors that make Peugeot RCZ stand out from the rest of coupes from the other brands in existence. Peugeot has managed to lengthen this roof in such a way that it forms a fluid, single and streamlined envelope with the coupe’s rear window. As a result, optimized aerodynamics is something the driver of this coupe can expect. Also, the overall visual style of this particular coupe is an eye-catching one that will freeze the eyes of the surrounding crowd. It seems that people will not get tired of looking at this RCZ over and over again.
Then, the next item of innovation is the coupe’s aluminum roof arches which are meant to maximize the dynamism of the coupe. Viewed from the side, this particular coupe will proudly display the taut and firm contours supported by the coupe’s rear wings with generous curves, sides that are deeply sculpted and the coupe’s front wings which are very prominent.
Yet, another feature offered with the Peugeot RCZ is an enveloping bonnet. Thanks to such a bonnet, it has been possible for the manufacturer Peugeot to reduce the size that the front wings may have taken. Also, with its wide opening, accessing the engine as well as the front wheel arches becomes a lot easier.
In terms of performance, Peugeot offers 3 engine options for this outstanding coupe of theirs. First, there is the 1.6 THP 16V 200 bhp engine option. Then, there is the 1.6 THP 16V 156 bhp engine option. Those are for the petrol engines. Now, for the diesel engine, there is the 2.0 HDi FAP 16V 163 bhp engine option. And, when it comes to steering, this coupe is equipped with hydraulic power steering feature. Thanks to such a steering feature, this coupe can easily be driven through corners without the coupe losing its stability. And, the RCZ coupe responds very well to the steering in most occasions.
The braking system on the Peugeot RCZ is also a powerful one. With front ventilated discs measuring 302 millimeters in diameter and with a thickness of up to 26 millimeters, the braking system is a hard-wearing one. Meanwhile, for the rear braking system, this coupe comes offered for sale with brake discs measuring 290×12 millimeters. Yet, there are more to the braking system. The owners of this coupe may well expect the presence of EBA – which stands for Emergency Brake Assist – and EBD – which stands for Electronic Brake force Distribution. With these features, the brake pressure on each wheel is very likely to be pretty efficient.
To add to the driver’s driving pleasure, this particular coupe grasps the road perfectly. The coupe features an inverted type of pseudo McPherson assembly as its front suspension. The RCZ that comes with the 200 bhp engine option even features an anti-roll bar that is uncoupled. On the other hand, the rear suspension is a trailing-arm type featuring rigid arm joints. The base and the gravity center of the coupe have even been lowered as well for the sake of the driver’s pleasure.
However, what have been revealed so far with concerns to the coupe are all about the visual and technical aspects. What about the comfort that the Peugeot RCZ may offer? Well, in terms of comfort, Peugeot offers pretty smooth and high quality upholstery. Better yet, it is even possible for the RCZ owners to upgrade the upholstery to the superior Nappa leather. Yet, the seats inside the coupe are sports car typical. The position is low yet ergonomic providing a great level of comfort to the passengers inside.
Yet, when it comes to entertainment, this RCZ features a set of high technology equipments that may well include Peugeot’s new multimedia systems, JBL Hi-Fi systems, USB sockets and so on. And, unlike the other cars, there is an analog clock instead of a digital one in the center of the instrument panel. And, in order to reflect how a sports car may feel, the background of the instrument panel is made of genuinely pressed metal.
The steering wheel is also of fine quality. It is covered with fine leather. Better yet, it is even equipped with collar as well as thumb rests that are covered with chrome finishing. And, for easy readings for the driver, the dial backs come with carbon tone which is enhanced even further by making use of back-lit and laser cut readings.
Now, it seems that the least discussed item here is safety of the Peugeot RCZ coupe. Well, the coupe features driver and front passenger airbags along with 2 neck airbags built into its seats. Of course, the airbags are not the only items available when it comes to safety. Taking into consideration the new protocol of the Euro NCAP, Peugeot has equipped their RCZ coupe by means of a pyrotechnic pop-up bonnet. This bonnet is designed to minimize the impact pedestrians may experience should a collision takes place in the front side of the coupe.
Another safety feature is a spoiler. Peugeot RCZ comes with a self-adjustable spoiler that works accordingly to the speed of the coupe. The spoiler works in two positions. It will first open when the RCZ coupe reaches 53 mph. Then, the spoiler will extend even further if the coupe reaches a speed of up to 96 mph. By means of such a spoiler, this top-notch coupe will obtain an even higher aerodynamic efficiency.
After all being said, it may well be true that Peugeot may not have shown what it can do for decades. However, with the presence of Peugeot RCZ, those car enthusiasts or those who are perhaps intending to buy a sports car or a coupe may need to consider buying an RCZ. Yet, they need to keep in mind that there is a pretty good chance they can still find even more options available right from Peugeot.
Coming Soon – Peugeot 207 SW
It was only a year ago that Peugeot, the producer of Peugeot oxygen sensor introduced the 207 in France and into the main European markets. It also became the fourth entry of Peugeot in the European small car market segment, along with the 107, the 1007, and the 206. And today the introduction of the 207 SW with its outdoor charm rounds up the 207 range.
An expanding range
The 207 SW which will be available in July is expected to broaden further the 207 range that has earlier launched a hatchback version. And like the 207 CC, the 207 RC together with the three and five door hatchbacks earlier introduced will also help in strengthening the 207 range.
The 207 SW is also seen to follow the footsteps of the 206 SW which has become the best selling estate car in the French and European B2 segment starting from its introduction in 2003. The 207 SW compared to the 206 SW has benefited immensely from the generation leap since it will be able to expand its target customer base with a number of new features.
Peugeot’s sale forecast for the 207 SW:
Peugeot is expecting that the first full year of 2008, the 207 SW would at least contribute 18 percent or 98,000 units of the total sales of the 207 models. The breakdown of sales will be–petrol to contribute 44 percent and diesel to put in 56 percent.
The 207 SW is to be produce exclusively at the POISSY manufacturing site, which has the capacity to produce 460 units a day. The production of the 206 SW was ended in January 2006.
Commercial launches
The 207 SW will be simultaneously introduced in July 5, 2007 in France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and Portugal but will be made available in July 12 in Germany. For the other European markets the vehicle will be launch in September.
The advantage of the 207 SW is that it will be entering a market segment that is continuously growing, increasing from 26.2 percent of the total European market to 30.5 percent. The model mix has also changed significantly during this time. The hatchback models has decreased from 95 percent of the B2 segment in 2000 to 82.4 percent in 2006 on the other hand the people carrier models have increased from 1.8 percent to 12 percent, cabriolets have also rose from 0.1 percent to 2.8 percent while estates remained steady at 3 percent with only a slight increase to 3.6 percent last 2004.
207 SW a practical and versatile option
The 207 SW is growing at an increasing rate which is good since it indicates high desirability of the range. After the three and five door hatchback and the coupe cabriolet, Peugeot will now be introducing the SW. Each of the models at the range acts as a silhouette possessing the strength of the 207 design but still maintaining their own individual personality. The SW will round up the 207 range especially with the appearance of the hatchback.
The new 207 a blend of one and both at the same time
The new 207 is easily recognized through its strong lines and dynamic character and yet benefiting from the exactness of its design and the visible quality of the car. The SW, according to Peugeot stands for express space, light, and well-being. And thanks to the glass panoramic roof, practicality, and modularity which are all contained within a well balanced, stylish design.
The 207 aims to attract a customer base that leads a “full and busy life” and who appreciates the space and versatility offered by the new 207 compact vehicle—customers ranging from young families to those in active retirement who enjoys the outdoor and social interaction.
What to expect from a 207?
Here is the list of features that the 207 offers:
*The new 207 SW has an overall length of 4.156 m, i.e. 119 mm longer than the hatchback (in the rear overhang), providing additional interior space.
*The new 207 possess a design that is oozing with personality. Its bold styling at the front which it shared with the hatchback flows backwards to create an one-of-a-kind design, that is further enhanced by the “brightness” provided by the panoramic glass roof, the oblong design of the side windows, the inverted rear quarter panels and the huge ruby-like rear lights on which provide the illusion of the rear tailgate glass resting on them.
*In some versions of the 207 SW are roof bars that further emphasize the originality of the design.
*The interior is brightened by the enormous panoramic glass roof that allows a more stunning view of the surrounding environment. An electrically operated sun blind controls the brightness.
*The new 207 SW provide an easy to access luggage area with a capacity of 337 dm3 VDA (or 428 litres) is 67 dm3 more (or 188 litres) than the 207 hatchback.
*The 207 SW also contain some surprises like for instance its “magical” rear modularity, which means that the user can adapt easily the space to suit their circumstances. Rear seats are easy to fold down since it is operated automatically. The folded seat forms a totally flat surface that allows an additional room for the luggage.
Practical features that will also be appreciated, such as:
*The opening rear tailgate glass.
*A three-section parcel shelf allowing access to the contents of the boot – from the rear seats, the tailgate glass or, more traditionally, the rear tailgate itself.
*More space in the back (both headroom and leg room) enabling greater use of the rear seats. The raised height of the rear seats also creates an “amphitheatre” effect, improving the occupants’ forward vision.