The sedan is still the preferred car shape for the automotive buying public of China, and therefore, all manufacturers must make these available in order to succeed. Peugeot’s attempt at selling them a modern, affordable and relatively compact three-box vehicle is the 408, a car that will directly rival Ford’s upcoming Escort sedan, as well as other local market cars like the striking Honda Crider.
The Peugeot is basically a booted version of the new 308 hatch, a car it more or less looks identical to up until the B-pillar area.
Only two leaked photos were provided by CarNewsChina, so we don’t really have enough three-quarter views to get a good impression of its proportions and design.
The engine range for this model will be different to that of the Euro 308. Only petrol engines will be offered, the most powerful of which will be the 160hp 1.6-liter THP turbo, followed by 1.8-liter and 1.6-liter naturally aspirated units. Pricing is believed to start at around 125,000 Yuan, or the equivalent of just over $20,000/€14,500.
By Andrei Nedelea
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