Malaysia Motoring News - new article for today

Peugeot 301 revealed - low cost sedan for emerging market

Posted: 24 May 2012 08:05 AM PDT



Peugeot has released the information on its new 301 model ahead of Paris Motor Show unveiling in September. The car also debuted the new naming system of Peugeot car, dropping the "8" after "0", for example 308 and 508. Build to cater the "emerging" market like Turkey, Eastern Europe, Russia, African states and a few others, Peugeot 301 brings the new Peugeot design language element onto a cheaper "third world" body design.


Measuring 4,440mm long and 2,650mm wheelbase, Peugeot 301 sets to offer a generous accommodation for the masses. The boot volume is cavernous 506L, while the rear seat accommodation is claimed to be class-leading too. To keep the cost down, Peugeot has grafted  a modern element of its current design language (floating front grille, fancy headlight and distinctive rear combi internals like the 208) onto a cheap, boxy slab metal stamping panel which is renown for its cheap manufacturing tooling cost. However, Peugeot 301 still manage to look quite good, especially with modern-ish bumper and light design, as well as pleasingly-styled alloys.

Despite the pared back cost-conscious body styling, the equipment level is bang up to date. Features such as electronically controlled air-conditioning, audio system that plays MP3 and Bluetooth as well as USB and remote trunk lid operation. Safety items are not compromised either as 301 is equipped with ABS, ESP, EBA, ISOFIX mounting and up to 4 airbags. Not fire breaking deal, but sufficiently equipped nevertheless.

In the powertrain department, Peugeot 301 is as modern as it can get. It is the second only to Peugeot 208 in getting the new 3 cylinder gasoline engine, namely the 1.2L VTi kicking 71bhp paired to either manual or EGC gearbox. The other petrol option is the 1.6L VTi version with 115bhp that can be mated to either manual or conventional torque-converter automatic. The final option is 1.6L HDi diesel powertrain unit, punching out 92bhp and available only as manual.

The interior can described as functional at best. Clearly lacking the panache of Peugeot recent interior offerings, 301 interior is a good combination of cost and aesthetic. The door trim and the dashboard are visibly cheap in their simple geometry fascia, but the overall ambiance is upped by the clever use of high-gloss black insert and the shiny silver pieces. The buttons and vents are chunky in appearance, but who we or anyone on earth for the matter, to comment about the interior quality simply by looking at single photo?

So far Peugeot 301 is destinated to arrive in the third world market with left hand drive steering position. However, judging by many other market spesific model that somehow arrive in Asian, MMN won't be surprise if the 301 makes it way to RHD market to replace the dinosaur-age Peugeot 207, a sedan that inherit the hatchback rear door!

Some more photo can be found after the jump.
Read more »

World first pedestrian airbag - standard on Volvo V40

Posted: 23 May 2012 07:00 PM PDT



Every year, 1.3 million people are killed on the world's roads where significant percentage comprises of pedestrian. For Volvo, safety has been a key priority for 85 years and in 2008, launched a unique goal in that 'By 2020, nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo' and to contribute towards the aim, it has fitted technology including Pedestrian Detection, City Safety and the Pedestrian Airbag.


The Pedestrian Airbag technology was a world breakthrough when the all-new Volvo V40 was launched in Geneva earlier this year and will to be fitted as standard to all specifications. The system is active at speeds between 20 and 50 km/h. According to statistics, 75% of all accidents involving pedestrians take place at speed of up to 40 km/h.

Sometimes in early of the new millennium, there has been actually some design guidelines in terms of pedestrian protection. This was when car's hood start become bulbous because there needs to have 75mm minimum clearance between the highest point in the engine compartment and the lowest point of hood inner structure. Yours truly in 2005 was looking into designing the then-axed major Waja facelift, and at that time the packaging of Campro engine within the newly design hood for Waja facelift was quite a concern as the Campro engine can't be lowered any further in the chassis. However, since the project was killed sometimes after that, the whole exercise becomes academic.

At that time, the seventh generation Honda Civic was the benchmark, especially the short-hood Euro version. There's virtually "soft" padded panels everywhere in the hood, fender inner, bumper beam and even the headlight has a sliding mechanism within the bracket to reduce the force exerted on the pedestrian. More details after the jump. 
Read more »
 
 
Posted by:

Tag: