Auto For Speed

Diesel-electric hybrid and distinctive ‘high-end’ appeal combine to offer an original view of the world of all-wheel drive vehicles with enhanced driving pleasure: introducing the new Peugeot 508 RXH.

RXH demonstrates the modern, enhanced ‘top-of-the-range’ vision for Peugeot, and has its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The style of the 508 RXH and its innovative HYbrid4 drive unit provide features that allow it to combine new levels of driving freedom and pleasure in a form not seen before in its segment:

200 bhp
ZEV – 100% electric mode
Four-wheel drive
CO2 emissions of 109 g/km

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Only a week after we brought you spy shots of Peugeot’s high-riding 508 SW, and the French carmaker released the first official photos of the production model that will carry the RXH moniker, ahead of its world premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September of 2011.

The new nameplate isn’t the only thing that differentiates Peugeot’s new crossover from the rest of the brand’s Outdoor models as the 508 RXH comes with all-wheel drive, courtesy of the Hybrid4 diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain.

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Like the original Audi TT, Peugeot’s new RCZ is a stylish and compact sports coupe built on the platform of a mainstream, front-drive hatchback. But it’s been a dozen years since the Volkswagen Golf-based German went into production, and three more since the TT concept was first revealed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. Perhaps the French just wanted to be absolutely certain the idea would stick…

While Peugeot can’t be accused of creating a hasty imitation, the similarities between the RCZ and TT are remarkable. The French car began as a concept unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt show. Turning it into a production car took three years. It’s built on the platform of a volume-production European C-segment model, in this case the 308. Every one of these steps treads in the faded tracks of the TT. Price is the only point where Peugeot departs from the blueprint. Going on sale across Europe through May, the RCZ will wear price tags 20- to 25-percent lower than equivalent TT models.

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Peugeot’s newest car for the Chinese market was unveiled over the weekend at the Beijing Motor Show. The Peugeot 408 is a long-wheelbase sedan based on the 308 giving more room for passengers sitting in the back.

This model is not to be confused with the recently-spied Peugeot 508 for the European market. That car will replace the Peugeot 407 & 607 beginning in 2011, and be significantly longer than the Chinese market’s 408.

The 408 features a large sunroof and a self-contained trunk to keep the cabin light and spacious. Because of the interior room, and the somewhat popular Peugeot styling in China, the automaker and their Chinese joint-venture partner are expecting annual 408 sales to top 100,000 units.

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