Xavier Gobille, the recently-appointed Managing Director of Peugeot Citroen South Africa, stressed that this past week’s viewing of the all-new Peugeot 108 and 5008 in South Africa should not be seen as a model launch, but rather as the point where Peugeot as a brand is “back in the race” in South Africa.
Under Gobille’s direction, Peugeot has re-vamped its model line-up to concentrate on where the sales action is right now, and the two areas of growth in South Africa’s new car market is in the entry-level A/B segment for hatchbacks and the SUV segment.
The re-jigging of the model line-up sees the competent but slow-selling Peugeot 308 dropped from the range. The new passenger model range now consists of the new entry hatch 108, the larger 208 hatch, and three Cross Over and SUV models: the 2008, the 3008 and the new 5008 7-seater.
Gobille has ambitions for Peugeot to increase its market share in South Africa to 2,5 % by 2021. Currently the Peugeot brand has about 1 % of the market. One of the key elements in the new plan to grow Peugeot is that all products now come with a 5-year/100 000 km warranty and service plan.
Two new products, the 108 and the 5008
The new products launched here in mid-September 2019 are aimed at opposite ends of the spectrum. The 108 comes in as an entry-level hatch with a small engine, low fuel economy , but an impressive list of safety features such as six airbags, ABS braking, emergency collision braking and electronic stability control.
The 5008 weighs in as a fully-equipped 7-seater. And one of its highlight features is that each seat in the new Peugeot is individually adjustable. Having briefly sampled these two new models, we feel that with proper after-sales care and attention, and good communication skills from Peugeot dealerships, there is no reason why Peugeot should under-perform as a brand in South Africa.
Driving the 108
The new Peugeot 108 is pitched at the entry-level of the A/B segment, but with all-important safety features that will appeal to people wanting to buy a car for their sons or daughters who are about to venture out as newly-qualified drivers.
Apart from the already-mentioned safety features, Peugeot’s claimed fuel consumption of 4,1 litres/100 km will also be attractive.
Just the one model is available at launch, the 1.0 L Active. The engine is a 1-litre naturally-aspirated three-cylinder unit, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The very short launch drive proved that to get the best out of the little car you have to wind the revs quite high in each gear. If you drive it on low revs you might find the power-torque configuration lacking as you potter around town.
The reason for this initial perceived lack of urge is that the Peugeot 108 is geared very tall. For instance, we revved the car to the red-line in second gear and achieved an indicated 110 km/h, with three gears still to go! But with just 53 kW, don’t expect to hit the red-line in third, fourth or fifth too often! The gear-lever initially felt quite vague but you soon get used to it. Directional stability is actually very good and the steering is well-weighted.
Claimed fuel consumption
The fit and finish for the car in terms of dashboard solidity and the like is pretty good. The dashboard comes with the all important infotainment pod with touch screen and full smartphone compatibility.
The overall styling is neat, and an eye-catcher is the one-piece glass feature that incorporates the rear window and tail gate lid.
The boot is rated at 227 litres, which is small, but nevertheless about average for this class of car. Considering all the safety features and the 5-year/100 000 km warranty service plan, overall the price of R179 900 seems quite competitive.
Driving the 5008
The 5008 features a third row of seats that is extractable, so you can store them in your garage when not needed. The boot space is good, even with the third row of seats installed.
The 5008 features the trademark small-steering wheel that Peugeot also uses in its 3008 SUV. To see the instrument cluster up ahead you need to adjust he wheel quite low, but once you get used to it, you find yourself enjoying the quickness and precision of the steering.
There is an over-riding impression of quality about the 5008, and one can see why Peugeot’s SUVs are the best-selling vehicle in this class in Europe. And the car is laden with safety and luxury features. Refreshingly, they are all standard, with no endless extra-cost options boxes to tick!
The engines on offer are a 121 kW turbo petrol in the 1.6L THP model and a 2-litre 110 kW diesel in the 2.0L HDI model. Both come only with a six-speed automatic gearbox.
We only had time on the launch for a quick sampling of the 1.6-litre turbo model, decked out in GT-Line spec. The overall impression is of a very classy SUV with an engine that sounds really good! However, we feel that the exterior styling is perhaps a bit bland for some tastes. Pricing of the new 5008 ranges from R534 900 to R599 900.
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