With the news that Peugeot was replacing two of its models - the 607 and the 407 - with one car, the new Peugeot 508, it was an indication that things had changed in France. As Automotive News reports, all of sudden, we understood that French car manufacturers had given up the fight to compete with Germany’s big guns in the large, luxury sedan segment.

The announcement of the Peugeot 508 has come among other news of French sedans. Renault canned its embarrassing Vel Satis model and is focusing on its new Renault Latitude. So far, it’s a nice looking car but not only is it not a big luxury sedan, it’s also destined first for Russia and other emerging markets before making its way back home to Europe.

The Citroen C6 is also on its way out with no replacement planned. As Automotive News’ Luca Ciferri says:

Continue reading: No French revolution: patriotism sacrificed for business sense in large French sedans

More news regarding European and Chinese collaboration in the auto sector comes the PSA group’s partnership with Chang’an autos. The agreement will see the Citroen DS3 and Peugeot 508 models produced in China as well, with the latter being produced at Wuhan facilities and debuting sometime in 2011.

The Citroen DS3 on the other hand, will constitute a third brand for the local Chinese car market and should debut in 2012. It’s seen as an important part of the 200,000 cars PSA and Chang’an intend to produce together and if its style is appreciated by the locals, it should be able to fulfill that role.

Continue reading: Peugeot 508 and Citroen DS3 to be produced in China

Peugeot has released the first pics and details of its brand new Peugeot 508 which replaces the 407 and 607 range in one fell swoop. So far we like what we see, although the original leaked details come well ahead of the 508’s planned 2010 Paris Motor Show debut. Peugeot seems to have hit the spot with an elegant sedan that’s gone a little bit luxury.

The 508 sedan and station wagon new design was pre-empted by the Peugeot 5 Concept shown at Geneva, and while new style is a focus, Peugeot has also been working on its emissions and fuel efficiency. The e-HDi option is available with stop&start technology that improve fuel efficiency by 15 percent, and after the launch the new Hybrid4 will be made available with 200 hp, 99 g/km of CO2 emissions and all-wheel-drive.

The Peugeot 508 models will be available from 2011 and we’re eagerly awaiting news on pricing to see how competitive the new French sedan offering will be. Europe will get a European-built model, while the Chinese market will get a model built locally. See the Peugeot press release after the jump.

Continue reading: Peugeot 508 pics and details released

The new Peugeot 508 will appear in both sedan and station wagon versions, with the latter already undergoing testing. The 508 wagon in this rendering shows the evolution of this model, from the 407 (which it replaces) to the Peugeot Concept 5 which appeared at the Geneva motor show last March.

The 508 SW will put plenty of distance between itself and the 407, following more traditional design principles than the radical move which was behind the previous model. It will be smooth and balanced in its looks, but will also be a practical wagon, regaining some of the boot space that was sacrificed on the 407. The 508 will aim to be flexible and spacious, with a new design in the bargain.

The Peugeot 508 should be presented in 2011 and will be a larger model, not just in the boot, but also in the external dimensions, reaching a length of about 485 cm. That puts it in line with its competitors in the segment and internal space should be vastly improved on the 407 offering. More details after the jump.

Continue reading: Peugeot 508 details: rendering and spy shots of 508 wagon

The Peugeot RCZ is the first model in a new sub-branding project for Peugeot, which sees the creation of a new premium brand much like Citroen’s DS label. Another two models are set to become part of the hors-série brand: the Peugeot 508 sedan and a third, unknown model to appear in 2012.

In honour of the announcement, we bring you this Peugeot RCZ gallery showing the official pics of the 2+2 coupé which will compete directly with the Audi TT. As we’ve already said, the RCZ didn’t always make a lot of sense to us, but the French coupé could be hit on its home market and in others where customers are looking for a less expensive but equally performance-oriented coupé.

The RCZ is 429 cm long, 185 cm wide and 136 cm tall with a wheel base of 261 cm. You will find that you actually get some significant boot space, with the standard capacity being 384 litres and 760 litres if you drop the back seats down. The RCZ will be available with a 1.6-litre THP engine with 156 hp and 240 Nm of torque, and a 2.0-litre HDi with 163 hp and 340 Nm. They will both be on offer with a six-speed manual transmission.

Other engine options will follow those available at launch, including another 1.6 THP but with 200 hp and 275 Nm, and the 1.6 THP option with 156 hp will also be available in the future with a six-speed automatic gearbox. Other features include front MacPherson suspension, 18 or 19-inch alloy wheels and a customisation program with carbonfibre roof and coloured wheel arches.

Continue reading: Peugeot RCZ new pics: new hors-série sub-brand

The Peugeot 407 and 607 will become the Peugeot 508, and we can see the new sedan in these fuzzy cold weather testing spy shots. While the pics show us little to nothing of what the new car will look like, we’re pleased to see Peugeot going ahead with tests, and if it’s anything like the Hymotion4 Concept, it will be a sexy little saloon. The new Peugeot SR1 Concept should also influence the design, and we’ll be seeing it at the 2010 Geneva motor show in March.

The Peugeot 508 should appear at the 2010 Paris motor show in October as a concept car, with production model debut planned for the following Paris motor show in 2011. The 508 will also have a diesel-hybrid version with the Hybrid4 technology, and so it will have all wheel drive, too.

Source | AutoWeek.nl

Continue reading: Peugeot 508 spy shots

Peugeot has announced that the 407 and 607 models will merge into one sedan to be nominated the Peugeot 508. The announcement has come from new PSA president Philippe Varin, in an attempt to create one substitute to two models which have met with limited success.

The Peugeot 508 will be presented as a concept car at the Paris auto show in 2010, before its debut as a production model at Geneva in 2011. The last model of its kind was the 505 back in 1979, and we can only imagine that the work will now be left to those designers who’d like to experiment with a rendering, before we get a look at the real thing. In the pictures is the Peugeot RC HyMotion4 concept seen at last year’s Paris show.

Source | LeBlogAuto via Autoblog

Continue reading: Peugeot 508 announced: 407 and 607 to merge