French car manufacture Peugeot which has been eying the Indian car market once again and had recently announced its aggressive plans for India. Now Peugeot wants to waste no time in entering the Indian car market for its second innings. They also announced that they will be setting up a plant Chennai. But little did we know that they have started testing their cars in India.
Recently, Peugeot 207 hatchback and Peugeot 508 sedan were spotted on Mumbai-Pune expressway undergoing regular testing by Team-bhp and Motorbeam. These are just two of the cars that Peugeot has planned for India but the company has aggressive plans to enter every segment of the competitive Indian car market. Below is some more detail on the two cars that have been caught testing.
The first car spotted is the 207 – The first 207 was launched in 2006, and is currently built in various countries including France, Spain, Slovakia and Indonesia. In India it will enter in fierce competition with the existing brigade of the Swift, i20, Micra, Polo, Fabia, Etios and upcoming Brio.
This smart looking car with trademark sweptback Peugeot headlamps comes equipped with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. The range of engine options available are-
Petrol
- 1.4 vti with 95 bhp
- 1.6 vti with 120 bhp
- Two turbocharged and intercooled engines with 150 bhp and 175 bhp
Diesel
- 1.4 litre 70 hp
- 1.6 litre HDi with intercooler with 90 or 110 hp
The second car spotted is the 508 – The Peugeot 508 will slug it out with the Superb, Passat, Accord, Teana and upcoming Camry. This car was launched in 2010 and it replaced the 407 and 607. It is based on the C5 platform and is available in both Sedan and station wagon version. The engine suitable for India with a 2.2-liter turbo diesel good for 200bhp and 458 Nm of torque. The engine is available only with a six-speed auto transmission, and doesn’t currently have a manual transmission. It is expected to attract with a price tag in the range of Rs 18 – 22 lakhs.
Come 2012 Auto Expo and we can certainly see a line-up of Peugeot cars.
More spied pictures of Peugeot 207 & 508 –
Video of Peugeot 207 caught testing in India –
Source – Team-BHP.com & Motorbeam