With 40 cars on display across a 4,000 sqm booth in hall 1 of the Paris Motor Show, PEUGEOT reveals a revitalised, unified "8 range" for 2014. The new PEUGEOT 308 GT and PEUGEOT 508 are perfect examples of the brand's upmarket shift and technological expertise. 

Elsewhere, the PEUGEOT EXALT and PEUGEOT High-R concepts demonstrate a distinctive, high-end combination of thrills and efficiency.

PEUGEOT's technological prowess in enhancing the experience behind the wheel while developing environment-friendly solutions holds centre stage with the PEUGEOT 208 2L HYbrid Air demonstrator, backed by the extensive roll-out of new Euro 6 engines, including the PureTech and 1.6L THP petrol versions and the BlueHDi diesel power plants, which have a one-year lead over the requirements introduced by the standard.

The limited edition PEUGEOT 208 GTi 30th, presented alongside the 2008 DKR, illustrates the expertise of PEUGEOT SPORT and its ability to meet the specific needs of individual customers while rising to the challenges of even the most demanding races.

Overview

The new PEUGEOT 508 reveals significant changes, with new engine options and a brand-new front end that suggests a sign of things to come. The PEUGEOT EXALT concept car sports a fresh livery complete with new materials for the Paris Motor Show, offering an imposing vision of the sedan and building on the 2012 format originally unveiled by the ONYX concept car in Paris. 

The PEUGEOT High-R concept combines the heightened expression of a next-generation SUV with the punch of PEUGEOT's more high-performance models. It is flanked by an expanded range of sportier models, including the new PEUGEOT 308 GT and the limited edition PEUGEOT 208 GTi 30th. Competition cars have not been overlooked, with the PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, 208 WRX and 208 T16 all in the spotlight.

PEUGEOT continues to build on its position as a leader in innovation, cleantech and connectivity. The Paris booth devotes individual areas to each of these issues, giving visitors an opportunity to discover the latest advances in Euro 6 engines and fuel efficiency, including:

• BlueHDi diesel engines combining performance and low consumption;
• three-cylinder turbocharged PureTech petrol engines;
• the PEUGEOT 208 HYbrid Air 2L demonstrator, reflecting the cutting edge of fuel efficiency.

There is also a clear focus on solutions involving the car and connectivity, reflecting a new trend for the 21st century vehicle. PEUGEOT offers a full range of technology and services designed to enhance the automotive experience through a continuous connection between the driver, the car and the world outside:

• PEUGEOT Connect SOS and PEUGEOT Connect Assistance, for emergency calls and breakdown assistance, already featured on over one million vehicles;
• PEUGEOT Connect Apps, a portal for connected apps (Coyote, Fuel, Parking, etc.), providing real-time support to make daily driving easier, shown on 19 models in the PEUGEOT 208, 2008, new 308 and new 508 ranges on display;
• Two terminals demonstrating Mirror Screen, which can duplicate smartphone content on the car's touch screen;
• Link MyPeugeot and Scan MyPeugeot, to extend the in-car experience on a smartphone and provide an interactive driver's manual.

Four virtual-reality 3D terminals equipped with Oculus Rift headsets provide a fun, immersive PEUGEOT Connect experience, featuring Link MyPeugeot ("Find my car" and "Last mile guidance" functions) and PEUGEOT Connect SOS & Assistance.

PEUGEOT's Paris booth also features the Django, the latest addition to its scooter line. Beautifully designed and fresh out of the fifties, the new member of the family impressively revamps the S57, the first scooter ever made by the lion brand. With its timeless retro design, the Django is available as a three-cylinder (50, 125 and 150 cc) with four types of finish. It also offers endless scope for customisation, with the Django ID configurator allowing customers to create their own scooter from A to Z, personalising everything from the colourway to the saddle and mirrors. It represents a groundbreaking new departure for Peugeot Scooters, offering over 110,000 possible combinations.

PEUGEOT 508: a mark of character 

With the new 508, PEUGEOT has cemented its position in the D segment, building on its upmarket drive by offering distinctive vehicles in each market segment while constructing a long-term offering for large sedans.

The car now has a more structured feel, with a new front grille featuring the famous Peugeot lion in the middle, plus a revamped, flatter bonnet. The same visual identity will also feature on future models in the range.

Careful attention to detail can also be seen in the front and rear lights. Bumper-integrated daytime running lights come as standard, creating unmistakable signature lighting (in the shape of a "comma" on the sedan/SW and "claws" on the RXH) and adding to the charisma of the new PEUGEOT 508. On higher-end versions, the front end is accentuated by state-of-the-art full LED technology. The rear lights on the sedan have also been revamped to reveal a more horizontal shape than their predecessors, with the three claw marks creating a clear, cutting-edge visual identity. 

The new PEUGEOT 508 is also packed with a number of other technological advances. All models at level 2 and higher come with a seven-inch touch screen that incorporates the majority of the car's functions. 

The attention to detail in the decoration and upholstery, coupled with the quality of equipment and finishing, put the new PEUGEOT 508 squarely in a more sophisticated, upscale bracket without ever lapsing into ostentatiousness.

Features include Open & Go (keyless entry and start), automatic electric parking brake, electrochrome rearview mirror, smartbeam assist, under-inflation alert, front and rear park assist, four-zone air conditioning, and a JBL Hi-Fi system, along with two new additions: reversing camera and blind-spot monitoring.

The new PEUGEOT 508 has no fewer than eight engine options, including two petrol versions and six diesel power plants. 
All of these engines are Euro 6-compliant:

• the new 1.6L THP 165 S&S petrol engine, delivering 165 hp, mated to a six-speed manual transmission or equipped with the new EAT6 six-speed automatic gearbox; 
• the 2.0L BlueHDi 150 BVM6 diesel engine with CO2 emissions of 105 g/km, the best in its segment among cars with a similar engine capacity;
• the 2.0L BlueHDi 180 EAT6 diesel engine, achieving CO2 emissions of 111 g/km, one of the best trade-offs between power and fuel efficiency in the segment.

PEUGEOT 308 GT: two engines offering plenty of pep and performance for a car packed with personality

The PEUGEOT 308 GT is a car for car lovers. Available as a hatchback or SW, it boasts ample style, outstanding performance and an exceptional drive, not to mention impressive fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

The PEUGEOT 308 GT is available in four versions, with both the GT 205 and GT 180 available as a hatch or estate, powered by either a 1.6L THP S&S BVM6 petrol engine delivering 205 hp or a 2.0L BlueHDi developing 180 hp. These power plants are mated to an EAT6 automatic gearbox, respectively achieving 5.6 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of 130 g/km, and 4.0 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of only 103 g/km.

Its assertive sports styling is a real head turner. The front end of the PEUGEOT 308 GT carries a lion that blends into the grille, flanked by three horizontal claw marks. The high-end headlamps ensure optimal visibility in all conditions with their 62-LED units. Visually enhanced by the side skirts, the PEUGEOT 308 GT sits on 18-inch Diamond alloy wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres. The same athletic allure is apparent in the cabin, with its anthracite-coloured roof headliner and trim parts. The red stitching on the upholstery, dashboard, door panels, gear lever and high-end floor mats adds a final touch of GT flair.

The running gear benefits from some specific tweaks in keeping with the spirit of the car and its sportier styling, striking the perfect balance between body support and high-end comfort.

The effect is amplified by the Driver Sport Pack on all 308 GT models, offering a multi-sensory experience that enhances engine noise, MMI systems and the overall thrill of the drive, with sharper power steering and accelerator pedal performance. 

The experience is crowned by an extremely comprehensive set of equipment, including the Driver Assistance Pack (Dynamic Cruise Control, Emergency Collision Alert & Emergency Collision Braking System), blind-spot monitoring and PEUGEOT Park Assist (including parallel and bay parking assistance).

PEUGEOT EXALT & PEUGEOT High-R: two visions of a high-end vehicle 

With the EXALT and the High-R on show in Paris, PEUGEOT has taken the wraps off two concept cars that reflect its new vision for the high-end market.

The High-R highlights PEUGEOT's lead in the Crossover segment while offering a revitalised approach. It combines the heightened expression of a next-generation SUV with the punch of PEUGEOT's more high-performance models.

The result is a spectacular design and innovative materials including basalt, digitally woven fabrics and chiné leather, all of which enhances the athletic feel of this unprecedented concept.

The new design also removes the central pillar, using scissor doors to ensure easier access to the premium cabin, complete with retractable running board. Basalt is a volcanic rock that offers a blend of strength and lightness, and features prominently in the centre console. PEUGEOT also marks a world first with the use of digitally woven textile elsewhere in the cabin. To create a more athletic feel, the pillars and roof are trimmed in black leather, with seat cushions and backs covered in fawn-coloured chiné leather.

Inside, each passenger has a bucket seat featuring an exposed structure and four-point retractable harness. The head-up display provides a large, configurable touch screen with a central 45-degree polycarbonate strip to show additional information and create added depth.

This outstanding concept car is naturally equipped with a high-end 500 hp full-hybrid plug-in drive train comprising a combustion engine and two electric motors.

The PEUGEOT EXALT, first unveiled in April at the Beijing Motor Show, now appears in a new guise. It embodies PEUGEOT's increasingly responsible vision of a high-end automobile, refusing to compromise on its strengths, through carefully chosen materials that ensure perfect balance while also making the most of local sourcing and recycled materials. 

In China, the EXALT's interior featured ebony sculpted by Chinese master craftsman. The Paris version sports a new finish that uses Newspaper Wood taken (literally) from the pages of business dailies. In homage to the art of the French motor car from the twenties and thirties, its bodywork is hand-formed by a master panel beater and features in shades of grey. The rear is trimmed in an efficient textile known as "Shark Skin", which is highlighted by a clear line that creates a sophisticated tone-on-tone transition between the bare steel and the grey of the textile. Creating a very different look from the contrasting finish seen in Beijing, the new design demonstrates the versatility of the separation line.

The tailgate and integrated hobby flap reveal a boot with a low load sill, providing easy access to the HYbrid-Kick concept, a foldaway electric scooter stowed below the boot floor that is an ideal addition when it comes to covering last-mile mobility, making getting around town so much easier. PEUGEOT and MICRO have created a scooter that is easy to ride, fold and transport, epitomising a clean design that bears the hallmark of simplicity and sophistication.

Peugeot Cycles is also showing the HYbrid bike AE21, which boasts a quiet, clean, effortless approach to urban mobility with undeniably sophisticated style. The "Clever Case" frame houses the battery, a laptop bag and an ABUS Bordo folding lock. The HYbrid-bike AE21 seamlessly expands on the EXALT and HYbrid Kick concepts with its bare aluminium, Shark Skin and chiné fabric. 

PEUGEOT technological expertise: 208 HYbrid Air 2L demonstrator and new engines

Average weighted CO2 emissions for new PEUGEOT vehicles sold in Europe stood at 111.1 g/km at the end of June 2014, compared with 115.1 g/km for the same period in 2013, making the brand one of the most successful carbon-reducing automakers in Europe. This impressive performance is largely the result of the rapid roll-out of Euro 6 engines, spearheaded by the BlueHDi diesel and the three-cylinder PureTech petrol variants.

PEUGEOT aims to take things a step further, however, and has provided tangible proof of its commitment with the 208 HYbridAir 2L demonstrator, which reveals solid progress in meeting the government's goal of a car with a fuel efficiency of just 2.0 l/100km. The project includes one imponderable criterion: it must be possible to affordably manufacture relevant technologies on an industrial scale by 2020. As a result, the demonstrator sets the bar high in halving the consumption of an already highly efficient 208!

One focal point involves a design that draws on a range of different materials including a mix of steel, aluminium and composites to significantly reduce the weight.

Close attention has also been paid to aerodynamics, with a wealth of details brought into play to improve air flow, including a lower stance, intelligent air intake, moulding between the struts and windscreen and a rearview camera to achieve an improved SCX of 20%. Tyres that combine a sleek width and large diameter with low rolling resistance help to further enhance this comprehensive approach.

HYbrid Air technology is a cornerstone of these performance improvements.

It combines an internal combustion engine, the improved 1.2L PureTech 82 BVM5 (which provides a 4% increase in efficiency by reducing loss caused by friction), with a series of hydropneumatic features—including a compressed-air tank, low-pressure tank acting as an expansion chamber, and combined engine-pump system mated to the transmission—that can generate, store and release compressed air to assist and even replace the petrol engine, enabling maximum efficiency during transition phases, such as acceleration and getting off the mark.

The PEUGEOT 208 HYbrid Air is a joint project in partnership with other Plateforme Automobile members including Faurecia, Michelin, Plastic Omnium and Valeo.

New engine versions are also being rolled out to provide a winning blend of driving pleasure and environmental performance. 

The 1.2L PureTech 130 S&S engine—the first to feature PEUGEOT's Stop & Start in conjunction with automatic transmission for a petrol engine—is now available with the new six-speed EAT6 (AT6 III) automatic gearbox on models in the 308 range. A paddle-shift option is also available with the Driver Sport Pack.

The new 1.6L THP 165 S&S Euro 6 engine features on the new PEUGEOT 508, mated to either six-speed manual transmission or the new six-speed EAT6 automatic. Developed to meet the new Euro 6 emissions standards, its specifications also include a reduction in fuel consumption and improvement in performance. 

The new petrol engine replaces the 1.6 THP 155 Euro 5 power plant, gaining 10 hp in the process and lowering CO2 emissions to 129 g/km, improving on a best of 144 g/km for the previous generation.