People have long lusted soon after the forbidden fruits of the automotive marketplaces: Motor vehicles provided somewhere else but not sold right here in the United States. When Fiat Chrysler Vehicles, former father or mother to Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and other folks, joined forces with PSA (Peugeot and others), there was hope that People could get hold of some quirky French autos as component of the offer. That has not happened, at the very least not nonetheless. As it turns out, Europeans get just as several dull crossovers as we do, although Peugeot thinks it has a resolution with the new 408, an aerodynamic compact crossover with style for times. While we significantly question a rebadged 408 would ever display up on our shores, it can be easy to imagine how a vehicle hunting one thing like this on the exact electrified system could spawn a feasible item for the American marketplace. Squint a bit and “new electric Dodge Intrepid” arrives to brain.
Maybe it shouldn’t be astonishing that France would arrive out with a new car that seems properly-matched to the American industry. Utility automobiles produced up 46% of new vehicle gross sales in France in May well, matching the revenue numbers of sedans in the nation. Peugeot’s banking on the truth that several men and women want the room and usability of a compact SUV but tire of the styling and ubiquity of the car form. The fastback condition supplies a much more spectacular design glimpse with out fully sacrificing the qualities that make SUVs so well-known.
Peugeot provides a common SUV in the 3008, but the 408 is sleeker and additional aerodynamic. The automaker suggests that the 408 “offers a feline stance and distinctive attract, engineering excellence targeted on efficiency and intelligent electrification, as effectively as the emotions supplied by chopping-edge systems devoted to driving enjoyment and instinctive use.”
Two plug-in hybrid powertrains will be made available initially, generating 180 and 225 horsepower. A common gas model will also be offered with a 130-horsepower motor. All variants get an 8-speed gearbox, and Peugeot says an electrical product will occur later on. No Stellantis manufacturer in the United States at the moment gives a purely electric vehicle.
Peugeot will make the 408 at its plant in Mulhouse, France, for the European current market. The automobile will go on sale early in 2023 and will later on turn into available in China.
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