MOTORSHORTS: THIS WEEK IN BRIEF:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS are seldom associated with reductions in CO2, but that is exactly what you get with the new Peugeot 308 Ecomatique – probably because, strictly speaking, it's not an automatic. Sure, there is no clutch pedal, there are paddle shifts and an automatic-style gear gate, but the new six-speed MCP gearbox is actually an electronically-controlled six-speed manual piloted gearbox.
Drivers can change gear manually, using either the gearshift gate or paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.
Mated as it is to a 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine with 110bhp, Peugeot claims fuel consumption savings of 12 per cent compared to the standard manual diesel model and, thanks to lower CO2 emissions of 120g/km, it now comes in as a Band A car, with a VRT rate of just 14 per cent and annual road tax of €104.
This model comes as a five-door, priced at €24,256, which means it comes in cheaper than the standard manual version – by €1,797 to be exact, as well as €52 less per annum in road tax.
Peugeot sold 307 passenger cars for the first 20 days of 2009, compared to 1,228 in 2008, a drop of 75 per cent. Speaking at the launch of the 308 Ecomatique, David McConnell, managing director of Gowan Distributors stressed the importance of aftersales in keeping dealerships alive.
The higher the percentage of service departments that can cover of the costs of running a dealership – known as service absorption – the greater margin there is for profit from retail.
“If all the overheads in a dealership are paid for by the service department, anything you make in new or used car sales or finance isprofit on top of that. If you are covering all your costs on aftersales you will never go bust. We have put in a programme to make dealers more efficient in their workshops, to help them market aftersales and we now have service absorption of around 72 per cent.”
Peugeot has also revealed first details of their new 3008 crossover vehicle, a model aimed squarely at the hugely popular Nissan Qashqai. The new car, due to come to Ireland at end of this year, will be a five-seater that is a cross between an SUV, MPV and a hatchback.
The 3008 will feature seats that fold flat in the rear, providing boot space that varies from 512 to 1,604 litres. Diesel engines will include a 1.6-litre diesel with manual or electronically controlled Ecomatique gearbox. The latter will come with CO2 emissions of just 130g/km.
In 2011, the 3008 will be the first Peugeot to come with Hybrid4 technology, which uses a diesel engine and an electric motor to provide a 35 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and allows four-wheel drive with diesel power to the front wheels and the electric motor putting power to the rear.
Factfile Peugeot 308 Ecomatique
- Specification:air conditioning, front fog lamps, driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, ABS with Brake Assist
- CO2 emissions:120g/km
- Motor tax band:A
- Annual Road Tax:€104
- Fuel Economy:4.5l/100km
- Price:€24,256