In January 2009, some 5 years ago I got a privilege to view a brand new CBU Peugeot 308 THP a week before it was officially launched*. I immediately placed booking on it and became among the first few people to do so. My booking receipt was for the Red 308 THP but...
...I got a Lunar Mist instead. It was amongst the first batch arrived on Malayan shores.
*Peugeot 308 was officially launched @ Shangri-La Hotel by DPM (at then) Najib on January 29, 2009.
[the STAR newspaper - Friday Jan 30th, 2009 on page N9 & B6]
Click HERE for Autoworld report on "European award winners hits market below RM100K"
Finally on this date - FIVE YEARS AGO the little 206 finds its "roommate"....
First weekend outing with my308
When I first played with my308, I was caught off-guard by its torquey response. The turbo makes itself heard with slight whooshing sounds. I clocked off a 0-to-100 kph time of 9.7 seconds which is better than any similar car I can think of, although I still expected better after the running-in [click HERE for the latest 0~100kph timing].
|Home|Fuel Consumption|Performance|uncle's DIY|Car Size Comparison|
First weekend outing with my308
When I first played with my308, I was caught off-guard by its torquey response. The turbo makes itself heard with slight whooshing sounds. I clocked off a 0-to-100 kph time of 9.7 seconds which is better than any similar car I can think of, although I still expected better after the running-in [click HERE for the latest 0~100kph timing].
The hi-pressure turbo engine has some low-rev "kick-in-the pants" that "sporty" Horn-da owners would be envious of, obviously due to the 240 Nm of torque available from as low as 1400 rpm. I carried along my habit of flooring the accelerator as if I was driving the 1.4l 8v 206. Takes some time to be lighter on my right foot. as my bio-adaptive non-linear multi-variable control system takes time to adapt.
A little downside is a fuel economy figure which is almost touching midsize-sedan levels, although it could just be due to my habit of flooring the accelerator pedal most of the time even while shifting the tip-tronic. Auto cruise come to rescue, it works just perfect with the AL-4 transmission for fuel economy run. Nonetheless, to be honest I'm no fan of the outdated 4-speed automatic gearbox - It is smooth though, but a bit lazy compared to the solid engine. The manual version is probably a better drive, and gets an extra 10 hp too, but it is not available in Malaysia as of today [yet?].
It is also easy to cruise around busy streets, with good all-round visibility and rear sensors to help parking, but the steering is slightly firm at parking speeds. Quietness on the highway is about average for its class, matching the likes of H. Civix and T. al-Tis. The ride quality is more on the firm side. The dividend for the relatively hard suspension is the unmatched razor-sharp handling. The 308 is in fact the most amazing handler I've ever encountered in the affordable compact class, edging out even the tuned-up Japs rivals. There is almost no body roll even in the sharpest of turns, while grip levels are so high that the 225/45 ContiSportContact_3 tyres on 17-inch wheels feel like much wider rubber. The recommended tyre pressure is too soft for the stock tyres, I need to increase a bit.
The firm steering has very good feedback from the road, and the ABS-assisted disc brakes have good pedal feel and are strong enough. I was surprised by the lack of under-steer. Yanking the steering wheel sharply and flooring the accelerator pedal barely lets the tyres break out squealing, unlike what I'd expect from other front-driven compacts - probably due to the traction control activation.
I had a plan for 2000km le Tour de Malaya beginning March 14th 2009..., upon returning home, the car should be ready for the first 2500km inspection. Wish me luck!
A little downside is a fuel economy figure which is almost touching midsize-sedan levels, although it could just be due to my habit of flooring the accelerator pedal most of the time even while shifting the tip-tronic. Auto cruise come to rescue, it works just perfect with the AL-4 transmission for fuel economy run. Nonetheless, to be honest I'm no fan of the outdated 4-speed automatic gearbox - It is smooth though, but a bit lazy compared to the solid engine. The manual version is probably a better drive, and gets an extra 10 hp too, but it is not available in Malaysia as of today [yet?].It is also easy to cruise around busy streets, with good all-round visibility and rear sensors to help parking, but the steering is slightly firm at parking speeds. Quietness on the highway is about average for its class, matching the likes of H. Civix and T. al-Tis. The ride quality is more on the firm side. The dividend for the relatively hard suspension is the unmatched razor-sharp handling. The 308 is in fact the most amazing handler I've ever encountered in the affordable compact class, edging out even the tuned-up Japs rivals. There is almost no body roll even in the sharpest of turns, while grip levels are so high that the 225/45 ContiSportContact_3 tyres on 17-inch wheels feel like much wider rubber. The recommended tyre pressure is too soft for the stock tyres, I need to increase a bit.
The firm steering has very good feedback from the road, and the ABS-assisted disc brakes have good pedal feel and are strong enough. I was surprised by the lack of under-steer. Yanking the steering wheel sharply and flooring the accelerator pedal barely lets the tyres break out squealing, unlike what I'd expect from other front-driven compacts - probably due to the traction control activation.
I had a plan for 2000km le Tour de Malaya beginning March 14th 2009..., upon returning home, the car should be ready for the first 2500km inspection. Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment