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August 21, Dongfeng Peugeot new 408 officially launched, the new car launched three models, the price of 10.57- 121,700 yuan. The new 408 can be regarded as the current generation model, upgrading the appearance, interior and power, among which the 1.2T three-cylinder engine equipped with the current model is cancelled, and the whole series is equipped with 1.6T turbocharged engine. As a reference, the current 408 sells for 11.97- 159,700 yuan, of which the 1.6T version sells for 1397 - 159,700 yuan. In other words, the new 408 is 34,000 yuan lower than the current model.

As Dongfeng Peugeot's first model with brand-new lion logo, it continues the overseas Peugeot 308 "Lion Soul Aesthetics" styling design. The large size front air intake grille is decorated with dot elements. The brand-new lion logo is placed in the center of the grille, and the "408" logo is equipped above the hood. At the same time, the narrow headlight group is integrated with the middle net. The tusk LED daytime running lights extend to the lower air intake. With the three-stage lower surround design and black trim filling, the front face looks more radical and creates a good sporty feeling.

On the side of the car body, the overall contour of the new car has not changed too much. The waist line of the car body is relatively straight. The front door runs obliquely upward to the tail. The overall design is smooth and dynamic. The door and window decorative strips decorated with chrome elements and the B-pillar design similar to piano paint material improve the grade feeling of the whole vehicle. At the rear of the car, the tail lamp group is connected by a black decorative panel to form a through-type design, and the inside of the tail lamp adopts a 3D lamp group called "lion claw LED", and the sports atmosphere of the new car is well displayed through the blackened design. In terms of size, the length, width and height of the new car are 4750/1820/1488mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2730 mm. The positioning compact car is consistent with the size of the current model on sale.

In the interior part, the new car will adopt the latest family design style, the layout of the functional area has been redesigned, the physical buttons with full metal texture are retained below, the "T"-shaped center console is equipped with 12-inch full LCD instrument panel with double-spoke multi-function flat-bottom sports steering wheel, the 10-inch central control multimedia display adopts embedded design, equipped with Dongfeng Peugeot Blue-i 3.0 intelligent network connection system. In addition, the double D steering wheel with suspended central control screen design, sporty and technological sense compared with the current model has been improved.

In terms of power, the new car cancels the 1.2T three-cylinder engine carried by the current model, and the whole series is equipped with 1.6T turbocharged engine, with the maximum power of 125kw and the maximum torque of 250N·m. The transmission system is equipped with Aixin 6-speed automatic manual transmission. As a reference, the current model on sale is equipped with 1.2T three-cylinder turbocharged engine and 1.6T four-cylinder turbocharged engine. The maximum power is 100kw and 125kw respectively, and the peak torque is 230N·m and 250N·m respectively. The matching is 6-speed dual clutch gearbox and 6-speed automatic manual gearbox.

According to the data, Peugeot 408 was officially launched in January 2010, which was the first global model launched by Peugeot Automobile in the Chinese market. At that time, with the length of 4680mm and the wheelbase of 2710mm, it dominated the compact car market, meeting the demand of domestic consumers for large space. After listing, the monthly sales volume was basically stable at more than 5000 units. In August 2014, Dongfeng Peugeot launched the second generation Peugeot 408. The new car was built based on Peugeot's latest EMP2 modular platform, and the body size was further lengthened. That is to say, from this generation of models, Peugeot 408 began to carry 1.2T three-cylinder engine, which is also one of the first models to adopt three-cylinder engine in China, resulting in its sales volume continuing to be depressed. In August 2018, the new Peugeot 408 was officially launched. The new car was mainly adjusted for appearance. It continued to be equipped with 1.2T and 1.6T engines at a price of 119,700 - 169,700 yuan.

It is understood that Peugeot launched a new generation of 408 in June 2022. This all-family crossover SUV is built on Peugeot EMP2 platform, which is developed by PSA and Toyota to meet the needs of different classes of vehicles. The new 408 is still a three-compartment car, while the overseas version of the 408 has become a hatchback coupe. Of course, the overseas version of 408 is also expected to be introduced into China, produced in the Chengdu factory of Shenlong Automobile, or named "408X". After listing, it will form a family product matrix with the new 408 to adapt to different market demands.

According to the latest sales volume released by DPCA, the cumulative sales volume from January to July this year was 66395 vehicles, up 38.94% year-on-year. It is undeniable that Shenlong cars do show signs of warming up, but there is still a long way to go compared with their peak.

As we all know, DPCA "holds" Dongfeng Peugeot and Dongfeng Citroen two legal brands. Dongfeng Peugeot products on sale include brand-new 5008, brand-new 4008, 2008, 508L, 408 and other models. Dongfeng Citroen products on sale include Tianyi C5 AIRCROSS, brand-new C3-XR, Versailles C5X, C6 and other models. However, except Versailles C5X, the competitiveness of other models in the market is not high. According to the data of the Association, the cumulative sales volume of Versailles C5X from January to July is 24437, which means that more than 30% of the sales volume of Shenlong cars comes from Versailles C5 X. It is understood that the sales target of Shenlong Automobile in 2022 is 150,000 vehicles, and the break-even is realized. If Shenlong Automobile wants to achieve the sales target, it is obviously impossible to rely solely on Versailles C5X, so it is necessary to create other exploded products.

The changes to the new 408 are remarkable. For example, in terms of appearance, no matter whether it will win market recognition, it changes the aesthetic fatigue caused by long-term upgrading. For example, in terms of power, the cancellation of the current 1.2T three-cylinder engine, the full range of 1.6T turbocharged engines, and the overall price reduction, this change will also have an immediate effect.

Of course, the new 408 will not be easy to gain market recognition, because the compact car market in which it is located is particularly competitive. From the competitive point of view, the new 408 will compete with Toyota Corolla/Rayling, Ford Focus, Honda Civic and other models after launch. These joint venture models occupy a large number of markets. Geely Xingrui, Chang 'an UNI-V, Chuanqi Yingbao and other models have higher functional configuration. For the new 408, the 1.2T three-cylinder version is cancelled when the price is lower. The 1.6T engine is standard in the whole series. The advantage of the new 408 lies in the price and size, but Dongfeng Peugeot needs to solve the brand and service.

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