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Peugeot 408 Spied Ahead of Debut in China, Could Be Coming to Europe

This insignificant-looking photo taken in China of a Peugeot sedan could actually show an exciting successor to the 406 and 407, two of the most famous modern day cars made by the French.
Peugeot 408 3 photos
Photo: auto.sohu.com
Peugeot 408Peugeot 408
The China-spec car is badged as a 408, meaning it's both larger than the existing 301 sedan and more premium. The reason for the scarcity of camouflage is that the model is slated to be revealed just days from now on April 20th at the Beijing Auto Show.

Styling is very similar to the 308 hatch that just won the Car of the Year title in Europe. It's a very understated look, especially down the side where only door handles can offer focal points. LED headlights just like the ones on the hatch appear to be installed, but the taillights don't have the same three claw strikes typical to the Sochaux Lion's design.

Like the 308 family, the new Peugeot sedan rides atop the new EMP2 platform. In China, joint venture partners Dongfeng-PSA will built the 408 at their factory and fit it with one of three engines, all three of them being petrol-powered. The base mill is a 1.6, followed by a 1.8L and finally a 1.6 THP turbo with 164 hp. Prototypes have been spotted in Europe, meaning the upcoming Paris Motor Show could play host to the 408.

Back in France, more modern Euro 6 mills could be introduced including recently developed e-HDi diesels and a downsized 1.2 THP making an impressive 130 PS.

As French car fans, we think this new Peugeot is nowhere near as sexy as the original 406. The taillights also look a lot like the ones on the Mercedes E-Class. But, compared to the unimaginative Skoda Octavia, it's not a bad design.

Peugeot already offers a 408 sedan. It's an outdated model, a version of the older 308 hatch stretched by 100 mm and offered to in places lie China, South America and Russia. There's also the 301 sedan to consider. Hopefully, 2014 will be the year they finally give fans what they promised: a premium 4-door.

Via auto.sohu.com
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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