Global Vehicles
Tall Peugeot
 The Peugeot 307 comes in three- and four-door variants.  |
Designers of medium-size European family cars are tending to think increasingly in the vertical rather than the horizontal. Ford's Focus is an example; so is Citroën's latest C5, and now the new Peugeot 307 shows the same trend, with a height of 1.51 m (4.95 ft). Peugeot designers say they wanted a high seating position for the driver plus four passengers and a practical trunk with 341 L (12 ft3) of space rising to 1328 L (46.9 ft3) with the divided rear seat folded. Initially available as a hatchback with three or five doors, the car replaces the Peugeot 306 of which 2.7 million were produced since February 1993.
 Safety features of the 307 include six airbags including curtain bags, active front head restraints, ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Emergency Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Program, and ASR traction control.  |
The new 307 is based on the Peugeot-Citroën PSA Group's Platform 2, which is also to be used for other models—all on a 2.61-m (8.6-ft) wheelbase. The 307 is 4.2 m (13.8 ft) long and 1.73 m (5.7 ft) wide. As well as sitting high, passengers have a spacious interior relative to the car's overall dimensions, with a distance of 3 m (9.8 ft) from the base of the front windshield to the base of the tailgate glass. The windshield has an area of 1.46 m2 (15.7 ft2) and is steeply sloped, finishing over the front axle line.
 Peugeot made the 307 tall—1.51 m (4.95 ft)—for a higher seating position and greater interior room.  |
Unusual for its market segment, the 307 has six airbags including curtain bags. Active front head restraints are fitted, and ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBFD) plus Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) are also standard. An Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and ASR traction control will be standard on higher-powered gasoline and turbodiesel versions. Engine choice spans from 1.4 to 2.0 L. Peugeot plans to offer a telematics system for the 307; drivers will be able to operate a CD player, satellite navigation system, and car telephone via voice commands.
- Stuart Birch
Clio gets the Renault family look
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Renault has freshened the design of its little Clio with some bold frontal styling. Three years after the model's launch, it has also been given a new dashboard design to incorporate automatic climate control and a Carminat satellite navigation screen. The frontal styling echoes the bold Vel Satis, which was unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show. The car's twin-element headlamps have high-mounted turn indicators and rise along the body sides. Xenon headlights are an option. The hood has a central crease curving up to the sides. As with all new Renaults, the company's diamond badge is in the center of the trunk lid and incorporates the hatch release.
The Clio has front two-stage driver and passenger airbags, lateral airbags, plus safety belts fitted with pretensioners and load limiters; the rear seatbelts have pretensioners. The car uses electric power steering. Structural changes have been made to the new Clio to improve acoustic comfort. The car has a new scuttle and front subframe, with revised engine mountings. In total, some 50% of structural and bodywork components are new or modified. The diesel engines used in the Clio range are now equipped with a noise sensor to allow each injector to be self-calibrating.
- Stuart Birch
Audi power
 Audi's 48-valve W12 engine produces 309 kW (414 hp) and 550 N•m (406 lb•ft). |
The car that Audi described as "the world's most powerful production sedan" is now on sale in Europe. Designated A8 L 6.0 quattro, under its bonnet is a W12 6.0-L, 48-valve gasoline engine producing 309 kW (414 hp). The engine was created by joining two aluminum-block V6 units; it produces 550 N•m (406 lb•ft). Performance figures for the car include a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 5.8 s and 0-200 km/h (0-124 mph) in 20 s. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph), which it reaches in 38 s. The two narrow-angle (15°) V6s are linked at an angle of 72° to form the W configuration. Audi said the packaging advantages of the W layout are considerable; the unit is said to take up no more space than the company's 4.2-L V8. Power is transmitted via the standard A8 five-speed Tiptronic gearbox. Other conventional front-mounted V12 engines drive only the rear wheels because there is normally insufficient space within the engine bay for the additional components, according to Audi. Engine mass is 245 kg (540 lb), and the overall curb mass of the car is 1980 kg (4365 lb).
 The Audi A8 L 6.0 quattro has all-wheel drive and the company's W12 engine. |
The next-generation A8, expected to be announced in the second half of next year, will be offered with the W12. Details of the new car are limited, but it is expected to incorporate some clear visual cues from the A4 and have a more distinctive styling character than the current A8.
- Stuart Birch
