New 408 debuts at Carmart’s Peugeot Blue Box showroom

By David Ebert

Carmart Ltd., the agent for Peugeot and Mazda in Sri Lanka, introduced the new Peugeot 408 to a gathering of invitees at the company’s new ‘Blue Box’ showroom in Union Place on Tuesday.

The new Blue Box showroom concept is a global initiative by the French automaker which will see all its international outlets adhering to a new design template that encompasses a stylish and minimalist look focusing on customer comfort and blue aluminium tones to better highlight the vehicles.

Offering unrivalled performance, space, elegance and safety, the all new 408 designed with the core values of harmony, elegance and dynamism in mind looks to upset the mid-sized sedan segment with the most cabin and luggage space available in its category, a premium quality finish and improved ride and handling.

The interior styling of the 408 highlights and makes maximum use of the considerable available space, while the design and premium materials used create an incontestable perception of quality, making the vehicle feel extremely plush inside.

The huge soft-touch dashboard adds to the already industry-leading cabin space dimensions giving it a more expansive look, while also designed as a buffer zone to protect the front passengers in the event of a mishap.

The car also comes with a large, almost four square meter windshield for optimised driver visibility and is accentuated by a high roof that makes for a comfortable driving experience for taller drivers.

The two litre, 145 bhp, petrol engine with a four speed tiptronic transmission promises 0-100 acceleration in 12.5 seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 195 kmh and an increased fuel economy of 11.6 kilometres per litre.

Carmart CEO Yasendra Amerasinghe stated at the event that the 4 series has been the mainstay of the Peugeot Sri Lanka line up since the introduction of the first 403 in the mid sixties, many of which are still running in the Northern Province.

“From the rugged 403 and 404, to the immensely popular 406 and the trendsetting 407, the 4 series Peugeot has always held a special place in the hearts of Sri Lankans. We expect the 408 to continue along the same path by providing an unbeatable combination of style, refinement, dynamic handling safety and comfort. The 408 is a car that offers practicality without sacrificing allure and excitement.” Carmart celebrates 60 years in the automobile industry, making it the oldest continuously running Peugeot distributorship in the region as well as one of the oldest in the world. Having developed a new customer-centric philosophy under its new management to improve and grow its business, the company has bolstered both its sales and after sales operations to b geared to provide existing and new Peugeot customers with a positive and satisfying ownership experience.

The highlight of the event was the handing over of keys to the first customer of the new Peugeot 408, Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Neil Iddawela.