Peugeot 208 Debuts in Latin America as Local Production Commences in Argentina

By M.G. Alison. First Posted: Aug 29, 2020 09:25 AM EDT

Peugeot 208 debuts the modern CMP platform in Latin America as it begins production at the El Palomar plant, a satellite town of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

The Argentina production of the new 208 is historic for the brand in the sense that the PSA Group is doing a different approach in marketing the vehicle in Argentina and Latin America.

As PSA Group Latin America president and executive board member Patrice Lucas said, the local production of the new 208 marks the start of a new era for the group in Latin America.

He further added that it reaffirmed the PSA Group's commitment to the region as well as to their employees and their social partners.

Lucas also said that their continued investment is aimed at giving their customers products that are state of the art. Their commitment is for the long run and for the future, according to Lucas.

The new Peugeot 208 is the first car manufactured at the El Palomar Plant following its major industrial transformation that started with an investment of $320 million in 2016, according to a report on Carscoops.

The transformation put the El Palomar plant at the forefront of innovation for the PSA Group. With the integration of some suppliers, the plant's production process is highly efficient.

With this, the new 208 that is being built at the Argentina plant will have a lot of similarities as the one built in Slovakia and Morocco.

State of the Art Dashboard

The Argentina-built subcompact hatch will also feature a digital dashboard, a new generation i-Cockpit with a 3D head-up display, a technology never been seen in other Peugeot models; and many other driving aids that are state of the art in on-board technology, according to Auto Express.

This kind of on-board technology is unprecedented for the subcompact hatches segment in Latin America.

Furthermore, the new 208 will be underpinned by Peugeot's newest Common Modular Platform which is dedicated to the manufacturing of compact SUVs, compact city cars, and the entry level and mid-range saloons.

The CMP which also fit in with EVs is modular and has a multi-energy architecture.

The Argentina-manufactured Peugeot 208 will have two variants of petrol powertrains. Buyers can choose between an 82 PS or an 81 horsepower, 1.2-liter three-cylinder; and a 115 PS or 113 horsepower, 1.6 four-cylinder.

Sending power to the front wheels is a standard five-speed for manual transmission and an optional six speed for automatic transmission.

To be added later are the 130 PS or 128 Horsepower, 1.2-liter turbo and the all-electric e-208.

Recently launched in Europe, the Peugeot 208 was awarded as the "Car of the Year" which is apt as it is a cutting edge model of the compact hatches vehicle.

TopGear describes the new Peugeot 208 as another handsome supermini made by the French who are terrific at building small cars that are desirable.