Nasim Launches The Award-Winning Peugeot 3008

Nasim Sdn Bhd made history today by making Malaysia the first country in Asean to launch the multiple-award winning Peugeot 3008 SUV.

Launched in Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with Peugeot’s 200 year anniversary celebrations, the 3008 blends style, performance, dynamics and luxury without compromising fuel efficiency and safety.

Featuring characteristics common in hatchbacks and SUVs with sedan-like road-handling abilities, the 3008 has picked up numerous awards since its introduction in Europe a year ago.

“Combining the looks and high driving position of an SUV with elements of a family hatchback and an MPV, the 3008 is the perfect vehicle to commemorate Peugeot’s rich 200-year heritage.

“The 3008 will be targeted at both executives who want a sporty premium ride as well as families who want space, luxury and comfort,” said SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, CEO of Nasim Sdn Bhd.

Featuring a cockpit-like interior that is centric to the driver, the 3008 is priced at RM143,888 and comes with an array of features commonly found in premium continental vehicles such as a head-up display (HUD) panel.

Located behind the instrument panel in front of the driver, the HUD can be raised or lowered by a flick of a switch while its brightness can also be adjusted according to the driver’s preference.

The HUD in the 3008 presents at all times the driver’s vehicle speed while cruise control functionality and speeds are also displayed when engaged.

Besides HUD, other premium qualities to the 3008 includes a plush leather interior, 17 sq ft panoramic glass roof made of dark-tinted laminated glass.

Another key characteristic of the 3008 is its multiflex interior whereby everything is designed in the vehicle to offer an accessible and intelligent load space adaptable for all kinds of leisure activities.

In particular, load space is easily accessible as a result of the ability to divide the tailgate in the 3008 into two parts while the boot floor can be compartmentalized thanks to its three-way height adjustment offering up to 1,604 litres of boot space.

Both the rear seats and the front passenger seat can be lowered to offer a flat load area from the rear tailgate to the front fascia panel of up to 2.62 metres.

On the performance end, the 3008 features a 1.6L turbocharged engine that is capable of producing 156 hp and 240 Nm of torque. This engine is Peugeot’s latest Euro 5 engine featuring high pressure direct petrol injection and a fuel consumption of 7.7-litres per 100 km (EU mixed cycle).

This makes the 3008 the most powerful Peugeot offered by Nasim to-date. Furthermore, the 3008 is also the first Peugeot in Malaysia to feature the French carmaker’s all new six-speed automatic transmission. This six-speed automatic transmission comes with a triptonic mode while gear shifting itself on the transmission is as quick and smooth as dual clutch transmissions.

Drivability on the 3008 is further enhanced by its dynamic roll control (DRC) which features a hydraulic central module connecting the two rear shock absorbers that enables it to operate as a third shock absorber consisting of a floating piston and a hydraulic compensation reservoir.

As such, when taking corners, this system hydraulically links the right and left rear shock absorbers thus making it possible to increase the damping effect. This in turn enables the 3008 to take corners as flat as possible and reduce body roll.

As for safety, the 3008 has a five-star NCAP rating and comes standard with six airbags, ABS, EBD, brake assist, brake force distribution, anti-skid regulator and dynamic stability control.

“The 3008 is truly a remarkable vehicle with some of the latest innovations in automotive technology while the luxurious cabin places the 3008 ahead of its competitors in the segment,” said SM Nasarudin.

He added that Nasim has already received a considerable amount of demand for the 3008 prior to today’s launching and has taken pre-launch bookings for 100 units of the SUV.

Since its launch in Europe a year ago, the 3008 has picked up numerous awards including the Auto Europa 2010 award (Overall category) in Italy, the 2009 Autorevue Award ( van category) in Austria, the UK’s What Car ? Car of the Year 2010 (overall), What Car ? Car of the Year 2010 (first place crossover category), Diesel Car Magazine’s Best Crossover 2010 and the Continental Car of the Year award from the Irish Motoring Writers Association.

The launch of the 3008 in Malaysia coincided with its Nasim’s celebration of Peugeot’s 200 year anniversary in Kuala Lumpur today. Besides launching the 3008, Nasim is currently in talks with Hospis Malaysia to undertake a joint corporate social responsibility program that will commemorate Peugeot’s 200 year anniversary.

Founded in 1810 by Jean-Pierre Peugeot and Jean-Frederic Peugeot, the Peugeot brand began as a maker of laminated steel and tools and later diversified into coffee grinders, brand saws, corset boning and sewing machines. The company’s ability to diversify and adapt to change saw it enter the world of bicycles and motorcycles in 1886 and motorcars in 1891.

Since then, Peugeot has had the distinction of being the first in several areas; in the 1930s, Peugeot introduced the world’s first coupe cabriolet with the 401 while in the late 1950s, Peugeot broke new grounds by making the diesel engine available for the first time on a production model, the 403.

Following the 403, Peugeot became a leading player in the development of diesel engines. In 1975, the 604 became the first car in Europe to be fitted with a turbocharged diesel engine while in 1999, the 607 became the first car in the world to be equipped with a particle emissions filter.