Peugeot ION

[FarmerPug]

I got a copy of Peugeots Rapport Magazine in the post today, it comes if you register with them on their website, its quite a nice read on the history of peugeot and to see what's coming, but they are giving this new ION thing a load of Praise and Hype and why are they doing this when they have put no effort into it, its just a Mitsubishi IMEV with a Peugeot badge, and Peugeot are claiming to have saved the world with their new car when all it is, is someone elses car. Im no fan of Badge engineering for this reason, but what's your opinion on this new ION.

[sirwiggum]

Aye I noticed this the other day on their website.

It is blatantly a badge engineered version of the Mitsubishi something-or-other. Pug will use it as their token electric/hybrid effort. It costs almost as much to develop and produce a small car as an exec barge, so it makes sense to team up with others (as they did with the 107)

[FarmerPug]

I dont mind the 107 as much becuase i think peugeot actually put some effort into the design, look inside one and there is some truly peugeot bits like the ceiling light, soft seats and headlight beam adjustment, then there is distinctive toyota parts like the gearknob, sticky accelerator pedal and general dashboard layout. Its as if both companies rumaged through their parts bins and made a car still just badge engineering but at least both sides put effort into it. But then there is that BB1 concept car they have and i think its as well they badge engineered a Mitsubishi because the BB1 is Mad Ugly

[turbolag]

The 107 shares no body panels with the Aygo, and even some of the glass is different. On the fugly facelift ones the interior differs from the gaygo, so it's fair to say they put some effort into it.

Even the 4007, while it's actually manufactured by Mitsubishi, at least has a pug motor and trransmission.

But the ION has a, er, ar, urm, Peugeot badge, and a um, er, ar, er, heftier price tag than the mitsy version.

And what is the point? It's hideously slow, short ranged and expensive, and is predicted to be worth barely a third of its purchase price in 3 years. Because it is built and then shipped to the other side of the planet on a dirty great ship, and powered with batteries full of hideous chemicals, before a customer even buys it the wee beastie is already responsible for more emissions than a Land Rover Defender from cradle, to grave, and driven 100k miles in between. The Prius is worse, cos it uses fantastically toxic cadmium from america, which is shipped to Japan, built into a car, and that is also shipped halfway round the world etc, and before it turns a wheel has already created more emissions than a Hummer H2 does from manufacture to scrap, with 200k miles of driving on the roads.

Without some huge, unforseen breakthrough in technology then these things are an utter waste or time to drive, own, and for envirnomental reasons. I insist you all go picket your local Pug dealer immediately until they see sense.

[steve_earwig]

Ah, but all owners will worry about is what comes out the tailpipe affecting their tax payments. This is what happens when scientists advise politicians, they have no idea what to do with the information.

Scientist: "More emissions come out of cow's bottoms than out of cars"
Politician: "Ah, then we must kill them all and, er, burn them!"

[sirwiggum]

You are right that Peugeots heart wasn't in it. It is a blatant badge engineering exercise.

That's what makes me think that it is a token effort at having a low-emisions vehicle at the bottom of the range (to allow for a V8 508? )

[Welly]

Top Gear were saying something about Aston Martin 'having to' make a zero emissions thing because of the volume of cars they put out? it too looked like the generic version were talking about

It is crazy that these silly cars create so much polution in their making but I guess that gets swept under the carpet......

[turbolag]

Ah, but all owners will worry about is what comes out the tailpipe affecting their tax payments.

Lets work this out. The Mitsy version starts at £13,000, no discount. Pricing is uncertain on the pugs as yet, as they're talking about some crappy leasing scheme on the batteries to raise more money, so we'll stick with £13k. because they're built by Mitsy, Pug dealers will have no latitude for discounts as PSA don't control the price at which they obtain them.

A 60MPG C1 or 107 can be had for sub £6000 in basic trim.

So, £13,000 vs £6,000 - £7k more expensive straight away.

That £7k buys 1372 gallons of fuel, which equates to 82,000 miles in a 107 or c1. So the average driver can get 8 years motoring for the cost of simply buying the ION.

Yes, the ION has nil road tax costs, but the 107/C1 is only £20 a year, so you could tax it for 350 years before the ION gained an advantage.

The aston Martin things is a Toyota iQ with a chav grille and a sumptuous retrim, but it costs over £20k and in a year they've sold...zero...
The wee 107/C1 are also congestion charge expempt, so no advantage there.

Then the c1/107 drives like a proper car, has proper car mileage range, can be serviced/repaired anywhere, and in 2009 the 107 held it's value better than any other car on sale in the UK, whereas the pundits are predicting the ION will plummet.

The ION represents a very expensive way to save money, and a masochistic way to enjoy motoring with a great deal of shortcomings. Pointless, and will only be bought by trendy types and tofu eaters, with no genuine understanding of the real science behind the environmental credentials. Indeed, the irony is that a lot of the MIEV and Prius are that a lot of owners also own a proper car for when they've a longer journey, which completely negates any savings, be they financial or environmental.

[swiss]

[sirwiggum]

[swiss]

Reckon mine'd be better with British potholes