407 misting

The wife wanted to take the car out for a spin tonight, so we drove to Putrajaya for a joyride. As you can see from the picture above, there was a huge amount of misting on the windscreens. This is apparently not uncommon, as there have been a number of forum members who have complained about this.

 

The reason for the misting is that there is long air vent at the top front of the dashboard used to as part of the climate control system to improve air distribution. While one can control the aircond blower so that only the front and leg vents are activated, there is still a small amount of air that escapes from the top vent. This creates condensation when the outside and the cabin temperature is uneven.

 

Actually, having owned several continental vehicles prior to this, I am familiar with this problem. However, it seems a little aggravated in the 407.

 

Having asked KS Auto before, they are able to create a fix by taping over the vent and/or placing a cardboard cut out to prevent the air from escaping. I may decide to do this too but am afraid that this may impair the aircond system in the long run.

 

Am going to try some anti-mist solutions specifically a liquid formula available from CarPlan. Will update once I attempted that fix and report on the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Install a 320GB HDD in your 407 today!

I took some time to fiddle with my Navist system the other day. The car comes with a 2GB SD card that contains the MAPit files that are required for the GPS to function properly.

Being a little curious, I wondered if it was possible to transfer those files to a larger SDHC (high capacity card) without messing up the system. After copying and backing up the card, I then transferred the maps as well as a few choice Mp3s and videos to a 8GB card and hey presto! The media works properly!

Now a little emboldened by the success I began to wonder if it could support a portable hard disc drive. I decided to plug in my Transcend 320GB HDD into the USB port and incredibly, that worked as well. Fortunately, the HDD was powered directly via the USB port and fit the glove compartment door pocket nicely, so now I have a virtual movie library running on the car. No more long boring drives!!

Take note that both the disc and the cards have to be formatted in FAT32 format and not NFTS. This goes the same for any USB thumb drive that you might be using. Now you can watch full length dvds, Youtube videos etc so long as its in AVI format.

To capture Youtube videos (such as that fantastic 308 commercial), download the latest version of Realplayer. When you next log into a Youtube video file move your mouse to the top right hand corner of the video and you will see a prompt to “Download This Video”. Click and you are all set!

For those who are keen to try ripping their DVDs or converting their Youtube captured videos I currently use Any Video Convertor, a freeware(!) application which can encode AVI files up to 720 x 576 resolution which is good enough for the 7 inch display. Sound output is still in stereo though. The application can be downloaded here.

Peugoet models cars

I have been looking for a model of the 407 to put at my work desk. This isn’t as easy as one might think. There are dozens of models of Ferraris, Porsches and other supercars but finding models of your standard Peugeot sedan is pretty rare. Funnily enough, here in Kuala Lumpur, it’s actually easier to find Citreons, Renaults and many Japanese makes than it is to spot a Peugeot. I managed to snag a few at the end though.

These were from ToysRUs and Toys city.

The 407 is nicely detailed, with opening doors and bonnet. I think its a good representation of the Coupe. RM 99.90 each. Comes with plastic display case.

The 207 also comes with a display case and costs about RM 29.90. Its quite a striking vehicle.

This cute little 206 only costs RM 4.95 over at ToysRus. Very adorable!

The 407 Coupe and the 207 comes from a company called Welly while the 206cc is made by Dickie diecast. All come with a mix of diecast and plastic parts.

Peugeot premium gifts

I picked up a couple of items when I got my car, some as gifts and others I bought along the way, Just wanted to share a quick review of the items.

This premium watch retails for around RM 150.00. You should be able to find it the local Naza Peugeot Dealer. The dial comes in 2 colours, black and white. Personally, I think the design is fairly elegant and stylish. The chronograph does not work unfortunately and the Japanese based movement is quartz but what can you expect for that kind of money? Certainly not a luxury automatic watch. A bigger problem is that the face is made of glass not crystal thus can be prone to scratches especially if you are as careless as I am. The leather strap sit very nicely on my wrist, which is of fairly average size and overall it feels pretty good. I am a little worried about the durability if one were to use it on a daily basis but as long its used sparingly say for a special occasion (ex: TT with Peugeot gang!) it’s not a bad gift for your Peugeot obsessed loved one.

The keychain is also pretty cool. It feels very solid and has a detailed embossed pattern on the back.

Finally they also have a Peugeot baseball cap for sale at RM 30.00. The quality and stitching is not too bad with the Peugeot logo prominently displayed at the centre. This will probably be the item I wear most often. Comes in two colours, black and blue if I remember correctly.

The Big Event. Delivery of the new car!

Heres a quick recap of the big event. The day I took delivery of the car.

Popped over at KS Auto, KL just after lunch Friday noon. Its the big blue building at the corner of Chan Sow Lin, same row as Swedish Marque, the Volvo Distributor, and right behind Brookland Motors, the local Citreon distributor.

KS used to be a tiny little workshop servicing Peugeots and other Continental cars but the years of hard work have paid off and they are now a full 3S ccenter and a authorised Peugeot dealer.

Upon arrival, I noticed a car with a silky blue cover draped over it. "This must be the one" I thought. The level of excitement was building up.

Ahmad, the SA who serviced me, was waiting to greet me at the door. He is an ok guy, very chatty and helpful. Turns out he is also from my home town of Teluk Intan, Perak and to cap it all off he is also a Tiger, we were both born the same year.

At the appointed time, I was given the green light to pull off the cover. Heart pounding, I took a firm grip of the cover and gave a hard tug...which was unecessary as it simply glided down the freshly waxed body.

Hello Black Beauty!

It really was an awesome sight, all gleaming and polished in the afternoon sun. Visually, black in a stunning colour although very hard to upkeep as I was soon to find out.

Ismik, the Center Manager was there to go thru the basic training and introduction to the car. He is probably the most knowledgeble person on the vehicles that I have met so far. And trust me, I have visited a lot of Naza outlets before I decided to buy from him. If theres something that he does not know, he will find out the answers there and then. A true professional.

In general, he is a straight talking guy and will do his best to make good on ones request at the promised hour.

Going thru the basics. I had many many questions that day..

Signing off the formal paperwork and receiving the service manual and schedule. Ismik also had some nice parting gifts for me. A couple of handshakes later, I was ready to make my move.

Time to rock and roll!!

Unfortunately, I dont have nay pictures of me driving out of the showroom and the subsequent joyride but I do have a shot of the car as we returned home....

Safe and sound....

Thanks for reading folks!

Maintenance cost of the 407

It’s a common perception here in Malaysia that continental cars are very expensive to maintain. In general the cost of servicing and parts of European cars used to be slightly higher than maintaining a Japanese counterpart. I recently worked out the cost of maintaining a 407 based on the servicing package offered by KS Auto, an authorised Peugeot service centre in Chan Sow Lin and was a little surprised to find that it was actually cheaper to maintain this car than a Honda City.

Part of the reason is that with continental makes versus Japanese makes, you have to take into account the service intervals. For example, the Peugeot’s recommended service interval is every 10,000km. Whereas the City needs ton be serviced every 5000km.

If one were to follow the recommended service and preventive maintenance guidelines, it would cost around RM 5800 to maintain the Pug for 100,000 km versus RM 6500 for a Honda City! Of course these are only best estimates and do not account for any other parts that might break down but most cars these days have at least a 3 year warranty period on parts.

At the end of the day, it’s about how one treats the car, how to watch out for warning signals and how fast problems are attended to before they get more serious.

A 2nd look at the new car

Dropped by the showroom today. Took more pictures of the new car, with a couple of shots of the MDF (multi Function Display) and the NAVist GPS system. Will do a write up of the capabilities of the NAVist system when I get it in my hot little hands.

Also a shot of the custom licence plate number..haha!

Peugeot Not Safe From Economic Slump

As with almost all car manufacturers globally, Peugeot has also been hit very hard by the current economic slowdown. They have recently reported that they are planning over 11,000 job cuts and cut its output by20 percent over the year to cope with the weakening demand. The is entirely expected after the huge losses and similar announcement by other giant car manufacturers.

Some excerpts from the announcement-

“PSA Peugeot Citroen announced a huge loss Wednesday and said it would cut its workforce by about 11,000, warning that the European car market could slump by a fifth this year...PSA Peugeot Citroen employed 207,850 people worldwide in 2007.

Peugeot sales fell by 7.4 percent last year from the 2007 level to 54.4 billion euros, reflecting a global drop in demand. Operating margin fell to 1 percent of sales from 3 percent in 2007. The firm posted a net loss of 343 million euros ($443 million) in 2008 - after making a profit of 885 million in 2007 - despite strong sales in the first half of the year before the credit crunch began to bite.

“... refused to comment on Italian reports that his group may enter into an alliance with Fiat but said existing tie-ups with BMW for engine production, Fiat for light trucks and Mitsubishi for 4x4s were strong and would continue.”

For more jump to the link below:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=99268

New 407. The 2009 Facelift version

In the beginning of 2009, Nasim Sdn Bhd announced that the Peugeot 407 would receive a very minor facelift which would incorporate among other things, new tail lamps and a new front grille on the exterior with vertical stripes and a slight change on the bumper protector (the 08 version had the bumper strip run the whole length of the rear bumper, the 09 facelift features it only on the corners). In addition, the rear bumper itself has had a minor facelift, with polypropylene bumper, which gives it a more sporty look and moves the number plate lower down the bumper.
The interior detailing has also had been changed; the front fascia from a silver surface to one with a one with a piano black finish. This extends towards the door handles and door trims. There are some additional silver trims on the control knobs which gives it a classy appeal.

The most significant changes are that the facelift version has 4 front parking sensors installed allowing better manoeuvring due to the longish snout. Also the MFD (Multi function display) in the 08 premium version was stuck on top of the dashboard below the central air vent as the GPS monitor took up the slot where it was originally located. This then is the infamous taxi meter.

In the facelifted 407, the MDF has now been integrated into the Navist GPS system allowing users to switch on the fly. This makes for a clean, clear and uncluttered dashboard, very stylish. One thing to note however is that due to our sunny Malaysian skies, the GPS unit can sometimes be hard to read due to the terrible glare.

All this comes at a small price, the price for both the basic and premium version has been bumped up by RM 3,000 respectively making the basic model RM 128,888 and the premium model RM 136,888 on the road.

Peugeot 407 CKD launch version

I will be getting the Premium version of the Peugoet 407, which currently in Malaysian is the completely knocked down (CKD) version. The CKDs are being distributed by Nasim Sdn Bhd and are fitted with a host of new features. In comparison the first batch of CBU (completely built up) 407s which was originally launched in Malaysia by Cycle and Carriage somewhere in 2004 came with very basic specifications.

Just to give you some idea of the extra features of the CKD, new 407 owners will get as a standard:
· Xenon headlamps with automatic levelling
· 17 inch alloy wheels
· Premium 240 watt JBL 8.1 sound system with boot-mounted subwoofer
· Electrically-adjustable front seats
· Auto wipers and headlamp washers
· Auto headlamps
· 7 airbags
· Dual zone climate control
· Safety features include ABS, EBD, EBA, ESP, DSC, pre-tensioner seat belts, ISOFIX points for seats

407 owners who opt for the premium version will also get:
· Navist in dash touch screen GPS and entertainment system
· Leather seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel

The 407 also scores a high 5 stars on the EuroNCAP crash test and comes with 7 airbags (driver, passenger, driver side knee, driver side, passenger side and 2 curtain airbags).

Five colours are available - Aluminium, Iron Grey, White Gold, Montebello Blue and Nera Black. Please visit the 407 microsite for more information. The price for the basic version is RM 125,888 OTR and the premium version will set you back RM 133,88 OTR.

Paul Tans blog also mentions that there are revisions to the engine and a slightly revised gearbox.

“Nasim now reveals that the 407 will get a new engine with Peugeot’s VTi variable valve timing. The CBU model offered here comes with an EW10J4 engine without these features, putting out 137 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 190Nm of torque at 4,100rpm. The new car will come with the EW10A engine, putting out 140 PS and an impressive 200Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, one of the highest torque figures around for a non-performance 2.0 liter engine. The engine will be mated to a revised gearbox.”

This year, Nasim launched the 2009 face-lifted version, with some slight modifications to the exterior and interior design as well as a few extra specifications. Will show you more in the next post.

The New Car Arrives! (to the showroom....)

The car has arrived at the showroom. The manager just sent this afternoon to do tyre and wheel alignments. A quick status update:
Completed:

1) Booking made last Monday

2) Arrangements made to trade in of 405

3) Car number registration complete – XXX 407. Will come with crystal plate

4) Delivery of car from Rawang storage center

5) Software upgrade for NAVist GPS and entertainment system

Waiting for:

1) Loan approval and LOU

2) Payment of full down payment

3) Tinting (3m security tint) and waxing

4) Transfer of NCB 55%

5) Final inspection and collection of car

6) Makan, minum, main, tidur dalam kereta

Fingers crossed, I will get the car before my birthday this Sunday! This is how I feel right now... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32hbwLt9kh4&feature=related