Peugeot moves up to eight speeds

Peugeot Australia promises its new eight-speed automatic transmission will deliver slicker shifts, new tricks and fuel savings of up to seven percent when it is rolled out on selected models, starting with the new sporty 308 GT limited edition later this month.

The flagship 508 GT range that arrives in August is also in line to get the new transmission, co-developed with Japanese manufacturer Aisin, as are the GT versions of the diesel 3008 and 5008 SUVS.

However, the sportiest Peugeot offered in Australia, the 308 GTI, will remain a manual-only affair as the new transmission can’t be shoehorned into its architecture.

Full details of the new limited-edition 308 GT will remain under wraps until the launch late this month, but Peugeot Australia has confirmed it will be powered by a 165kw 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder engine, meaning it will slot between the 96kw Active and 200kw GTI in the 308 range.

Peugeot Australia product planning manager Justin Narayan said the new transmission would bring performance, efficiency and useability gains.

“The all-new Aisin eight-speed shifts gears more rapidly and smoothly to aid driveability while the new gear shift design sits better in the hand,” he said.

Weighing 2.5kg less than the six speeder, the eight-speed transmission extends the stop and start function to 20kmh while also allowing fuelsaving coasting above 25kmh. Along with the extra gear ratios that provide greater efficiency, these changes help to cut fuel consumption by seven percent.

Party tricks of the new ‘box include the automatic selection of the parking brake when the engine is turned off and automatic selection of drive and reverse when the automated Park Assist function is selected for parallel parking.

Paddle shifters will also be standard with the transmission, thanks to its drive-by-wire control.

For the foreseeable future, most other Peugeot automatic variants will remain with the six-speed transmission or six-speed manual gearbox.