Yvan Muller, one of the worlds most impressive drivers has announced his retirement from the WTCC at the seasons end.

Four-time World Champion Yvan Muller, who has been an official Citroën driver since midway through 2013, has announced that this season will be his last in the FIA WTCC. Currently lying joint second in the overall standings, the driver of Citroën C-Elysée WTCC No. 68 will be looking to hold on to that position in the last two meetings of the season in Shanghai and Qatar.

Over a professional career spanning more than thirty years, Yvan Muller has built one of the most impressive records in French motor sport, with four FIA World Touring Car Championship titles in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013. 

He holds every WTCC record going, with 29 pole positions, 48 race wins, 125 podium finishes, 38 fastest laps and 2,826 points scored in 244 starts.

After starting out in karting (finishing as World Championship runner-up in 1985 and European Champion in 1986), he naturally progressed to single-seater racing, winning the British Formula 2 Championship in 1992. 

With no F1 openings, the man from Alsace turned to touring car racing in 1994. French Champion in 1995, he then competed in the Italian, German and British championships, picking up the BTCC title in 2003, before making the switch to the FIA WTCC in 2006.

He also made his name as the best driver on ice, with ten Andros Trophy crowns and several victories in the Chamonix 24-hour race. His wealth of experience across the world includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, V8 Supercars in Australia, the Dakar Rally and a few rounds of the WRC.

Surprising as it may seem, Yvan Muller had never worked with a French manufacturer before he joined Citroën Racing. 

In July 2013, when the development of the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC and the organisation of the FIA WTCC team got under way, he provided the benefit of his immense experience and helped lay the foundations for the success that would later be achieved.

Yvan proved a vital member of the new set up, claiming four pole positions and four race wins in 2014, enough to secure him second place in the World Championship, behind José María López and ahead of Sébastien Loeb. He finished second in the driver standings again in 2015, with three pole positions and six race wins to his name.

Yvan has had more than his fair share of bad luck this year, but he is nevertheless currently sitting in second place in the overall standings, level on points with Tiago Monteiro. 

Having announced that his FIA WTCC career will end after this season, the holder of every record in the competition is determined to go out on a high by securing a championship one-two for Citroën Racing.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY

Yvan Muller: “I am not sure that age is the main factor when it comes to ending a career. It’s more a matter of desire and motivation. With all the testing, the simulator sessions, the physical training and the travel to the race venues, a season of professional motor racing requires a level of personal commitment that I am no longer prepared to put in. 

At the same time, I am at a time of my life where I want to do something else and I am happy to be able to make that decision after eleven seasons of FIA WTCC. 

I’ve had some great experiences over my career. These three seasons with Citroën Racing have been particularly special, even though I never managed to be World Champion with this team. But I will always be proud of having helped to build our racing programme and develop the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC. 

I have also met some great people who are passionate about their job and have a fierce competitive spirit. Driving has been part of my daily life for so long that I can’t see myself stopping racing entirely. 

But I am going to spend more time with my family and developing my team, Yvan Muller Racing. Before that, though, I am going to put everything I’ve got into meeting the team’s goals.”

Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal: “The whole Citroën Racing team is proud to have Yvan Muller in its ranks. Every time we get involved in a competition, we look to recruit the best drivers. 

That is why we invited Yvan to join us from the start of our involvement in FIA WTCC. We will not forget his contribution. Coming in from rally driving, we had everything to learn, and he has always been more than happy to offer the team the benefit of all his experience. 

He is a great competitor and a great guy, who has always put Citroën’s interests first. It is to Yvan’s credit that, after three seasons with us, he has decided to end his career at a point when he is still capable of winning pole positions, races and titles. 

He will always be part of the Citroën Racing family and we wish him all the best for the next stage of his life, which we will follow with interest.”

UK RECALL #8 - Over time fuel may leak on certain 2014 Peugeot 208, 308 and 2008 models.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2016/160
Manufacturer Ref :	HJC
Make:	PEUGEOT
Model :	208, 2008 and 308
Launch Date :	14/07/2016
Numbers Involved :	86
Build Start Date :	15/01/2014
Build End Date :	12/06/2014

Recall Details
Concern :	FUEL MAY LEAK
Description :	The fuel injectors supply rail could develop a leak over a period of time leading to a drop in fuel pressure which can affect the operation of the stop start system. In some extreme cases the engine might not restart and a spray of petrol under the bonnet may occur which is a fire risk.
Remedial Action :	Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and check the fuel injector supply rail. Where necessary replace the fuel injector supply rail.
Vehicle Id :	VF3******ES138371 to VF3******ES137145 VF3******ES138371 to VF3******ES137145 VF3******ES138371 to VF3******ES137145

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

PEUGEOT - 308 PEUGEOT - 208 PEUGEOT - 2008

TMW - The Peugeot 2008 Allure 1.2 litre, a crossover for all occasions, and one thats going to be hard to beat !

When Peugeot hit its bad period, they had a choice, either wait out the sales slump, and hope that they would come out the other side in a better position than before it hit, or, they would spend themselves out of trouble, and spend is what they did. 

Billions of Euros were spent to produce the best and most modern range of cars they have ever had, the 108 is undoubtedly one of the best small cars around, the 208 is again one of the best Supermini, the 308, is a brilliant car, we have tested two of them here on the Blog and came away mightily impressed, and then there was the all new model that pushed Peugeot into the compact crossover segment, and they did this with the 2008.

The 2008 is the model we are testing here, and it is the new facelifted version too, it is easily understandable that the 2008 has been a huge hit for Peugeot, appearing frequently in the European top sellers chart*, along with the 208 and 308. The two plans put in place by the big bosses at Peugeot have worked, sales are up, expenditure down, turnover and profits are all back in significant numbers, and this is just the start.

The car we are testing here today, is the Peugeot 2008 Allure 1.2 Litre 110 S/S, a mouthful I know, but this is a brilliant car, you get plenty of room up front, and with the i-Cockpit set up the steering wheel is away from your legs, and you still get a good view of the dials in front of you, and the road ahead, without the need to continually take your eyes away from the road.

The seats are seriously supportive, with very large side bolsters on the seat and the back, so no matter how hard you drive the car, you will always remain in place, once you get yourself comfortable, you find that everything is easily to hand, and if you have driven a 208, you will be very familiar with the central switchgear and touchscreen system, which, like all cars with the PSA Group is very easy to work out and understand, we personally own a C4 Cactus, so, the touchscreen was really simple to operate. but is also different, it seems to have a little more quality about it, and it's quicker than the Citroen version, now whether thats just me or there is a difference I am not sure, but it came across as faster.

The rear seats can feel a little hemmed in, if you have the front seats all the way back, but in a decent position you can fit a family in the back in reasonable comfort, or two adults, three larger adults and it would feel a bit squashed, the boot space is big, it can take a very large weekly shop, or with the seats down, you can take larger pieces of furniture with ease, if thats what you like to carry around, there is plenty of cubby spaces dotted about, with one covered cubby by the hand brake, which is like the speed handle on a jet fighter, you grab it with your hand rather than push a button in the end and drop it down, Cactus owners have something similar, and i really like this a lot, it makes a nice difference.

The 1.2 Litre 3-Cylinder engine likes to be revved, and revved hard, to get it going, but it will lose speed on an incline, so you do need to keep aware of your speed and feather the accelerator to keep your speed up, likewise I noticed that the MPG on the digital dash, was very active when going up and down hills, even after a long journey, you did notice the mpg rise and fall significantly, but I did manage to get a good overall mpg during the week of mid 50's, which for a car with a small engine is really quite good, the only down side, well, two really, is the engine is only a Euro 5 and it runs a five speed manual gearbox, I did feel that on occasions it could have done with another gear, and with Euro 5 engines soon to be obsolete, I thought it would have been ideal to have an EU 6 compliant engine on the facelifted car, giving it an all fresh model,

That said, the car runs at 103g/km which for a car of this size is very good, it also runs nicely at the national speed limit and can, where allowed, take you onto a top speed of 119 mph, added to which the fuel consumption figures as stated by Peugeot are

• Urban 53.3mpg
• Extra-Urban 72.4mpg
• Combined 64.2mpg

Very good numbers, and ones that you can get very close too, which is a nice change, I have been in cars that state one figure and produce numbers upto 40% less, which is a little deceptive, fortunately that vehicle was NOT one of the PSA Group cars.

The 2008 is priced keenly, with this model coming in at £18,070, and this is boosted with a number of optional extra's fitted :-

• Varnish Paint - £645
• Active City Brake - £250
• Park Assist (Auto Parallel Parking System & Reversing Camera) - £500
• Cielo Panoramic Glass Roof - £400
• Satellite navigation & Connect SOS & Assistance - £700

This takes the car to over £20,500, but you are still getting a great car, with loads of kit for that money, it also now comes with grip control, which gives the car the added advantage of being able to cope with various styles of ground, sand, mud, snow etc, and it works really well too, i tried it on sand and it did cope quite well, not, as great as a full on four wheel drive, but it will get you out of trouble if you find yourself in that style of ground that can bog you down.

The Allure trim level is probably the one to go for, it has the vast majority of the kit that most people need on a day to day basis, and with this trim level you get :-

• Rear Parking Aid
• Tinted Rear/Side Windows
• One Touch all Round Windows
• Auto Lights
• Auto Wipers
• Grip Control
• Auto Dual Zone Air Conditioning
• Cornering Assist Fog Lights
• Leather Trimmed Steering Wheel

And thats just a small amount of the equipment thats fitted to this car as standard, and thats why it makes this car a brilliant one to own, it drives really well, it is very quiet until you give the engine those revs that it needs to keep it going, but the engine note is very nice, it sounds quite peppy, and sporty, and it picks up speed quite quickly, it can equally slow or stop as quickly, with great brakes, fling it around corners and you would be forgiven for thinking you will lose control of the car, but again it scores well here, it, like the 308 we tested earlier, just grips to the road, and that is perfect behaviour for this crossover, that thinks it is a sports car.

You think that you will climb into the car, like an SUV, but you dont, it is roughly the same height seat wise as a normal car, but the height of the car gives you added headroom, and the hints that this is a bigger car than it is, and these days thats a difficult thing to do, make a car seems bigger than it is, but still have all that room, TARDIS comes to mind.

VERDICT

This is a great car that can cope with so many different aspects of day to day living, it is a brilliant family car, it is a big load lugger, its dynamic driving style is a hard one to beat in this class, you feel you are in a more superior vehicle, it has so much room, and everything is near and handy, as well as easy to use, this is one car that I would be happy to own, to invest my own money into, and it is one that I can see me keeping for some time, it really is a car that can cope with all you can throw at it, and it is no surprise that Peugeot has a huge hit on it's hands, and for them to do it first time out shows how the teams behind the design of Peugeots model ranges are so on the mark.

*Figures from JATO Dynamics

The Motoring World Blog
Jon Mower

Peugeot has extended it's seriously popular Just Add Fuel® with Telematics onto the 308 and 308 SW models.

• Popular Just Add Fuel^® with Telematics now extended to PEUGEOT 308* and 308 SW*
• £1,850 customer saving on the 308 and 308 SW in August and September**
• Customers choosing the innovative Just Add Fuel^® or PEUGEOT Passport are eligible for a further £1,350 in deposit contributions

In time for the ‘66-plate’ September market, PEUGEOT announces that the popular Just Add Fuel^® with Telematics is now extended to the PEUGEOT 308 and 308 SW models (*exclusions apply).  

Launched 12 months ago, initially on the 108 range and later on 208 and 2008 SUV, Just Add Fuel^® with Telematics has proved extremely attractive to retail consumers and is aimed primarily at customers aged from just 18 years, customers who do not have two-years no claim discount or those customers with children who have a requirement to drive the family car.

To further enhance this launch, PEUGEOT is also offering customers who purchase a 308 or 308 SW during this period a £1,850 customer saving (exc. 308 Access model).  

A customer placing a deposit of £1,500 on a PEUGEOT 308 PureTech 110 on Just Add Fuel^® with Telematics will also receive an additional £1,350 in deposit contributions and see payments from £419 per month on an Active model and £426 per month on the Allure model. (Based on an 18 year old living in a low risk Band 2 Postcode)

Just Add Fuel^® is PEUGEOT’s fixed price motoring package has hassle free benefits of a low single fixed monthly payment uniquely covering all motoring costs for the next three years.

• No need to budget separately for insurance, servicing, road fund licence (where applicable), and roadside   assistance costs – as they are all included
• No need to search for cheaper insurance each year – it stays the same over the three- year term
• Fixed price motoring for three years means complete peace-of-mind
• A completely transparent motoring package with no hidden costs
• The opportunity to drive a new car every three years, so there’s no MOT or other costs

For customers not requiring the Telematics package, a PEUGEOT 308 PureTech 130 on Just Add Fuel^® with a £1,500 deposit will see monthly payments of £296 for an Active model and £310 for an Allure. (Based on a 40 year old living in a low risk Band 2 postcode)

Customers choosing to finance with PEUGEOT Passport also benefit from the customer saving and deposit contributions.  With a competitive 4.9% APR PEUGEOT Passport rate available during the period, customers who place a deposit of £1,500 on a PEUGEOT 308 PureTech 130 Active model will see prices start from £268 per month and £281 per month on an Allure model.

* Models excluded – GT Line Blue HDi 150, GT and GTi by Peugeot Sport 250THP & 270THP

** Not available on Access

The extensive 308 range made simple:

SIX TRIM LEVELS: Access, Active, Allure, GT Line, GT and GTi by Peugeot Sport

PRICE RANGE: from £15,930 - £28.890 on the road MRRP

ENGINE CHOICE: seven petrol engines and transmission combinations (Four PureTech 82hp, 110hp S&S, 130hp S&S, 130hp EAT6 S&S and three THP 205hp S&S, 250hp S&S and 270hp S&S) Six BlueHDi diesel engines and transmission combinations (100hp S&S, 120hp S&S, 120hp EAT6 S&S, 150hp S&S, 150hp EAT6 S&S, 180hp EAT6 S&S)

TRANSMISSION: manual 5-speed and 6-speed and EAT6 automatic available

POPULAR MODELS: Allure (39%) | Diesel 1.6L BlueHDi 120hp S&S (41%) | Petrol 1.2L PureTech 130hp S&S (10%) and Petrol 1.2L PureTech 130hp S&S EAT6 (10%)

INTERESTING: GT Line (24%) | Diesel (74%) | Pearlescent White (5%) makes white 15% of range

COLOURFUL CHOICE: eleven colours available; two solid, six metallic, a pearlescent, a 3-layer ‘varnish’ paint finish and the Brand exclusive Coupe Franche (270THP only)

MOST POPULAR COLOUR: Nera Black (20%) White (15%) Aluminium (13%) and Twilight Blue (13%)

The new updated Peugeot 2008 is expected to break records with the upcoming '66' plate change.

NEW PEUGEOT 2008 SUV: THE POPULAR AND VERSATILE SUV OFFERS EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE FEATURES FOR CUSTOMERS SEEKING A NEW ‘66-PLATE’ VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER

• The new 2008 SUV is expected to be in strong demand for ‘66-plate registrations’ in September
• Sales of the popular new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV has seen a global rise in sales of 16%
• £850 saving on the new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV in July, August and September (exc. Access A/C)

The recently revised new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV that arrived in UK showrooms in June is in strong demand with over 40,000 existing UK customers and 500,000 produced since launch in 2013. The appetite for this model continues to rise, with sales in the first half of 2016 up 16%, with 99,900 units sold worldwide.

In the UK, attractive retail consumer offers are available for customers of the new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV who can benefit from finance offers with 4.9% APR across all models between July and September 2016.  Customers will also benefit from an £850 customer saving on new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV (exc Access A/C) and an additional £350 Dealer deposit contribution if the customer chooses PEUGEOT Passport or Just Add Fuel^®.

A PEUGEOT Passport finance package with a customer deposit of £1,000, on a new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV PureTech 82, results in monthly payments of £211 for the Active and £237 for the Allure model. Customers choosing PEUGEOT’s ‘Just Add Fuel^®’ all-encompassing, 3-year finance package on the same model will have a monthly payment of £241 for the Active and £268 for the Allure model, and the ‘Just Add Fuel^® Telematics’ finance package is also available for 18 year olds and above.

Examples given are for a 40-year old living in a low risk Band 2 Postcode. Terms & Conditions apply*

The latest PEUGEOT 2008 SUV has recently been updated, with refreshed styling and featuring an enhanced specification. It has an even more assertive and appealing SUV design, including visual features to give it an enhanced presence; new wheel arch extensions (from Allure level), while a new vertical front grille and front and rear scuff plates (also from Allure level) confirm its robustness and are designed for everyday use. The new ‘Ultimate Red’ colour further epitomises the power and desirability of the new 2008 SUV. The Access A/C, Active and Allure levels are complemented by the new ‘GT Line’ model. This desirable trim level is already a very popular choice on other key PEUGEOT models (108, 208, 308 and 508), and adds a sporty theme throughout.

The PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® is unique to the Brand and embodies the driving characteristics of the PEUGEOT 2008 SUV, being agile, intuitive and safe. The compact sports steering wheel offers precise steering and improved manoeuvrability, while the 7” multifunction colour touch screen puts all the functionality at your fingertips. In addition, the head-up instrument panel allows driver information to be accessed without taking the eyes off the road.

Grip Control - an adapted traction system - gives the new 2008 SUV its versatility on all types of terrain. It is combined with Mud & Snow (All-Season) tyres. Equipment available on new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV includes (subject to trim level) MirrorScreen, and Carplay^®, along with the reversing camera, Active City Brake and Park Assist - a rarity in this segment. The Euro6 engines ensure high-level driving pleasure while remaining fuel efficient. Four versions are ‘Best-in-Class’ in their segment, including the 1.2L PureTech 130 S&S 6-speed manual.

Mark Pickles, UK Marketing Director at PEUGEOT, said: “The 2008 SUV is a distinctive and popular, practical choice with our customers, with 500,000 of them worldwide and with sales up 16% in the first half of 2016. Our current retail offers bring increased appeal to an already captivating vehicle.”

The extensive 2008 SUV range made simple:

Four trim level choices: Access A/C, Active, Allure and GT Line

Price range: from £13,615 to £20,565 (on-the-road)

Engine choice: three PureTech (82hp, 110hp & 130hp) and three Blue HDil (75hp, 100hp & 120hp)

Transmission: manual 5-speed and 6-speed, ETG Piloted manual and full EAT6 automatic available

Popular models: Allure (50%) | Diesel 1.6L BlueHDi 100 (18%) | Petrol 1.2L PureTech 82 S&S (34%)

Interesting: GT Line takes 24% | Petrol at 66% | Pearlescent White (7%) makes white 28% of range

Colourful choice: nine colours available; two solid, five metallic, a pearlescent and ‘varnish’ paint finish

Most popular colour: Bianca White (21%), Nimbus Grey (20%) and Ultimate Red (17%)

Just Add Fuel^® includes:

A single monthly payment to cover all motoring costs

No need to budget for insurance, servicing, road fund licence*, and roadside assistance costs – they are all included

No need to search for cheaper insurance each year

Fixed price motoring for three years means peace of mind

A completely transparent motoring package with no hidden costs

The opportunity to drive a new car every three years, so no MOT costs

* 4.9% APR representative up to 37 months. £850 Peugeot Customer Saving is not available on Access A/C. Terms and conditions apply, participating dealers only or visit peugeot.co.uk. Peugeot Motor Company PLC is acting as a credit broker and is not a lender. To finance your purchase we will only introduce you to Peugeot Financial Services, the exclusive provider of Just Add Fuel. A guarantee may be required. Finance provided by and written quotations available from PSA Finance UK Ltd t/a Peugeot Financial Services, Quadrant House, Princess Way, Redhill, RH1 1QA. Excess mileage charges may apply. The first year Road Fund Licence (RFL) is included in the on the road price. The Dealer will provide customers with a cheque equivalent to twice the current RFL cost. The customer must apply for years 2 & 3 RFL. Just Add Fuel (JAF) is subject to status. *Minimum age 18, maximum age 75. Drivers are required to install a Telematics Box & consent to Data capture & transmission to qualify for insurance. All drivers must hold a full UK licence & meet eligibility criteria including limits on driving convictions & claims. Insurance subject to cancellation if you receive four warnings for poor driving. Excesses apply. 3 years motor insurance is provided and underwritten by U K Insurance Limited which is which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Payments will vary according to age, post code and annual mileage. Customer deposit may be required. The costs of insurance, servicing and Roadside Assistance are included within the monthly cost of JAF Passport, but are provided on a monthly pay-as-you-go basis and can be cancelled at any time without penalty or affecting the remainder of the JAF Passport contract. Routine servicing included only. Excludes wear parts. All offers available on qualifying vehicles ordered and registered between 01/07/16 and 30/09/16 or until such time as they may be withdrawn by Peugeot at its complete discretion.