Peugeot 206 also known as 206 Bestari which was sold under Naza Corporation in Malaysia
The 206 Bestari, locally assembled version of the Peugeot 206, was launch by Naza Corportation back in May 2006 (before it was revealed, it was codenamed NX-02). It was rebadged to Naza to gain the local car status and also to bring the prices further down, opening up possibilities and making owning a New Peugeot 206 a reality to many.
Due to this rebadging issue, it was not well received by the public, moreover, it was under-rated and many false claims has been made, such as, using a 'China' made engine, or many other claims, and surprisingly, some even mentioned the interrior looks "very" different from the Imported version. That shows how bad the extend of perception and understanding from many.
If you visit Peugeot Malaysia website, you'll find 206 Bestari as 206.
Naza (Nasim) only officially took over the franchise holder of Peugeot early this year (2008), but the 206 was locally assembled back in 2006 when C&C was the authorised distributor.
Beside this, the 206 Bestari is not just for Malaysian market, it's to be export to Asean countries, such as, Thailand and Indonesia.
In actual fact, this car is simply a locally assembled version of the Peugeot 206, just like any other locally assembled cars, it's not being bought over or anything similar; it's basically still controlled under Peugeot, thus Naza cannot simply just add on performance modification or anything similar. Even the Rims, are of Peugeot.
Also, not to mentioned that this car was actually warrantied by Peugeot, not Naza; thus, they can't just add un-approved modifications.
Tough, Naza actually comes up with a 206 Sportivo (just like they have Sportivo for Mazda3, and others), but due to even the minor mod, such as, rims, headlights, etc. Naza has to cover the warranty themselves.
Basically, the vehicle specs and features are all maintained (similar to original specification; even the EURO NCAP safety ratings), and also controlled by Peugeot.
If you ever pay a little attention to detail when you check out the Bestari 206, you will notice even the windows are of original Peugeot;
Some people thought the Steering wheel is different, but trust me, the logo makes a whole lots of difference. Some owners has taken out the Naza logo, and what you'll see is actually a lion "patch" mould for the original Lion logo.
Check around the dashboard area, you'll find the branded "Jaeger" tachometer.
If this is a bought over design, Naza could've save a lot of money by using cheaper local parts; and since many people here like Japanese technology, maybe drop in a Japanese 1.6L engine and a more reliable Japanese gearbox, and the cost is still cheaper than a european import. Did anybody ever think about it?
The only thing that Naza ever did to make this car is just to assemble most of the parts that sre imported from France and put on couples of Naza badges on it.
How much does the 206 Bestari cost? Less than RM70,000.
Surprisingly, being a continental car and moreover in Malaysia, it's much more cheaper than many of it's competitor, up to RM10,000 or more, not to mention having more/better features.
The not surprising news is that, it was not well received by the public and even get critisized and under-rated badly.
Is it expensive? If we don't bother the brand, where it came from, the taxes, the duties, etc; a 1.4L hatchback for RM70,000 is EXPENSIVE. But it's just the same for many other cars.
If we look into the details, nobody would've thought it is possible to own a NEW Peugeot 206 even below RM80,000;
The Fully Imported Peugeot 206 1.4L back in 2001 was initially priced around RM85K, that was the old specs with the normal AL4 gearbox. It was later increased closed to RM100K.
This 206 Bestari is the latest version of 2006 Peugeot 206 when it was first launched and it comes with the AL4 Gearbox with Porshe Tiptronic feature. (Now you don't get this Tiptronic feature in many cars below RM100,000; it's a priviledge, and the looks of the gearbox is very class and elegant, not like many which are plain and simple.)
Before the 206 Bestari is launch, who would've expected it to be priced under RM70K, logically? If we take into considerations that a locally assembled Japanese car of the same segment, is selling at around RM80K; logically speaking, who would've think a continental car with higher tax and duties can possibly be priced lower than the Japanese/Korean counterparts?
Secondly, we're buying from Naza, not Peugeot; from a consumer point of view, we're getting from a third party dealer?
Of course, nobody can control ones thinking, if you think it's expensive, then it will be expensive. It is very hard to satisfy everybody, even if something is cheap, but if it's not for you, it'll not be cheap for you, vice versa, if you think something is good for you and you likes it, even if everyone else think it is expensive and not worth getting, for you, it's worth every single cent.
Thus, for this 206 Bestari, it's a dream come true for many who have long dreamed to own a NEW Peugeot 206 and never thought it would be possible.
So, if you don't like the car, why do you even bother checking it out? Every car has it's own specialty, uniqueness and it's own circle of customers who are interested.
This site is mainly to provide information and understanding of the car in depth.
The Story Behind Peugeot 206 CKD:
Back in 2006, when the 206 Bestari is launched, Nasim isn't the franchise holder for Peugeot in Malaysia (just an importer), and actually the 206 has been planned for a CKD version ever since MBF was the franchise holder.
News about MBF plans to locally assemble the Peugeot 206 in 2001:
Cycle & Carriage (C&C) also has plans to locally assemble the 206, but Nasim got hold of the rights.
During year end 2007, C&C has withdrawn from being a Peugeot franchise holder in Malaysia, and it is officially taken over by Nasim early 2008.
Thus, for future locally assembled version of Peugeot cars, will all maintain its Peugeot badge. The first being the 407 CKD, with higher spec'd than the CBU version and >RM30K cheaper.
News about Cycle & Carriage Automobile being the new Peugeot distributor back in 2002:
"CCA hopes to begin assembly by year’s end and the models are likely to be the facelifted 406 and the 206."
News about Nasim to locally assemble the Peugeot 206 in 2005:
(Mr Delous said: "We are particularly happy that Naza has chosen to produce locally our 206, a pure jewel in our range which has sold more than five million units worldwide and is the best selling European car for four years in a row.")
More to come...
No comments:
Post a Comment