In the young Stellantis group in Brazil, Fiat is in a leading position thanks to its excellent commercial results. For its next restyling, the Peugeot 208 should therefore adopt engines from the Italian brand, starting with the 1.0 Firefly.
Made in Argentina, the Peugeot 208 sold in Brazil looks like two drops of water to the one we know in Europe. Still, there is a big difference under the hood. In addition to its electric version e-208, the little Lioness only offers on this market an old four-cylinder 1.6 atmospheric 118 hp. An engine which above all has the advantage of being easily compatible with E100 ethanol, the most popular fuel in this vast country. But according to our colleagues from Autosegredos, the restyling of the city car should coincide with the arrival of more modern mechanics, supplied by Fiat. A transplant not as surprising as it seems. The Italian brand, which is now part of the Stellantis group like Peugeot, indeed occupied the first place in sales in Brazil as in all of Latin America in 2021. It sold more than 493,000 vehicles there with a whole range specifically adapted to this continent.
Engines shared with the Fiat Argo
It is thus a model unknown to us, the small Argo, a sort of descendant of the Punto, which should donate its mechanics. Starting once again with an atmospheric engine, the three-cylinder 1.0 Firefly. With 75 hp on ethanol or 71 hp on gasoline, it could cohabit for some time with the current 1.6. But the latter is intended to be replaced quickly by another Fiat engine, the 1.3 Firefly. Capable of developing up to 109 hp, this four-cylinder can be associated with a manual gearbox or a CVT continuously variable automatic transmission. Finally, a turbocharged version of the 1.0 Firefly was also recently presented by the Italian brand in Brazil, in order to equip the small Pulse SUV in particular. It claims this time 130 hp, while maintaining the essential compatibility with the E100. Characteristics that could allow it to top the range of the Brazilian 208, alongside the electric variant not necessarily suitable for all buyers.
Source : Autossegredos
