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One of Europe's sexiest sedans, the Peugeot 407, has gotten a mid-life boost. Besides some aesthetic tweaks, Peugeot has updated the 2.0-liter HDi 140 engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox which develops 140hp - an increase of 4hp over the previous HDi 136. It also benefits from lower fuel consumption, at 49.5 mpg imperial (41 mpg U.S. or 5.7 l/100 km) and CO₂ emissions have been reduced to 150 g/km. It also gets a Diesel Particulate Filter (nicknamed FAP at Peugeot) as standard. The FAP is also available on the 1.6-liter 110hp base diesel model. Two additional diesels, a 170hp and a V6, remain available. All PSA diesel engines built after 1998 are certified to use biodiesel blends up to 30 percent. For flex-fuel lovers, Peugeot is offering a new 2.0-litre 'Bioflex' engine that can burn E85 fuel starting in November. Full UK press release after the jump.



[Source: Peugeot]

Gas2.0, a website focused on biofuels, has published a very interesting set of 22 dispelled biodiesel myths. Some of them are dispensed with very straightforwardly and all are in favor of using biodiesel.

The, um, busted "myths" range from common confusions between ethanol and biodiesel to the real impact of biodiesel in the environment and how easy or difficult is to find. Common questions about its use directly in cars, its impact on power and consumption, exhaust smell and emissions are also answered.

One issue which, in my opinion, is not clearly answered is what happens to warranties on new cars whem biodiesel is added to the mix. Sure, only a few carmakers clearly state which blends of biodiesel are accepted (PSA, for instance), a little more info on this topic would've been nice.

[Source: Gas2.0 (h/t to Clayton)]

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French automaker Renault is taking its environmental responsibility very seriously, so much so that it has kicked off a new initiative and associated line of vehicles it calls eco². From a high level, it's basically an end-to-end green industrial initiative, which looks to alleviate the impact the company has on the environment from initial manufacturing, through the operating tenure of a vehicle, and then the handling of said vehicle at the end of its usable life.

For a Renault to earn the eco² designation, three criteria must be met:

1. It must be manufactured in an ISO 1400-certified facility. In short, this means that the plant must show continuous improvement over time in certain environmental impact measurements.
2. Carbon dioxide emissions mustn't exceed 140g/km, or the vehicle must be able to run on E85 Ethanol or B30 Biodiesel
3. 5 percent of the plastics used in the manufacturing process must be sourced from recyclable materials

Examples of cars that currently qualify for the eco² designation are the Renault Clio Rip Curl, with its stingy 1.2L TCE 100 turbo engine and Megane 1.5 dCi. In June, the automaker will release a Megane capable of operating on E85, which will automatically make it an eco² machine.

Not coincidentally, a general downsizing of the engines Renault is using in its cars coincides with the initiative. the newer powerplants offer comparable power to the larger units they replace, while surpassing them in the areas of fuel economy and carbon emissions. It's also important to note that the cars that qualify for eco² happen to target different audiences. This isn't something Renault appears to be looking to please a single segment with. They're going to apply it wherever they can. Long term it looks like it's going to be their new way of doing business.

Renault's comprehensive press release is pasted after the jump.



[Source: Renault]

Vauxhall is Britain's top producer of light commercial vehicles, and the company unveiled a pair of B30-fueled delivery vans at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham. The trucks in question are the Vivaro and Movano, and Vauxhall is building a series of the greener machines for a fleet customer to use on a trial basis. This will also help the powers that be see if biodiesel has a place in the UK and determine whether or not a full distribution system is warranted . The Vivaro uses a 2.0-liter turbodiesel, while the Movano has both 2.0 and 2.5L engines. The usual diesel benefits apply here with the added bonus that the B30-powered vans should produce less C02 than similar vehicles running on regular diesel. You can read more in GM's press release after the jump.

[Source: GM]