Parallel imports: Peugeot, Citroen unworried

The federal government's proposal to allow 'parallel' imports of new or near-new vehicles from the UK or Japan from 2018 has raised the ire of many luxury vehicle distributors.

But Sime Darby Motors Group, the official Australian importer of French brands Peugeot and Citroen, is not concerned.

Spokespeople for the two brands suggested the proposed legislation is in its infancy and will undergo several changes before it's implemented, which won't occur until 2018.

"It's fair to say there's a long time until it [parallel imports] comes into play," Peugeot and Citroen communications manager Tyson Bowen told motoring.com.au at the launch of the new Peugeot 308 GTi in Tasmania this week.

Bowen wouldn't say whether Sime Darby would lobby political parties for or against the proposed legislation, which the government claims will offer customers more choice and lower prices, but observed there would be "a lot of backwards and forwards" before the laws were set in stone.

"At the moment it's a long time until it comes into play and I think there's a lot of consultation and discussion and various things that will occur between now and then," Bowen posited.

Asked if the new parallel import laws were unlikely to have a negative impact on official Citroen and Peugeot sales in this country, the PR manager responded: "That's a fair assessment".

"We basically take everything that has a steering wheel on the right-hand side of the car," he stated, meaning Sime Darby is unlikely to lose sales due to the private importation of cars.

"In my opinion, vehicles made in Japan, for example, that are specific domestic models [not available in Australia], those buyers may choose them because they desperately want them. Other buyers will do it [parallel import] for financial reasons."

A number of Peugeot and Citroen models are available in the UK but not here, however, including the Citroen C1 (pictured) and its twin model, the Peugeot 108, as well as a pair of EVs based on Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, the Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero.

Many luxury car brands have highlighted concerns about the warranty, serviceability and suitability of independently imported vehicles. They also suggest that easing the luxury car tax would be a better way to improve buyer choice and reduce prices -- two of the government's reasons for implementing the new import laws.