PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Peugeot goes crossover

A range of Peugeot crossovers is in the development pipeline, including a medium-sized replacement for the 4007, which is being retired early in 2013.

The crossover strategy is part of a hectic new model program from the struggling French manufacturers as it chases sales growth outside the economically battered Eurozone.

Peugeot’s approach to the booming crossover/SUV all-wheel drive market has so far been somewhat haphazard, using both rebadged Mitsubishis as well as its own developments. The 4007 is based on the outgoing Mitsubishi Outlander and will not be directly or immediately replaced. Instead Peugeot has launched the smaller Mitsubishi ASX-based 4008.

In Australia Peugeot will introduce the seven-seat 5008 monospace as a quasi-replacement for the 4007. Peugeot also offers the 3008 high-rise front-wheel drive wagon and at the Paris motor show had a near-production version of its forthcoming 2008 mini-SUV on display. That car should reach Australia towards the end of 2013.

“The message is very clear and very simple, we are going to develop crossovers in all the different ranges, in the B-segment, in the C-segment and the D-segment,” Peugeot’s global production range director Laurent Blanchet told motoring.com.au.

Mr Blanchet was also clear that Peugeot’s future crossovers would not be re-badged models supplied by other car companies: “We are going to develop our own crossovers,” he insisted. “We have the 2008 in this stand and that is our way to develop a crossover and then a bigger one and a bigger one and have a specific range of crossovers. We don’t want to copy other auto makers and we want to have our own specificities.”

“You will discover on future cars what specificities we are trying to inject.”

Peugeot’s parent PSA Peugeot Citroen has inked a deal this year with General Motors inked a deal this year with General Motors to share technologies including future architectures. Mr Blanchet acknowledged the opportunities that presented for the crossover expansion plan.

“There is potential in terms of platforms, engines, gearboxes, automatic gearboxes,” he said.

Mr Blanchet revealed Peugeot is also mulling the future of the 5008 beyond the current generation and it is unlikely to retain a traditional people-mover form.

“We are thinking about how we are going to evolve in the market and in the future we are thinking about how to renew this car differently. But it is too soon to talk about it.”

Peugeot’s product blitz is a response to diving sales and massive financial losses. The PSA group is reported to be burning through 200 million Euros per month. The company’s focus on the Eurozone for both sales and manufacturing and years of mundane vehicles have been blamed for the problems. But Mr Blanchet cited the 208 mini as evidence of Peugeot’s revival, as well as the 2008 and its fellow Paris show debutantes, the 208 GTI hot hatch, the RCZ R – Peugeot’s most powerful production car ever – and the 301 sedan aimed at developing markets.

“We are in a difficult moment in Peugeot but we made some decisions two or three years ago to change many things,” Mr Blanchet said. “We are changing many things in terms of cars, in terms of CO2, in terms of design, in terms of technologies.”

Read more Paris Motor Show stories at motoring.com.au

See all the photos from the Paris Motor Show at motoring.com.au

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