Bruce Newton•21 Sept 2012
NEWS
RCZ diesel to be axed?
Peugeot culls models to make room for new metalThe turbodiesel version of Peugeot’s slinky RCZ coupe is likely to disappear from the local line-up as room is made for a flood of new models hitting our shores over the next 18 months.
As reported earlier this week by motoring.com.au, Peugeot Automobiles Australia will be launching all-new, overhauled or facelifted models almost monthly between now and the arrival of the next generation 308 small car in the first quarter of 2014.
But at the same time PAA is rationalising or killing off other model lines to make room for this bevy of newcomers, although not all by choice.
The RCZ diesel is the smallest seller in the range and looks under serious threat. However, such a move is unlikely to be confirmed at the Sydney motor show, where the facelifted RCZ – which goes on sale here next March - will be the star of the Peugeot stand.
“The RCZ has got a petrol-manual, a petrol-auto and a diesel-manual and you seriously have to ask yourself whether you need the diesel,” said PAA general manager/director Bill Gillespie told motoring.com.au at this week’s 208 mini-car launch.
“We don’t need to make a final, final (decision) on that for maybe two months. My early feeling is a manual-diesel for Australia is maybe not on-brand for us.
“Diesel is part of our DNA and it worked when we were running diesel sportscars at Le Mans, but now without that link there should we really have a manual diesel?”
If the diesel RCZ is killed off, it would leave Audi’s TT TDI as the only sports coupe oiler sold in Australia.
Also confirmed by PAA as heading for the exit are a bevy of 308 models, the 207CC coupe-cabrio, the 207 Touring and the 4007 medium SUV. The Touring will be eventually be replaced by 2008 mini-SUV, but there are no confirmed replacements for the CC and the Mitsubishi Outlander-based 4007.
“There was talk of a PSA replacement for the 4007, but I haven’t heard anymore about that,” Mr Gillespie said. “There will be no 208CC,” he added. “The decision is based on model proliferation... Maybe the market was declining for CCs. The factory is going to run it through their European summer, but we will wind up next April.”
Gillespie said 308 variants were being gradually rolled back from about 14 to six as the car enters run-out: “If you have 14 models manual-auto, you have 10 colours in each, you add that up and then have them in different parts of Australia, you just can't keep up with that proliferation.”
He also confirmed the forthcoming 108 super-mini was “not on the radar” for Australia despite his predecessor Ken Thomas being positive about its chances last year.
“If we were to bring here it would have to sit under the 208, so you are talking $15,990 to $16,990 and I don’t even know if we can get it here for that price,” Mr Gillespie said. “It needs to fit into the overall brand strategy … and be profitable.”
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Written byBruce Newton
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