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Peugeot has unveiled the 2008 in France, a new urban crossover, which symbolises PSA Peugeot Citroen’s strategy to expand its international presence and move the product offer upmarket.
The 2008 is the Peugeot brand’s first model simultaneously designed for several geographies.
Created by Peugeot’s international styling teams in Paris, Shanghai and Sao Paulo, it is intended to appeal not only to European customers but also to car buyers in China and South America.
The Mulhouse plant in the Alsace region of France is to manufacture the 2008 for all European markets, as well as for export to Turkey, Australia, South Africa, Japan and Russia.
The plant already exports two-thirds of its output on an average.
A total of €150 million has been invested to support the model’s launch, mainly for the body-in-white processes.
The new model will also be manufactured in Wuhan, for the Chinese market, and in Porto Real (Brazil), for the South American market.
The 2008 symbolises the second component of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s strategy, which is to move the range upmarket.
Capitalising on the success of the Peugeot 3008, the 2008 represents an innovative city car offer in the compact crossover segment.
The company has said it is one of the several new models that will contribute to the upmarket strategy this year, alongside the Citroen DS3 Cabriolet and the Peugeot 208 GTI and 208 XY.
Premium models already account for 18 per cent of the group’s total sales.
The company said the percentage of assembled vehicles sold outside Europe has increased significantly over the past few years, from 24 per cent in 2009 to 33 per cent in 2011.
amritanair.ghaswalla@thehindu.co.in
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