Peugeot is “thinking about” launching a model positioned above its flagship 5008, boss Alain Favey has told Autocar.
But to be successful, “it would need to be something really different” so it could stand out against rivals, he said, referencing the difficulties the axed 508 had in a segment that included premium offerings such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series.
He explained: “We had the 508, which we stopped six months ago. It just shows the difficulty of having a car - [despite it having] a really credible offer – for a brand like Peugeot, because obviously in this segment you will have a lot of more premium brands being extremely successful.”
Asked what form a new Peugeot flagship could take, Favey admitted that “I don’t know” but added that the firm has the ability to dip into the Stellantis parts bin and “look at what is possible”.
He continued: "If ever we're tempted to do that, it would need to be something really different, and I don't know what that is. So are we thinking about it? Yes.”
Although there is no “concrete plan” today, “we have to also be conscious” of not overloading the Peugeot line-up, said Favey.
As such, he warned that one of the car’s stumbling blocks could be that it gets lost within the line-up as the “difficulty we have is to advertise everything”, referring to the lack of noise made about the 408, despite it being “great advertising for Peugeot, because the car turns your head”.
He asked, therefore, is “it not more reasonable to focus on what we do well, which is B- and C-segment cars? That’s why I hesitate. Even though I would love to [launch such a car]".
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The 508 looked great, especially in estate form. It had a quality interior. But the powertrains were all wrong. I dont want a 1.2 3 pot. Yet PSA cant sell ICE in France due to tax, and where else are Peugeot going to sell any volume? So going forward, unless there are major changes to the rules, the only powertrain Peugeot will fit will be EV, and it just wont sell (yet).
I have a 27 year old 406 with the V6 and a manual box. I would have snapped up a 508 estate equipped with that powertrain.
So what ever Peugeot decide to make, i hope they remember there are people who dont live under french tax rules who used to buy their cars and would again. Stellantis are doing this in the USA, where they are re-introducing the V8 due to customer demand
The 408 example says it all. Cool looking car, barely anyone talks about it. If they can't push that properly, how are they gonna sell a halo flagship? Feels like putting a cherry on a cake no one sees. -brat generator
Why bother hasn't Stellantis got enough models in the "premium " sector already, but whan might be an idea is an estate/wagon version of the 408 instead?