Peugeot, absent from America since it sold its last 405 sedan in 1992, says it has reached a point where it may not be able to overlook the US market much longer, WardsAuto.com reported this week.
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“We are now the sixth largest manufacturer in the world,” Peugeot Chairman Jean-Martin Folz told WardsAuto.com. “If we want to look at areas of future growth, we cannot ignore the fact the US is the largest car market. And pretending we would never get interested in the US would be preposterous.”
According to WardsAuto.com, studies are under way so that Peugeot will have a better understanding of US regulatory standards and what type of vehicles and features American consumers want before setting any plans.
The report said the French car maker has no timetable for coming to the US though Folz says not to rule out sooner rather than later.
“We are launching new-generation products every year, so you never know,” he told WardsAuto.com. “Maybe we have some products coming right now that would meet American standards.”
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By GlobalDataWardsAuto.com said Peugeot, which has made huge productivity gains and launched numerous new models in recent years, is targeting a 20% increase in global vehicle sales to four million units by 2006, up from an expected 3.35 million in 2003.
To reach its goal, 26 new or revamped vehicles will be introduced over the next four years, and it’s possible some of those could find a following in the US, the WardsAuto.com report said.
But the website noted that any Peugeot return to the US probably hinges as much on production capacity as it does on finding the right product.
Peugeot assembly plants have been running at 117% of capacity, so it is unlikely to divert attention to the US much before 2005-2006, when a couple of new factories are up and running in Central Europe, WardsAuto.com said.
The website said Folz isn’t saying what’s on the drawing board that might make a good fit for the US but he does say he doesn’t believe Peugeot needs pickups or SUVs to compete.
“Clearly light trucks are significant, but there also are cars (being sold in the US),” he told WardsAuto.com.
Current US sentiment against France over the Iraq war won’t influence Peugeot’s decision to return to America, or whether it’s successful once it arrives, Folz told the website.
“As a car manufacturer, we have no political opinion, clearly,” he told WardsAuto.com. Besides, by the time Peugeot makes its move, the tensions will be over, he adds. “At least I hope so.”
