Currently reading: Peugeot chief: No new performance cars ‘until we’re truly global'

CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato rules out launching the 308 Hybrid R and replacing the RCZ until sales outside Europe surge

Peugeot CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato is putting greater global success first and foremost in the brand's near-term strategy, but won’t rule out expensive high-performance projects later on.

In an interview with Autocar, Imparato confirmed that the 308 Hybrid R project remains on ice, and also that no replacement for the RCZ coupé is currently planned.

“Right now our main goal is to grow to beyond two million units a year,” he said, “but also to spread our footprint and to sell more than 50% of our cars outside of Europe. Until we do that, I’m much more interested in cars that sell in hundreds of thousands than those that sell in smaller numbers.”

Imparato will fly to China this week for the local launch of the 5008 SUV – but says the real key to cracking the firm’s global ambitions will be a return to Africa. “With a one-tonne pick-up truck, we can tap into a huge global market,” he said. “We could either develop one within the group or with a partner, and our existing connections [The PSA Group already makes commercial vehicles and city cars with Toyota] give us possibilities.”

Peugeot 308 R Hybrid review

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Peugeot is also eyeing a return to North America in the next five years. At first, this would be as a relatively small-scale mobility provider in the USA’s bigger cities, but in the longer term, Imparato plans a full-scale return as a proper car brand, “once a solution to the distribution problem can be found."

Next year will bring a new 508-sized saloon, which Imparato said would mark: “our return to heartland Peugeot territory, and the next car to drive us upmarket even further.” 

But later on, and as a more successful and profitable global brand, Peugeot could return to the idea of a sports car. “When we do it, we will do it properly,” Imparato said. “Not with another RCZ, but with a car that can take the Nordschleife lap record.” 

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He added: “I really like the commitment of makers like Porsche to cars like this - and with Peugeot Sport, I believe we have the team to make such a car. It would be expensive, but so what? We could do it.”

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Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce PhantomTesla RoadsterAriel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren SennaRenault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

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Thekrankis 7 June 2017

Go back to Pug basics.

Top notch handling. Fluid ride. Communicative steering. Elegant styling. Last seen in the 205 / 405 era.
We can live with naff interiors, soggy seats and wafer thin paint....
artill 7 June 2017

I have always liked larger

I have always liked larger Peugeot saloons. The 405, 406, 605 were great in the right spec, but the current 508 has been a disappointment. It seems to have no character at all. The lack of petrol engines (in the UK, and even that available abroad has been slow), or a desirable model. I doubt the next 508 will correct that, but i can hope
Chelavy 7 June 2017

New 508

artill wrote:

I have always liked larger Peugeot saloons. The 405, 406, 605 were great in the right spec, but the current 508 has been a disappointment. It seems to have no character at all. The lack of petrol engines (in the UK, and even that available abroad has been slow), or a desirable model. I doubt the next 508 will correct that, but i can hope

https://www.motor1.com/news/147722/2019-peugeot-508-spy-photos/

There you go....

Mikey C 7 June 2017

Not the Nürburgring again...

“When we do it, we will do it properly,” Imparato said. “Not with another RCZ but with a car that can take the Nordschleife lap record.”

Most people want cars that look good and drive well in the real world, not ones that can do a quick lap at a racing circuit...

tuga 7 June 2017

Yup

Mikey C wrote:

“When we do it, we will do it properly,” Imparato said. “Not with another RCZ but with a car that can take the Nordschleife lap record.”

Most people want cars that look good and drive well in the real world, not ones that can do a quick lap at a racing circuit...

It always irks me when industry people, so-called " car people ", come out and say stuff like this ( Sergio Marchione and FCA staff in general do this all the time too. Talking crap about your own cars does wonders for residuals, right? Oh, wait... ).

No, some racing circuit special will not do more for Peugeot than the RCZ did, or fit Peugeots image more than the RCZ, and the RCZ was not a bad car. It was a good looking car that was nice to drive ( ish ) and that people could actually afford. What are Peugeots supposed to be again?