Peugeot Citroen Australia look to EVs to turn poor sales around

Sales growth and an increased focus on electric cars are on the cards for Peugeot and its sister brand Citroen in Australia, as they look to rebound from the COVID-induced slumber crippling the industry.

Speaking at the launch of the new Peugeot 2008 small SUV, recently-appointed Peugeot Citroen Australia general manager Kate Gillis said EVs would be a major focus for the brands moving forward.

“That’s the future of the brand … [we want to] make sure that is reflected in this market as well,” she said.

From mid-2021, Peugeot will begin rolling out plug-in hybrid versions of the 3008 and 5008 SUVs.

With small battery packs and circa-60km electric-only range, the upcoming PHEV models provide a first step for Peugeot into cars powered by electricity.

“That could also give us an indication in terms of the market’s acceptance [of electrified Peugeots].”

They’re part of a two-stage plan to increasingly electrify the Peugeot offerings, culminating in the first fully electric Peugeots arriving late in 2021 or early 2022.

“We’re certainly very confident the market – particularly within this [electric car] space – is going to move quite quickly,” Gillis said, highlighting qualities such as innovation as a reason to push towards electric vehicles.

“There’s absolutely no reason why we wouldn’t be progressing with electric for those very reasons.”

While Peugeot Australia distributor Inchcape Automotive is yet to sign off on a pure battery electric vehicle, the choice is between the 208 and its SUV offshoot, the 2008.

For the 208, an electric offering is likely to be the only option offered in what will be a radically different approach to the smallest vehicle in the Peugeot lineup.

“It’s probably either-or,” Gillis said of the choice between petrol or electric 208s.

“And it’s probably the electric version would be the one we’d look firmly at.”

Gillis would not elaborate on the planned sales growth, other than to say the brand wanted to move forward rather than go backwards as it has in recent years.

“We’re just really keen for us to land our product well and with some good volume of sales behind us,” she said.

Younger buyers are a focus, with vehicles such as the 2008 a key target for young singles or couples.

“We’re looking at ways in which we can make sure we’ve got a broad customer demographic.”

And despite miniscule sales for Citroen – for the first nine months of 2020 it was outsold by Ferrari – Gillis reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the brand.

“We’re Peugeot Citroen Australia,” she said, pointing to a significant update to the C3 small hatch due later this year.

“[So] same for Citroen as well.”