What began as a manufacturer of coffee mills and bicycles in the 1800's, Peugeot is the second largest carmaker in Europe (Volkswagen being the first) and fully owns Citroën.
The French automaker has been heavily involved in motorsports since the 80's, competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for three decades, producing iconic rally cars such as the Group B 205 Turbo 16, 206, and 306 - all driven by the greats such as Ari Vatanen, Juha Kankkunen, and Marcus Grönholm. They enjoyed similar success in rally raid and sportscar racing, winning the Dakar Rally four times in a row from '87 to '90 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in '92, '93, and '09.
In the Philippines, Peugeot first entered the market in 2003 under the now-defunct AutoFrance Philippines owned by the Lee's - the same people behind Chevrolet, Hyundai, Nissan (UMC), and Volvo. But after a few years, the business eventually “died a natural death” due to poor sales.
Now under its new principal Eurobrands Distributor Inc., Peugeot is headed by former Columbian Autocar Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer, Felix Mabilog Jr., who affirms that "The Peugeot of today is not the same from what it was 10 years ago." The group will also be focusing their efforts on providing exceptional after sales service to lift up the brand, even for Peugeots purchased in the past. Plus, they've hired former Philippine Star Motoring Editor, Dong Magsajo as their Marketing and PR Manager, so we know that Peugeot's future is in good hands.
While we've been requested not to spill the beans just yet, what we can tell you is that they'll be launching four new models later this year, and all will be powered by Peugeot's 1.6L HDi 110 engine. Producing 110 horsepower and 240 Nm of torque, expect fuel efficiency figures to reach as high as 20 km/L and carbon emissions as low as 129g/km. And despite being a European brand, pricing will be positioned right between the Japanese, Koreans, and Germans. So whether you’re a businessman, family man, adventurist, or sportster, start saving up until Peugeot officially marks its arrival in three months’ time.
