Driven at the Paris Motor Show: Sporty SUV hints at future

Peugeot has signalled it wants to be less European and focus more on the needs of the rest of the motoring world.

Peugeot is looking our way, writes Damien O'Carroll

Peugeot's large, lavish stand could easily be viewed as a physical representation of the new direction and - more importantly for our part of the world - new outlook the company has towards markets outside Europe as a result of the upheavals that saw the Peugeot family reduce its hold from 25 per cent to 14 per cent, and the French Government and Chinese partner Dongfeng each take 14 per cent stakes to create three partners with equal voting rights.

Peugeot will argue that the change in outlook was always on the cards and the timing was coincidental, but the fact remains that the huge shift in attitude to "the rest of the world" coincides nicely with one of the best cars the company has produced in years (the new 308), leaving it - either purposely or completely fortuitously - in a strong position for the future.

• View the Driven Paris Motor Show gallery here

The Quartz concept vehicle launched here was, however, no coincidence. It is easy to see how the new-found focus at Peugeot led to the creation of the sporty hybrid SUV that strongly hints at the future not just of Peugeot design, but also the general direction the company will take in future vehicles (more SUVs), interior concepts (the distinctive i-Cockpit design first seen in the 208 and, more lately, in the 308), materials used (far higher quality) and technology, including the continued development of its innovative hybrid drivetrains.

So what does that mean for the future of Peugeot in New Zealand?

The restructuring of the company has seen the world as Peugeot sees it divided into six territories, with New Zealand and the rest of the Asia/Pacific region now being slotted in with India. Along with Australia, this puts some of the largest right-hand drive markets in the world together.

The Peugeot Stand (left) and Peugeot Quartz at the Paris Motor Show (below). Pictures / supplied

Driven was a guest of Peugeot at the Paris Motor Show and was granted access to the movers and shakers involved in making the decisions that will affect our region, including the CEO of the Peugeot brand Maxime Picat, who started his chat with us by saying something that we in this part of the world have realised for some time: "We are too European. We want to be less European to be balanced worldwide."

Picat went on to say that the direction of the brand was clear and that Peugeot had the range and quality to compete on an equal footing with the competition, but that the company was essentially at a new starting point and that starting can take time.

The one area where Peugeot has tentatively entered via its collaborations with Mitsubishi (4007 and 4008) and more recently with its own 2008 is the flourishing SUV segment, an important segment in New Zealand.

The Quartz concept is a none-too-subtle indicator that this is somewhere Peugeot is headed, with Peugeot product director Xavier Peugeot dropping the equally none-too-subtle hint that "such concept cars are never made for free. The Quartz sends a number of important messages for the future of the company."

Of course, another big part of the New Zealand market is the ute segment, one that

Peugeot is targeting as its main competitor, Volkswagen, has entered with its Amarok. Is there any chance of Peugeot resurrecting the iconic 504 ute for markets like ours?

Peugeot Quartz concept

"If you were to ask me what car is missing from our range and I would like Santa Claus to give me for Christmas, a nice pick-up would be great," said Picat.

"But it is something that is very specific and you can't make a derivative from an existing platform. If I find an opportunity, I would jump on it. But for now there is no decision on that ... " Perhaps the most telling and encouraging thing for New Zealand is that Picat spent five years heading up Peugeot's operations in China and has spent quite a bit of time in Australia and New Zealand.

"I have discovered how different New Zealand is from Australia," he said. "Seen from Paris that is not so obvious, but when you have been there you realise."

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