Peugeot 208 CC & SW unlikely

Speaking with CarAdvice at the local launch of the Peugeot 4008 small SUV, Peugeot Australia’s outgoing managing director, Ken Thomas, said there were currently no plans for a 208 CC in the company’s product line-up.

The worsening economic woes in Europe and the potential for a Peugeot RCZ convertible mean the entry-level Coupe-Convertible has been put on hold for the time being.

Thomas confirmed the 207 CC would continue to be sold alongside the new 208 range, which will also eventually include a GTi variant that has been widely tipped as a legitimate successor to the iconic 205 GTi.

Local sales of the Peugeot 207 CC increased 25 per cent last year to 264, although so far this year the French brand has sold just 56, down more than 50 per cent compared with the same period in 2011. Sales of Peugeot's city-sized hard-top peaked at 872 in 2002 in the 206 CC's first full year in Australia, and more recently the local brand sold 750 in 2007 following the launch of the 207 CC and the runout of the 206 CC.

What may come in place of a 208 SW is an even smaller SUV model, currently rumoured as a Peugeot 2008. If true, this would see Peugeot's SUV range compete in additional strong growth segments and give the French company a much-needed sales boost outside of Europe.

The French company is looking to expand its product portfolio with the addition of more mainstream models in growing segments, such as the 4008, which is based on the Mitsubishi ASX and built in the same factory. The Mitsubishi Outlander-based Peugeot 4007 will cease mass-scale production towards the end of the year (except in Russia) with the 4008 taking over as the core SUV in the range.

With the arrival of the Peugeot 4008 this month and the planned release of 208 city car in October, Peugeot Australia expects to increase its overall sales volume to 7000 units for 2012.

Note: Peugeot 208 CC rendering by Theophiluschin