PEUGEOT at the Beijing Motor Show : Launch of the PEUGEOT 2008, EXALT concept car, Roland Garros special editions and new sales record

PEUGEOT accelerating fast in China

The Beijing Motor Show opens its doors against a background of unprecedented sales conquests in China for PEUGEOT. During the first quarter of 2014, the brand invoiced more than 85 000 cars, a growth of 18.6 % compared to the first quarter of 2013, in an overall market up by 13.3 % in the same period, establishing a new historic sales record for PEUGEOT in China.

Recent launches have all met with success. The PEUGEOT 3008 launched in January 2013 at Chengdu has recorded more than 52,000 orders last year, above its initial objectives and the PEUGEOT 301 has already attracted 23,000 customers since its launch in Canton on 19 November.

2008 out to conquer the Chinese market

The 2008, the urban Crossover by PEUGEOT, launched in Europe during the spring 2013, has been very well received by customers with more than 130,000 orders after less than a year on sale.

Its launch in China, in a market for small SUVs that is growing strongly, should allow the 2008 to achieve its sales objective worldwide of 221 000 units in a full year during 2015.

The PEUGEOT urban Crossover, which competes in the Chinese B+ segment, aims at leadership of this category in the biggest car market in the world.

In China, the 2008 will help the brand to win over a population of young first-time buyers, with an average age just under 30, belonging to the new quickly growing Chinese middle class.

EXALT: all of PEUGEOT’s DNA and the association of French and Chinese culture

Directly inspired by the ONYX concept, the PEUGEOT EXALT concept car achieves an alliance of differences for a completely original result. Its specification includes traditional and technological materials and know-how from French and Chinese cultures.

In homage to the art of the French motor car from the twenties and thirties, its bare steel bodywork is hand-formed by a master panel beater. A unique item, it seizes the historical codes that excite automobile passion.

The vehicle presents a clear cut: separating bare steel from an innovative material, Shark Skin, which is red and which covers the whole rear end of the vehicle.

The interior of this exceptional hatchback, with four doors and four individual seats, offers the traditional Chinese craft of working in wood, a quite exceptional field for expression. Accordingly, Macassar ebony, selected for the area in Asia where it grows and its warm colour, which covers the upper parts of the door panels, has been worked on by a pair of Chinese artists. The PINWU Design Trio agency created a motif combining a lion with bamboo stems and leaves. A Chinese craftsman sculpted it using a traditional technique for creating prints on fabric and paper.

Secure in their bucket seat, the driver has the use of the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit, designed for complete driving enjoyment.

PEUGEOT EXALT is equipped with a plug-in HYbrid4 drive train with a total power of 340 hp, made up of a 1.6 litre THP 270 hp engine, coupled to a 6-speed automatic gearbox and a 50 kW electric motor in the rear axle, allowing four-wheel drive.

Roland Garros range: French elegance supported by a prestigious ambassador

Making the most of the very strong recognition in China for the Roland-Garros French Open and the greatly prized atmosphere of French chic that accompanies it, PEUGEOT is presenting for the third year in a row, three special editions: the 3008, 508 and 308 CC Roland Garros.

These very special editions fully equipped, will benefit from the dual impact of the 30th anniversary of PEUGEOT’s partnership with the tournament at the “porte d’Auteuil” and the signature earlier this year of a worldwide partnership with Novak Djokovic, world number 2 and a tennis icon very well known in China.

RCZ R: performance and efficiency by PEUGEOT SPORT

A few months after its first presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the RCZ R, the high performance version of the RCZ sports coupé, emblematic of the brand’s know-how in design and driving sensations, meets the Chinese public.

The new 1.6 litre 270 hp engine with well contained CO2 emissions of just145g/km, places the RCZ R in a quite exceptional register of performance and efficiency.

So PEUGEOT offers the Chinese public the best of its automobile know-how, elevated by the expertise of the PEUGEOT SPORT engineers.