Industry News: A Brand Has Been Chosen By PSA Group For Their U.S. Return

[William Maley]

Ever since PSA Group announced that it would be making a return the U.S. as part of a 10-year plan, there has been a large amount of speculation as to which brand would be sold. Would it be Citroen, DS, Peugeot, or the recently acquired Opel/Vauxhall?

“We’ve chosen a brand, but it’s too early to talk about it,” said Larry Dominique, president and CEO of PSA North America to Car and Driver.

PSA Group is still in the first phase of its plan with the Free2Move mobility aggregation platform (shows various ways of getting around such as bikes and electric vehicles) in Seattle. Somewhat worrying is that the company has only “activated its marketing” in Seattle recently according to Dominique - Free2Move launched back in October.

Out of all of the brands under PSA Group, Car and Driver says there is a good chance that Opel could be the brand coming to the U.S. They point out a comment made by PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares saying after purchasing Opel/Vauxhall is that Opel engineers can “ensure the future products for this market will be fully U.S. compliant,” in terms of regulations and taste.

But there is a possible complication to PSA's plans. Yesterday, President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported steel and aluminum went into effect. There is also talk about a possibly matching up the tariff on imported vehicles - currently, the U.S. imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on imported European vehicles. Earlier this month, Tavares told Automotive News that he is watching the situation closely and that if a new vehicle tariff does come, it will make the company rethink their plans.

“If the overall framework of tariffs change, it may have an impact on our strategy. That’s clear, because if we don’t have a profitable business plan, then we don’t go,” said Tavares.

Dominique is a little bit more hopeful. Speaking at the J.D. Power Automotive Summit this week, Dominique said he doesn't believe an increase in the tariff will happen and expressed confidence that the various trade issues could be worked out.

Source: Car and Driver, Automotive News (Subscription Required), 2

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[Frisky Dingo]

Peugeot

[ocnblu]

Could be a ruse, using a Pug photo in the article.

[Robert Hall]

DS would be interesting to see.. 

[aurora97]

It would make better sense to have Opel return mainly because of the parts and maintenance that would go along with it.  There is already a commonality with most GM cars in order to make the transition into North America be smoother and it would be easier to market, as well.  It would be a very hard sell to re-introduce Peugeot and convince me that they have overcome the disaster that was the 1983 505 turbo sedan.  I still remember being stranded on Highway 1 as a kid in that thing.  No one even knew what it was so how could they fix it?

[Robert Hall]

I don't think GM would want Opel products in the US market given that they sold off Opel.  

[David]

3 hours ago, aurora97 said:

It would make better sense to have Opel return mainly because of the parts and maintenance that would go along with it.  There is already a commonality with most GM cars in order to make the transition into North America be smoother and it would be easier to market, as well.  It would be a very hard sell to re-introduce Peugeot and convince me that they have overcome the disaster that was the 1983 505 turbo sedan.  I still remember being stranded on Highway 1 as a kid in that thing.  No one even knew what it was so how could they fix it?

Opel Parent is already moving everything Opel to their Peugeot platforms. There will be nothing similar to anything from GM so why try and bring disaster with bad history here to America.

Plus I would have to think GM had a clause in there about how long before or if they could even bring Opel to America to sell.

Better to bring a name plate that actually has positive customer experience. 

DS

[ocnblu]

dfelt, Peugeot has been in the transportation business since 1830, and the car business since 1882.  They don't need your permission to do a gotdamn thing.

[David]

Just now, ocnblu said:

dfelt, Peugeot has been in the transportation business since 1830, and the car business since 1882.  They don't need your permission to do a gotdamn thing.

Amazing how many people will support a piss poor company of garbage products.

[oldshurst442]

5 hours ago, aurora97 said:

It would make better sense to have Opel return mainly because of the parts and maintenance that would go along with it.  There is already a commonality with most GM cars in order to make the transition into North America be smoother and it would be easier to market, as well.  It would be a very hard sell to re-introduce Peugeot and convince me that they have overcome the disaster that was the 1983 505 turbo sedan.  I still remember being stranded on Highway 1 as a kid in that thing.  No one even knew what it was so how could they fix it?

1983?

Wow!

Doncha think we are holding the grudge a tad too long?

Aurora? As in Oldsmobile?

Lets see now...Oldsmobile in 1983...

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a6599/top-automotive-engineering-failures-oldsmobile-diesels/

About the grudge...I get pissy when people cant let go of GM's malaise era...

This aint no different! 

27 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Amazing how many people will support a piss poor company of garbage products.

Well...

Related to the link above and the rebuttal to your post

 

Peugeot made no worse  cars than GM did in the 1980s.

Peugeot in Europe today makes cars that could be present day equivalent Oldsmobiles. 

They are elegant, sporty, modern and luxurious. 

I dont know about their quality, but they cant be no worse than what GM puts out with Buick. You know, the brand that technically replaced Oldsmobile in North America as Buick was almost dead in North America when GM pulled the plug on Oldsmobile. Buick DID inherite Oldsmobile cars...the Rainier, the Lucerne. To answer your question even further...the American people did hold a grudge with  crappy GM products of the mid to late 1970s all the way to the 2000s...when GM declared bankruptcy...when Saturn and Pontiac and Oldsmobile died...

Reliability today you ask once more?

Again...cant be no worse than our very own domestic brands...

So...before you folk try to lynch me...take some time to notice and acknowledge what is my avatar and more importantly...what my name is on this site...

To boot, that is the name I will ALWAYS go with on anything automotive...

Alls I wanna say is...if you wanna wave the American flag. GREAT! WAVE IT! But you dont hae to justify the pride by denouncing anybody...

 

Edited March 26, 2018 by oldshurst442

[balthazar]

I dont know about their quality, but they cant be no worse than what GM puts out with Buick.

Buick; traditionally the 3rd best brand for quality.

I suppose it could be Range Rover good, or in other words; at the polar opposite of high quality.

We always called it 'Pig Not', BTW.

[oldshurst442]

2 minutes ago, balthazar said:

 

Buick; traditionally the 3rd best brand for quality.

I suppose it could be Range Rover good, or in other words; at the polar opposite of high quality.

We always called it 'Pig Not', BTW.

JD Power?

Or was it these Buicks that traditionally won best brands for quality...

 

Remember..we are initially talking about the year 1983, give or take a couple. 

[balthazar]

My bad, I missed the time frame referenced.

Still, a LOT of '80s stuff was junk, certainly PigNot bellied up to the bar for their fill and then some.

[oldshurst442]

1 minute ago, balthazar said:

My bad, I missed the time frame referenced.

Still, a LOT of '80s stuff was junk, certainly PigNot bellied up to the bar for their fill and then some.

True...so did GM though...

But...GM got out that funk. Right?

So did Peugeot.

 

[riviera74]

Q: What can Peugeot bring to a saturated US car market that has already reached peak sales in the last two years?

[balthazar]

Well, that's the quite valid question- what does peugeot bring to the table that's remotely compelling?

[oldshurst442]

37 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

Q: What can Peugeot bring to a saturated US car market that has already reached peak sales in the last two years?

Question remains to be answered.

It may be a fool's errand. But PSA wants to try to sell here. Hyundai came to our shores in the 1980s when it the US car market was saturated. Toyota, Honda and Datsun/Nissan launched luxury brands during this same time frame in the US and Canada. 

Let it be known that we are still talking about the famous 1983 time-line...

Fiat and Alpha Romeo and Renault were here, so was Peugeot and during this time, they left us...

Yugo too...come and gone

GM in introduces Saturn to the world...

Daewoo...come and gone.

Since then, Hyundai introduces KIA and the Japanese luxo brands have survived and thrived. 

But Pontiac, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercury have gone away. Saturn.  SAAB. All gone. 

What does Peugeot stand to do? 

Who knows? 

Maybe KIA will leave the US if Peugeot thrives.

I like KIA cars. They look good. So do Peugeot cars. KIA is still trying to find itself. Maybe Peugeot pushes them out. Peugeot has got some interesting CUVs and SUVs...

Maybe Dodge and Chrysler goes away...

I dont want THAT scenario to happen, but let's face it...MOPAR was good as dead way back in 2009...all we did was just prolong the agony. 

Maybe Peugeot steals some Chevy and Ford CUV sales and small car sales... 

Its not as if Chevy and Ford light up American hearts in the small car arena...they do alright, but maybe Peugeot do bettter.

Another foreigner company coming here to break American car companies?

Sure! 

Do I like that scenario? 

NO!

But I did answer your question as to how I see things...

If Americans have bought the crappy Hyundai Pony and Stellar and Excel and NOW Hyundai not only sells us KIAs but luxury Genesis cars...ANYTHING could happen!!!

Its funny...

Why?

Some of us have held grudges and wont accept Pig-nots, but some of us have forgiven about Hyundai shyte, and Toyota shyte (Toyopet), but some of us also STILL hold grudges against our very own.

Rest in Peace

Oldsmobile

Pontiac

Plymouth

Mercury

 

Why do I carry on with this?

Because caring about the domestic automotive scene and NOT losing it has since loooong past! 

WE should have NEVER have let GM and Ford and Chrysler get away with the shyte they shoved us, but at the same time, we should have NOT BOUGHT ther shyte that the Germans and the Japanese shoved at us also...

Now we question Peugeot?

Acura

Lexus

Infiniti

Hyunadai

Kia

Genesis

BMW

Mercedes

Audi

Toyota

Honda

Mazda

Nissan

Hyundai

We should have said PHOQUE YOU to those a LOOOOONG time ago and NOT accept them as we have!!!

What does Peugeot or Citroen have to compel us?

I do not know the answer to that!

But its sure as hell more interesting than a Chevy Sparx or Ford ecosport or anything small Dodge/Chrsyler has to offer us...

I do not like being this way...

But I do not like the tone of some of us in here either.

PSA is indeed an interesting car company.

Far more interesting than what Hyundai was back in the 1980s.

And far more interesting in what FCA has to offer.

Maybe Im wrong though... 

Edited March 26, 2018 by oldshurst442

[balthazar]

"We" do not buy as a collective, and

Quote

Because caring about the domestic automotive scene and NOT losing it has since loooong past!
We should have said PHOQUE YOU to those a LOOOOONG time ago and NOT accept them as we have!!!

one can only speak for themselves.

- - - - -
Have I ever, or will I ever, own one of these?

Fiat, Alpha Romeo, Renault,  Peugeot, Yugo, Daewoo, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, Hyunadai, Kia, Genesis, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai.

Nope.

Edited March 26, 2018 by balthazar

[oldshurst442]

Just now, balthazar said:

"We" do not buy as a collective, and

one can only speak for themselves.

Actually...many Americans have spoken...

Pontiac

Oldsmobile

Mercury

Plymouth

All victims to brands like Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, Hyundai, KIA...

Cadillac struggling to get American car buyers to buy their cars. BMW, Audi, Mercedes kick its ass in the sales department in the US. Volume is NOT the purpose...but sales are still needed...

Buick STILL not a player in its segment. BMW, Audi, Lexus kicks its ass...

Dodge and Chrysler are near death.  Who knows what the Fiat part of FCA will do with Chrysler and Dodge?

 

You dont have to like what I say....but you cant deny my thought process aint valid...

 

 

[balthazar]

To clarify, I am not part of that "we".

Don't discount what Daimler-Benz did to Chrysler while strip-mining it while they owned it. Chrysler was in very good health product-wise beforehand, but they've never recovered to that level since.

[daves87rs]

Honestly, but sure which one I would want to see here....

[David]

I still think there will be a consolidation in the auto industry as we have to many auto manufacturers. With China coming on, there is a glut storm coming.

[ocnblu]

Yoohoo, hello, we still don't know which brand they're sending.

[riviera74]

13 hours ago, dfelt said:

I still think there will be a consolidation in the auto industry as we have to many auto manufacturers. With China coming on, there is a glut storm coming.

I think the glut storm is already here.  China will make it worse not better.

[ykX]

The only brand they have that is "interesting" and have something different to bring to US market is Citroen

[Robert Hall]

4 hours ago, ykX said:

The only brand they have that is "interesting" and have something different to bring to US market is Citroen

 

 

Actually, DS is considered a separate brand within PSA.   I think DS could do well here, esp. the DS6 and DS7 CUVs...

Edited March 26, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar