First look: Double duty for Peugeot drop-top
BY BRUCE NEWTON | 18th Sep 2002
That's right, the 307CC metal-roofed cabriolet is going to pull double duty when it arrives in Australia late in 2003 courtesy of Peugeot's decision to offer the car with two different four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine tunes.
The base model will be powered by the same 100kW 2.0-litre engine already on sale in Australia in the 307 hatch, but the barnstormer will be theversion with a Lotus-tuned 133kW engine.
The 307CC, which is unveiled at the Paris show later this month as a "concept", is part of a five-model rush from Peugeot Australia in 2003.
Four of them add to existing model lines, while the Peugeot light commercial vehicle range also kicks off here in 2003.
In calendar order of arrival they are:Second quarter:
Peugeot 206SW - a sports wagon derivative of the 206 range powered by the same 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine as the XT/XR "cooking models". Peugeot Australia boss Rob Dommerson is shooting for 20 sales a month and a starting price under $25,000. It will be PA's Sydney motor show star attraction in October.
Peugeot 206 GTi 180 - a more powerful version of the GTi using the same Lotus engine as the hotter 307CC which is also being shown at Paris for the first time. The Renault Clio Sport is the targeted opposition, which means pricing under $35,000. With supply limited to a maximum 20 cars per month, Peugeot Australia will continue to sell the GTi, which accounts for 50 sales a month. The "180" is how much horsepower - as opposed to kilowatts - the engine produces.
Peugeot Partner - the next generation of Peugeot's smallest commercial van which will line up against the Citroen Berlingo and Holden Combo. The new Partner will be unveiled at Paris and the one that comes here will offer 1.6-litre petrol and possibly 2.0-litre turbo-diesel power. Expect pricing starting under $20,000.
Third quarter:
Peugeot 307SW - big brother to the 206SW should come here with the extended glass moonroof standard, but only offer the third row seating as an option. A competitor for the Holden Zafira and Renault Scenic, the 307SW will get 2.0-litre petrol power and possibly the same 2.0-litre turbo-diesel currently sold with 307 hatch. It could even replace the turbo-diesel 307 hatch in the range. Sales expectation are complicated by the fact the factory will not increase Australia's 307 allocation to take SW into account. So 20 sales per month and a starting price around $35,000 are the goals.
And then there's the 307CC in the fourth quarter, the car that has Mr Dommerson licking his lips. He is aiming to bring the base model in for under $50,000 and the hot version for under $60,000.
The latter version is of particular interest considering Peugeot's hot hatch heritage which began with the iconic 205 GTi and - in Australia - has rolled on through the 306 GTI6 (the numeral a reference to its six-speed manual gearbox) and the 206 GTi.
But the 133kW 307 offers the ability to be both hot convertible and coupe for the 307 range thanks to its roof design.
"There's not a 307 GTi on the horizon, but when you get the steel roof (of the 307CC) you get the rigidity and you've really got the GTi," said Mr Dommerson last week. "Whereas a soft-top really can't be a GTi because of the rigidity issue."
SALES ESTIMATE REVISED
SUCH has been Peugeot's stellar sales performance in 2002 in Australia that thecompany's sales estimate has been revised to 6500, compared to its original target of 5000.Whether it gets to that 6500 figure or not, it has already well and truly smashed the 3452 sales record for Peugeot set in 2001.
That record was the last hurrah for the old distributor, Inchcape Automotive Australia, which handed over the Peugeot franchise to Singapore-based Sime Darby on October 1, 2001.
The new organisation is now involved in a whirlwind process of dealer reorganisation and structural change designed to ensure this year's result is no flash in the pan.
The dealer numbers will be expanded from today's 32 to 40, with most being added in provincial centres. Indeed, in Melbourne there is dramatic reorganisation going on with the dealer numbers being cut from five to four in the metro area and only one of that group being carried over.
PA is also introducing a new identity for its dealer group that will cost as much as $2 million per site for metro dealers when real estate investments are taken into account.
PA is also predicting continued sales growth, forecasting 7500 sales in 2003 and 8050 by 2005.
That is based on the replacement of the mid-size 406 with the 407 in 2004 and the possible addition of the 107 small car, the 807 people-mover and the Express and Boxer commercial vehicles by 2005.