Peugeot to Copy Lexus Playbook and Badge Engineer A New Luxury Brand

Peugeot-Citroen may revive the Panhard brand for a new range of premium vehicles based on shared platforms. The strategy has worked extremely well for Toyota and Lexus and PSA hopes to increase profits by implementing something similar. Panhard, for those of you too young to remember, was a large French manufacturer before WWII but stopped making passenger cars in 1967. The company is still around, but only build light military vehicles.

PSA’s new CEO Christian Streiff has said in the past that the group already plans to release six new models by 2010 and to reduce fixed costs by 30%. The next order of business could be to upgrade some vehicles and sell them for a higher profit, but with the amount of competition in the industry this will probably be a tough call.


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Htay7500 - 6/15/2007 11:43:12 AM

0 Boost

this peugeot looks nice, idk if they reach to lexuses lvl though.

Will_ - 6/15/2007 11:45:53 AM

-5 Boost

Gotta love that title! And what's with that Acura RL clone in the picture?

Peugeot should attempt to get their small cars out to a wider global market before anything else in my opinion. Panhard. Sounds good, sorta like Maybach.

Bill - 6/15/2007 12:54:56 PM

+9 Boost

This car was out before the Acura RL. It's called the Peugeot 607.

SevorbeupstryIsBack - 6/15/2007 1:16:14 PM

+6 Boost

RL clone? What an insult. This 607 is almost 8 years old and it still looks great.

Will_ - 6/15/2007 1:31:07 PM

-3 Boost

Well us "uninformed Americans" would never know, now would we?

Will_ - 6/15/2007 3:24:42 PM

-2 Boost

Well wut'd'a expect? I live in a dubbl-wide trailer for Gawd sakes!

1970toyotamarc - 6/15/2007 11:51:31 AM

-3 Boost

That may take the prize as the most offensive 009 headline ever.

atomicbri - 6/15/2007 12:17:31 PM

+1 Boost

Well why not? Toyota, Honda and Nissan did....seems only fair a European company can try also! But I agree with Will... they need to get their small cars on a global scale... I have written them before and they always say they have no immediate plans to enter the NA Auto market any time soon....which is a shame since their cars are now better than ever and they sold them here when they were crap.... weird....

silverarrow2 - 6/15/2007 12:35:58 PM

+8 Boost

That is not Lexus's play book. Althought they made bad decesion along the way, but the credit belongs to Honda, because they were they first to do it.

Does any one remember the word Legend? I know you'll do and that car is still a legend. Acura should have kept with the Legend and further developed other models around it. The RSX should have never been an Acura.

SupraNeverBack - 6/15/2007 1:11:32 PM

-1 Boost

Upgrade is always better than downgrade, I think.

jt716 - 6/15/2007 1:41:00 PM

-1 Boost

Yeah we get the legend here

mini22 - 6/15/2007 2:47:29 PM

+3 Boost

I think it's a smart move. It might be a way for them to sell in the USA.

Rupert - 6/15/2007 3:30:41 PM

+4 Boost

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

you're stupid.

Rupert - 6/15/2007 5:50:13 PM

+7 Boost

This would be a good ES rival...FWD, luxurious (despite the badge this Pug is very comfortable and cushy), comfort orientated suspension...perhaps Peugeot should join the US market.

But the reliability ain't so good, Peugeot bottom again in the Top Gear survey.

Htay7500 - 6/15/2007 7:10:57 PM

-2 Boost

heard about tht too, theyre as unreliable as MBs and LRs in the US.

S4cabriofoxone - 6/17/2007 12:10:19 AM

+1 Boost

No, far worse. There are not many unreliable cars sold in the US. The worst I can think of is the RR Sport, but that car is too good-looking to resist.

Rupert - 6/15/2007 6:42:56 PM

+5 Boost

Panhard invented the Panhard rod, a suspension component. Ford uses then on their solid axle models I believe.
Panhard has a long and glorious history, they are France's Mercedes Benz in terms of history.
http://www.citroenet.org.uk/panhard-et-levassor/panhard-01.html

M316 - 6/15/2007 9:33:57 PM

+1 Boost

I had a pug for 3 months six weeks driving six weeks in the shop. Last time I told em to keep it.

EnnNorak - 6/16/2007 10:25:05 AM

+3 Boost

Here you go again Toyotaman, projecting yourself. You are probably a gay high school kid and a bit of a smart ass. Or is it the effect of all that engine sludge you have been drinking from your Toyota? Panhard is an old respected brand. They made some nice aluminum-bodies cars with extremely comfortable living room seats. The Panhards that I saw back in the fifties were considered small back then but would be just about the right size today. If the resurrected Panhard ends up with an aluminum body and big cushhy seats, I'll almost certainly buy one when it it becomes available in North America.

Bill - 6/16/2007 12:13:46 PM

+3 Boost

Panhard, Delahaye, Simca etc. all have more classic cars and heritage than your precious Toyota, Mr. Toyotamoron.

ctsang - 6/16/2007 11:06:51 AM

+1 Boost

can french really make cars beside wine, LV bags and perfume?

Bill - 6/16/2007 12:11:22 PM

+2 Boost

The French have contributed a ton to the development and progression of the automobile.

Citroen, Renault and Peugeot have produced innovative and technologically advanced cars, especially during the 1930s and 1970s. During the 1980s, Reanult and Peugeot pioneered fuel efficient diesel experimental cars, which sadly never made production. Citroen and Renault are probably the most innovative of the French car companies, though Citroen and Peugeot experimented with early AWD cars as far back as the late 1920s.

The French firm "Solex", delivered practically all European car companies with their carburators. Solex also sold their carburators to Japanese firms, among them Mitsubishi, TOYOTA and Suzuki.

Always fun to see the Toyota fanboys bashing the French. ;-)

Rupert - 6/16/2007 3:41:56 PM

+4 Boost

The French invented FWD, and were pioneers, Citroen using hydro-pneumatic suspension, headlights that turn, self-levelling suspension and semi automatic gearboxes.

Htay7500 - 6/16/2007 9:00:54 PM

+2 Boost

the french were somehow famous for their citroen c5. I dont remember the car but the french were the 1st to eliminate tq steer in a citroen or something else.

Rupert - 6/17/2007 1:08:43 PM

+1 Boost

I think it's more like Panard, just stick a french accent on it.
I mean we say Ren-o, not ren-ult, and Pur-jo, not pew-jot, which is how they are spelt.

Will_ - 6/17/2007 11:31:00 AM

+1 Boost

Regardless of anything, the fact still remains: this car looks like an Acura.

YVR1 - 6/22/2007 1:22:30 AM

+1 Boost

Peugeot left North America few years ago in disgrace. They treated the dealer network so badly that they were close to a class action. They did settled at the end. If they ever want to come back to America it will have to be through the back door ie like Renault with Nissan as very few dealers in America today would take their franchise. Think about the fact that there is today no volume car manufacture out of latin european countries (France/Spain/Italy) selling cars in America. I know why.