“Never again a Peugeot coupe or convertible,” says CEO Jackson

How nice was the Peugeot 306 Cabriolet, huh? Not to mention the gorgeous 406 coupe. Unfortunately, anyone who hopes for the return of beautiful niche cars from Peugeot will be disappointed. According to top woman Linda Jackson, the brand only focuses on volume models.

“I’m sure someone will ask me,” laughs Jackson in an interview with Autovisie, “will there be a Peugeot convertible, a coupe or something else? And then I always have to disappoint people because that’s just not our strategy.”

Peugeot has no niche strategy

“I’ve said that before,” Jackson continues, “I think when I was at Citroën, but I’ll say it at Peugeot too: we don’t have a niche strategy. We look closely at where the volume, profit and positioning are.”

In a few weeks, Peugeot will present a study model, the Inception. The car sits on a new platform designed for electric propulsion only. The e-208 and e-2008 are on a modified petrol car platform and that involves compromises.

No more convertibles and coupés

The new technological basis for electric vehicles gives Peugeot more freedom. The brand does not have to take a combustion engine into account and can, for example, place the wheels further on the corners and is less restricted in design.

But that doesn’t mean we’ll see niche models like convertibles and coupes. “We have to focus,” says Jackson. “Of course, who knows what the future will bring, but over the coming years we will focus on the core segments where we are most successful.”

The future of the Peugeot 508

When asked what that means for the 508, which operates in the shrinking segment of traditional D-segmenters, Jackson replies, “Well, for now, I’m happy with what the 508 is doing. But you’re right, many consumers are actually looking for something different. For example, I think there are customers who will switch from the 508 to the new 408.” The Peugeot 408 is a crossover, a combination of sedan, four-door coupe and SUV.