What's the news?
Peugeot will use the opportunity of the Ploughing Championships in September to show off its three big new models for the Irish market. Coming to a field near you on the 20th of September (actually Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly) will be the new 508, the Rifter MPV, and the Partner van (those last two being inextricably linked, of course).
Colin Sheridan, Sales and Marketing Director at Gowan Distributors said: "Year to date the Peugeot brand has enjoyed an excellent sales performance; the fastest growing brand, Peugeot has seen a 46 per cent increase in new car registrations with our van range maintaining a top five position. We look forward to continued consumer interest with the arrival of three very important new models. The National Ploughing Championships prove every year to be the perfect platform to launch new models, and we anticipate strong attendance on the Peugeot stand."
The 508 is, of course, Peugeot's new four-door saloon competitor, but it's moving away from the family-friendly style of the current model, towards something sleeker, racier, and a good bit more expensive. Think frameless doors, a sumptuous cabin, and a fastback, coupe-ish style instead of a regular family hack. Peuegot says that its 'represents a quantum leap in quality' and it'll be arriving in Irish dealers in December, ahead of a proper launch in early 2019.
The Rifter is Peugeot's new van-based MPV, and it's the replacement for the old Partner Tepee. It's the sister car to the new Citroen Berlingo, and like that car it major on having a practical, spacious interior (with a long-wheelbase seven-seat option too), but the Peugeot version comes with the brands distinctive high-instruments, small-wheel 'i-Cockpit' cabin layout. It too arrives in December.
Finally, there's the new Partner van, which is basically the Rifter without seats or windows. It's available in both Standard and Long body, to swallow goods measuring up 2.16m in length. It delivers a load capacity of up to 4.4m-squared (that's two Euro-pallets) and payloads ranging from 650kg to 1,000kg. As with the others, the new Partner will be officially launched in early 2019.
Want to see them all? Get along to the Ploughing Championships, and go and find the Peugeot stand, number 214, block three, row number nine.