French brands Peugeot and Citroen have struggled in recent years so a new distributor for the Gallic duo is welcome news to those who love French automotive product. London based Inchgape Australasia which has successfully handled Subaru in Australia for forty years has taken on Peugeot and Citroen and has a hard task on its hands to lift confidence in both brands – just 317 Citroens and 1180 Peugeots have been sold in the first seven months. Inchgape Australia Chief Executive Nick Senior suggests that taking on the French brands provided an exciting opportunity
but was quick to acknowledge that it has certain challenges. I ‘ve known Nick for many years and he’ s up to the challenge, as he says it’s going to be a mixture of hard work, investment, innovation, commitment, attitude and above all accountability for everyone – us, PSA in France and the dealer network. As a French car lover I wish him well however gaining buyer trust again in these brands will not be easy. Many customers in recent years have been left disenchanted by the support they received from the previous importer Sime Darby. Going forward, the first new product under Inchgape is the new generation Peugeot 3008 mid-size SUV –the 2017 European Car of the Year. Unfortunately a good dose of the flu saw me miss its launch but on paper its well-specified – lower in stance to the outgoing model, the bottom three grades feature a 1.6-litre petrol turbo, the top-grade a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. Prices start at $36,990 and run to 49,490. I’m David Berthon

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