Peugeot is a French car manufacturer and is all set to enter the lucrative Indian car market by the year 2020. At a time when established car manufacturers like Chevrolet had to quit their operations in the country Peugeot however, has a pretty neat plan. It is looking launch a sporty hatchback which will eat into the sales of arguably India’s favourite car – the Maruti Suzuki Swift. The Swift rival by Peugeot will be the first car by the company.
The Peugeot SC21 – The Maruti Suzuki Swift Rival
The French automaker has done quite some study and looks to enter the Indian market with the country’s second fastest growing segment – premium hatchbacks. Currently, cars like Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20 rule the segment and it is the same two cars that Peugeot looks to compete with. According to sources, Peugeot is developing a hatchback with sporty credentials to take on the market favourite Maruti Suzuki Swift and it is codenamed SC21. The car has already been spied testing on Indian roads but there is also a possibility that the car will instead be the Peugeot 208 which the company sells globally.
The 208 by Peugeot has dimensions like the Maruti Suzuki Swift and makes perfect sense for a market like India. Also this segment comes with an added bonus for Peugeot since it can launch another compact sedan based on the same premium hatchback platform like the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s elder sibling – the Dzire.
Price and Launch of the Peugeot 208 or the SC21 in India:
Peugeot will begin its operations in India by the year 2020 and it is believed that the Maruti Suzuki Swift rival will be the first car to be launched by the French manufacturer. Its partnership with Kolkata based Hindustan Motors will enable it to produce the car locally in the company’s Chennai factory. This will enable Peugeot to keep the pricing of the car in line with the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai i20 which go neck to neck in the Indian car market. There are rumours that Peugeot will launch as much as three variant of the car here in India when it debuts in 2020.
Source: Drivesapark