Peugeot Malaysia's reversal of fortune

Tough times have hit Malaysia this year and most business industries are not spared, all getting hit hard by rising costs and a weak currency. The automotive industry, being one of the indicators of a booming economy or one that is going bust, will definitely be in the spotlight. Today i bring your attention to a certain European marque, which is Peugeot.

The ' pug ' has enjoyed some success in Malaysia, as evident by this news article last year, http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2014/01/15/Peugeots-runaway-success-Nasim-having-problems-keeping-up-with-demand/?style=biz

However, this year is different. Inital expectations were high since they are now banking on the 2014 European Car of the Year - the Peugeot 308 THP to continue its blazing trail and the facelifted 508 to demolish lesser Jap competitors.

But now, as reported by Paultan, Nasim the main distributor of Peugeot cars has revised their 2015 sales target down by 30%..That is no small amount. Well, personally i don't blame them,..Lets look at what their respective models are facing down the in the war-zone.

• In the hatchback market, the 208 model competes with the popular Honda Jazz and one of the coolest car, the Mazda 2 . Tough fight but it wont be as bad as it's bigger brothers below.

• The 308 & 408 is in the competitive C- segment market which is currently lighted up by the       arrival of the new Mazda 3. The Mazda 3 GL spec has an unbeatable entry price of RM 105,000 and yet is still well equipped compared to some of its rivals.

• The 2008 pales in comparison to the undisputed hottest car in the B- segment SUV scene and possibly the entire market right now, the Honda HRV which has gotten more than 13,000 booking since its February 2015 debut!

• In the C-segment SUV market, the Mazda CX-5 and Honda HRV is running rings around the poor 3008. And dont get me started on the 5008, NOBODY BUYS THAT.

• In the big boy D-segment , the 508 model is unlucky to be launched in the same year as the new Toyota Camry, the latest Far East weapon which will surely help Toyota gain more market share. The Honda Accord is also big here.

• The Peugeot RCZ will never be a big part of Peugeot's sales so no need to mention here.

Personally i have test drove some of their models and i really like that they bring reasonably priced Continental flavor to us. The build quality and superior noise, vibration & harshness  ( NVH ) to the Japs are one of the reason i would choose a Peugeot over its competitors..However, there is more to car ownership than just features and we need to see the bigger picture, which includes great customer service, sufficient and efficient workshops and to some people, high resale value. ( -_- ) Finally, Peugeot in Malaysia can improve and i certainly hope to see them succeed in here.