Citroën to halt imports into SA

THE Peugeot vehicle brand will be pushed hard next year, but no more Citroëns will be imported into South Africa.

Announcing their new strategy, Peugeot SA said their decision was taken after a strategy meeting with their entire dealer network, investors and stakeholders in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

It was reported by Biznews.com that only 57 Citroëns were sold in South Africa last month.

“A full after-sales and parts delivery service to our Citroën customers will remain a priority, ensuring that those customers will not be neglected in any way,” Peugeot SA managing director Francis Harnie said.

Harnie said of the Citroën brand: “With about 15 000 Citroëns in South Africa, these customers are important to us and we will not let them down.”

Peugeot, Citroën and Suzuki East London dealer principal Shakeira Haupt said all parts would be available from a Johannesburg warehouse and trade-in deals would not be affected.

However, declining sales of Citroën were behind the decision to stop importing, said Harnie.

Their five-year plan would focus on Peugeot, with a relaunch of the brand and the launch of three new products next year, two of them SUVs.

Peugeot will launch at least one model a year from 2018 to 2022, he said. —