Peugeot will return to the United States and Canada in the next decade, parent company PSA Group announced Tuesday.
The announcement was made at a conference outlining PSA's overwhelmingly positive financial results for 2018, which included sales of 3.88 million vehicles and a net profit of $3.7 billion.
Peugeots were last sold in the United States and Canada in 1991, with the brand finally deciding to pull out after 33 years due to dismal sales. The Peugeot of today is very different, though, with its cars nothing like the small and quirky contraptions you may remember.
Peugeot's current lineup of cars ranges from the 108 minicar to the mid-size 508 sedan and wagon and 5008 crossover SUV. The French brand also offers commercial vehicles and is starting to venture into electric cars, the first of which is the new e-208 compact hatch. Brands like Volkswagen and Mazda will likely be its main targets.
2019 Peugeot e-208
Despite an impressive lineup of cars, Peugeot's return isn't likely to be a walk in the park (just ask Alfa Romeo). The French brand could be facing a shrinking new car market in the U.S. as well as the possibility of new tariffs on cars made in Europe and China, which is where Peugeot is likely to source cars for sale in the U.S.
Exact timing for Peugeot's return wasn't mentioned, but PSA CEO Carlos Tavares has previously hinted at a 2026 deadline. As CEO of PSA, Tavares also oversees the Citroën, DS and Opel (Vauxhall) brands.
We might not have to wait too long to see some Peugeots on local roads, though. Prior to the arrival of the Peugeot brand, PSA may test the waters with Peugeot cars through some of the mobility businesses it is currently establishing in North America, such as Free2Move.
And Peugeot isn't the only brand PSA will expand into new markets. The automaker also announced Tuesday that it will expand Citroën into India and Opel into Russia.
