AUTOMOBILES PEUGEOT UNVEILS NEW BRAND IDENTITY IN MALAYSIA
Tuesday, 26 January 2010 11:44
Peugeot and Naza to make Malaysia manufacturing hub for right-hand drive markets in Asia
Automobiles Peugeot today unveiled its new brand identity in Malaysia and its plan to expand its presence in the region.
Peugeot’s deputy managing director, Mr Nicolas Wertans, who is in Malaysia for a brief two-day visit, said the new brand identity is part of a new marque plan to move Peugeot up three places in the world car market by 2015. Peugeot currently ranks 10th in the global automotive market in terms of size.
He said the new marque plan will see Peugeot embark on a twin-product offensive that will result in the launch of 14 new models in its core markets and in new markets between 2010 and 2012.
The new brand identity, which was earlier launched in Paris, France in conjunction with Peugeot’s 200th anniversary, sees the incorporation of a new Peugeot Lion and a new international signature, MOTION and EMOTION.
“Since 1810, Peugeot has associated its name, and later its Lion emblem, to saws, tools, steel crinoline stays, coffee grinders, bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and cars.
“To each of these worlds, Peugeot has brought passion and innovation, while laying emphasis on its industrial origins based in particular on strong 200 years later, Peugeot affirms its international ambition by launching a new marque project,” Nicolas Wertans said.
At the same time, Peugeot will continue to push back the frontiers of the motor industry by designing vehicles which will embody all of the spirit of the BB1 concept car which is 2.5-metres long and can seat up to four people and is 100% electric.
Peugeot and Naza plan to make Malaysia the former’s manufacturing hub for right-hand drive markets in Asean and export Peugeot vehicles assembled at Naza’s plant in Gurun to markets like Thailand and Indonesia.
Naza’s joint executive chairman, SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin said the group is eager to help Peugeot achieve its goal in expanding its presence in the region.
“We are confident we can make Malaysia Peugeot’s industrial hub for the region. I believe we have only touched the surface of the Peugeot brand’s potential in Malaysia and the region.
“For this year, we are planning to launch four new models and targeting to sell close to 3,000 units,” SM Nasarudin said at a joint media briefing with Wertans in Kuala Lumpur today.
In 2009, the Naza Group sold 3,766 Peugeot cars comprising 2,347 units of the 206 Bestari, 885 units of the 308, 491 units of the 407 and 43 units of the 207 CC.
Excluding sales figures of the 206 Bestari which has been phased out, sales of Peugeot vehicles by Naza in 2009 would have totalled 1,419, which was up seven-fold from 2008. The Naza Group was appointed official distributor for the Peugeot brand in January 2008. Last year’s sales of 3,766 units accounted for 86% of Peugeot sales in the Asean region.
For this year, Peugeot will begin exporting the new “T33” model that will be assembled at Gurun to Thailand and Indonesia.
Besides exporting the T33, Peugeot has also begun to expand its ASEAN regional office in Petaling Jaya to co-ordinate operations for the entire Asia-Pacific region excluding China, Japan and Korea.
Naza’s unit, Nasim Sdn Bhd, which carries out the distribution of Peugeot vehicles in Malaysia, recently announced it is undertaking a re-branding exercise at all its branches and dealers following the French carmaker’s recent unveiling of a new global brand identity. The exercise will entail the incorporation of Peugeot’s new logo and brand identity at all of Nasim’s branches and dealers nationwide.
For a high resolution picture of Nicolas Wertrans, click on the above image.
The Peugeot Lion, which has been associated with the brand since 1858, has evolved over the years and its latest incarnation sees a return to a more simplistic design but more dynamic with a new posture and fluidity. Furthermore, the new Lion creates a bimetallic effect through the contrast of its matt/ lustrous finish.