Always seems a rather peculiar thing to be competing with yourself, Citroen and Pug i mean, and on similar pricing.

VW group badging goes in price and image bundles so works, but Cit and Pug compete head to head offering almost identical vehicles in slightly different bodies, that i can understand in cases like Berlingo/Partner where the only cost is badges and maybe a grill, but not to have whole different bodyshells doors lights interiors, housing identcal mechanicals, the costs must be enormous.

Pug have changed in recent years though, at one time their cars were pretty, now they get progressively more unattractie compared to Citroen equivalent with each model.

Be interesting to see how Kia/Hyundai go on too, their models instead of complimenting one another as before seem to be in direct competition now.

Different with BL, the various marques housed completely different mechanicals, with associated costs, doomed.

Nobody is going to buy a Peugeot instead of a BMW, Audi or Merc, so why they are wasting their time bringing out increasingly sophisticated models is a mystery to me.

They do in France.

I think everyone would like to emulate VAG's "good, better, best" hierarchy but it isn't easy to do so with brands that are well established in the main market.

The French are seriously loyal to their national companies. So if Monsieur La Fromage always buys a big Peugeot every three years, he won't want to see Peugeot becoming a budget brand. He can't stand the thought of a citroen, so he'll go to Renault instead.

Citroen and Peugeot will always be competing in the same market because they existed as two direct competitors before they 'merged (ha ha!) in the seventies.

Edited by unthrottled on 12/07/2012 at 13:19

I might be in the minority, but I rather like the 508. Bit different from the usual crowd in that category of car and I think it looks quite classy.

And here is a recent TV ad for it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMr8l9RYqOc

Another report says that the Vauhall Meriva is the fastest depreciating in uk, losing 75% of it value in 3 years. On another tack Citroens's larger cars are not popular, only 6 C6s were sole here last year

I think there's a long term problem for Peugeot and Renault - what is anyway distinctive about their offerings ? If you close your eyes and think of one of their cars what characteristics or traits are memorable or even consistent across the range they offer?

In the past I think it was much easier to understand their central USP - in both companies in the 1960s-1980s it was a focus on well designed cars, with some flair in how they looked and performed that also had very comfortable ride quality - sufficiently distinctive that it was common knowledge. With Renault you got more innovation - a focus on FWD before others sought to use the technology, also they were in general lighter weight cars that used modest engines to achieve surprisingly competent performance coupled to very good economy - practicality also was a key part of it - 5 doors and good space efficiency before others were known for it (think of how spacious a R16 was for a modest sized car), big squashy seats and some elan to the styling not necessarily beautiful but you could recognise one from 10o metres. Peugeot was more conservative but focussed on through engineering and a consistent Pininfarina house style - each model looked recognisably a peugeot.

I remember in the 1970s and 1980s that Peugeot particularly for estates along with Volvo was the middle class go to purchase. They were seen as better designed, better built (in the important bits), more comfortable and an all round more competent offering than the mainstream Ford/Vauxhall/BL companies producing cars that people wanted, enjoyed owning and purchased again and again - I remember my school (private) car park being filled with Peugeots, Volvos and the odd Rover/Mercedes.

Since then I think the mainstream companies have improved their lot and the Germans have invaded. I presume now going to the same school car park would be a sea of Audis, BMWs and Mercedes mixed in with some KIa and Japanese 4x4s.

I just no longer see the point of Peugeots - they look cheaper/plasticky compared to the clean distinctive quality cars of the 1970s/1980s, their ride and handling are no longer special - if anything they seem worse than the mainstream and they don't offer any specific models that cannot easily be matched elsewhere.

You do wonder how long they will last.