On the 24th, Stellantis Korea held its first ‘Peugeot Brand Day’ at the SJ. Kunsthalle in Seoul, sharing the brand’s identity and core values that transcend Peugeot’s past, present, and future.
At the ‘Peugeot Brand Day,’ Peugeot Brand CEO Linda Jackson and Design Director Matthias Hossan attended, expressing their commitment to strengthening the brand in Korea this year and affirming the significance of the Korean market as a key foundation for Peugeot’s future mobility strategy.
Stellantis Korea shared its journey to date, one and a half years after the Peugeot brand was integrated into Stellantis Korea in 2022. Last year, Peugeot expanded consumer choices in Korea by adding gasoline powertrains to the 3008 and 5008 SUVs and declared a shift into a new era with the launch of the New Peugeot 308, the first vehicle featuring a new brand identity.
To provide services in line with Stellantis global standards, efforts were made to rebuild the dealer network. Peugeot plans to expand its showrooms and service centers to 18 each by 2025 through significant investments with new dealer partners. As part of this initiative, a new showroom will open in Daegu next month, and the current showroom in Gangnam will move to Seocho in early June. The Bundang service center has resumed operations, and a new service center will also be established in Seoul.
Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson, who visited Korea for this ‘Peugeot Brand Day,’ reiterated the importance of the Korean market along with her reflections on her visit. CEO Linda Jackson explained, “The direction in Korea can undoubtedly create a halo effect for other global markets, which is why we quickly launched this model in Korea. Korea will be the first market in the IAP (India Asia Pacific) region to introduce the New Peugeot 408.”
She expressed confidence in the ‘New Peugeot 408’ as the driving force for Peugeot’s growth in the Korean market. The New 408 received significant attention from domestic and international media following its preview and was officially launched on the 23rd.
Linda Jackson elaborated that the New 408, which satisfies all areas of technology, emotions, and allure, aligns well with the versatile characteristics of Korean consumers.
Stellantis Korea intends to actively engage with the MZ generation to strengthen awareness of the New 408 and expand brand experiences. The company has selected a dance crew favored by young people as an official ambassador, will hold a dance challenge, and plans to operate a test drive center in the city to provide opportunities for everyone to experience the New 408.
CEO Linda Jackson stated, “Korean consumers, especially those passionate about urban and leisure life, who value work-life balance and believe that the world is better with allure, will find the New Peugeot 408 the best choice as it combines the advantages of both sedans and SUVs.”
On this day, Stellantis Korea unveiled the ‘Inception Concept’, giving a glimpse into Peugeot’s future, and introduced its vision for new experiences. The Inception Concept was first debuted at the 2023 CES held in North America in January and means ‘beginning’ in Latin. Its exterior showcases a new design language to be applied to future vehicles from 2025, while the interior proposes a new seating position to offer an unprecedented driving experience, marking a significant departure from traditional dashboards.
The Inception Concept is designed based on one of the pure electric vehicle platforms, the ‘STLA Large Platform.’ Equipped with a 100kWh battery, it can travel up to 800 km on a single charge, with charging capabilities of 30 km in 1 minute and 150 km in 5 minutes. It also allows for cable-free wireless charging. Overall, it boasts a total output of 680 horsepower (500 kW) and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds.
By establishing a clear vision and bold execution regarding electrification, Peugeot aims to position itself as a market leader while operating the ‘E-Lion Project’ as a comprehensive approach to prepare for future mobility beyond just electrification.
Specifically, the ‘E-Lion Project’ encompasses an ecosystem of products and services based on Stellantis’s electrification platform, the STLA platform, an end-to-end customer experience including charging and connectivity, plans to release electric versions of all lineups by 2025, efficiency delivering the best performance with minimal energy, and a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2038 to transform into a sustainable mobility company with the ‘5 E’.
Stellantis Korea’s Jake Aumann remarked, “Through Peugeot Brand Day, we were able to glimpse the past of Peugeot, bound by its glorious heritage, the present represented by the New 408, and the future through the Peugeot Inception Concept, and from the launch of the New 408, we will devote ourselves this year to raising awareness of the Peugeot brand in the Korean market and strengthening its identity, so please stay tuned.”
Written by Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr