Get to Know the Peugeot Lineup before It Makes Its Return to the U.S.
Which of these French cars and SUVs would you most like to see on our shores a few years from now?
Remember Peugeot? This French car brand sold cars in the U.S. decades ago and has announced it will be making its return to America within the next few years. Although the cars aren't likely to go on sale here before 2026, meaning we'll likely get the next generation of Peugeot models, we thought it would be a good idea to take a look at Peugeot's current European lineup. It includes a whole range of cars, crossovers, and vans, some of which seem to have significantly higher prospects for America than others. Flip through to see what Peugeot has to offer.
Peugeot 108
This tiny city car strikes us as having very little potential for the U.S. Yes, cars this size such as the Chevrolet Spark do exist here, but the segment is small and there's not much margin for profit.
Peugeot 208
The 208, a small hatch that would roughly fit into the subcompact class here alongside vehicles such as the Kia Rio and the Honda Fit, has just been redesigned. It looks great and offers an all-electric variant for the first time, but again, given the shrinking market for compact cars in the U.S., it seems an unlikely bet to come here.
Peugeot 308
A compact hatchback that competes with the Volkswagen Golf, the 308 is particularly enticing because of its GTi hot-hatch variant. That name, which Peugeot has also used on smaller 200-series hot hatches in the past, could be a worthy competitor to VW's own legendary GTI.
Peugeot 508
Peugeot's largest car offering is this 508, which is about the size of an Audi A4. We love its distinctive styling, and there's a plug-in-hybrid version that would fit in nicely with PSA's goal to offer many electrified models.
Peugeot 508 SW
The real kicker for the 508 is the drop-dead-gorgeous station-wagon variant, the SW. It would be a niche offering for sure, but could participate in the small wagon renaissance happening in the U.S. with vehicles such as the Buick Regal TourX, Audi Allroad, and Volvo V60.
Peugeot 2008
Peugeot's crossover range starts off with this 2008, which lines up with what we consider the subcompact-SUV segment in the U.S.
Peugeot 3008
We think Peugeot would be crazy not to sell a vehicle like the 3008 in the States, as it would fit into the wildly popular compact-crossover segment alongside vehicles including the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. A plug-in-hybrid version is a new addition to the lineup.
Peugeot 5008
The 5008 used to be a minivan-like thing, but it's now become more of an SUV. Essentially a three-row version of the 3008, it would be significantly smaller than America's three-row crossovers.
Peugeot Partner
We have no idea if Peugeot has any plans to enter the commercial-van market, but it has several cargo vans on offer. The smallest is the Partner, which is similar to vehicles such as the Nissan NV200 and the Ford Transit Connect.
Peugeot Rifter
Defying categorization, the Rifter is a passenger version of the Partner cargo van that has body cladding and extra ground clearance.
Peugeot Expert
Slightly bigger than the Partner, the Expert is a mid-size cargo van similar in size to the Mercedes-Benz Metris that's sold in the U.S.
Peugeot Traveller
The passenger version of the Expert is called the Traveller, and it comes with seats and windows.
Peugeot Boxer
The biggest of Peugeot's cargo vans may look familiar, and that's because it's essentially a rebadged version of the Fiat cargo van sold in the U.S. as the Ram ProMaster.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
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