Peugeot expect the sleek new styling of their forthcoming 508 midsized sedan to win new customers from Germany’s premium automakers, the company’s managing director Jean-Marc Gales said at the Geneva auto show.
The French manufacturer unveiled their “5 by Peugeot” concept at the show. Gales says the final production version will compete with the BMW 3 series, Mercedes C-class, and Audi A4 when sales start in Europe at the beginning of next year. In China, the car will launch in mid-2011.
The 5 by Peugeot concept has smaller front grid, LED headlamps and a sleeker, more dynamic look, which gives the car a less aggressive appearance than the company’s current models. It is part of a design trend for European automakers following the launch of the VW Passat and Opel Insignia.
“This is our new design DNA of the future. Every car that we launch after this will take its inspiration from the SR1 and the 5 by Peugeot concepts,” Gales said. The Peugeot managing director added that the mid-sized car is “90 percent” the same as the final version, set to be called the 508, that will replace both the 407 and the larger 607 sedan. He said the production version will be shown at the Paris auto show in September.
