The first vehicle manufactured after a major industrial transformation at El Palomar plant (Argentina), which places it as one of the most innovative of the Group.A vehicle that pioneers in Latin America the use of the CMP, the most recent and one of the most modern Groupe PSA’s global platforms.Recently launched in Europe and winner of the “Car of the Year 2020” award, this is a cutting-edge model in the compact hatches segment.
Last July 31st, series production of the new PEUGEOT 208 has started at the El Palomar plant, in Argentina. This is one of the most important launches in the brand’s history in both Argentina and in Latin America.
The New PEUGEOT 208 is a PEUGEOT’s global vehicle whose launch was previewed in the “Push to Pass” profitable growth plan, which extends up to 2021. Its launch in Argentina marks the debut in Latin America of the CMP (Common Modular Platform), the new modular and multi-energy platform dedicated to the production of all compact city cars (B segment), entry level and mid-range saloons (C segment) and compact SUV’s. This platform is a major differentiating element as it provides the model with performance, strength and comfort for a unique driving experience.
Some of the equipment that characterize the New PEUGEOT 208 – which was awarded by the global press and voted “Car of the Year 2020” in Europe – are its latest generation on-board technology, which includes a new generation PEUGEOT i-Cockpit© including a 3D head-up display and myriad driving aids, unprecedented in the compact hatches segment.
“The New PEUGEOT 208 is the result of intense work by our teams together with the auto parts sector and our social partners. This launch marks a new era for Groupe PSA in Latin America, reaffirming our commitment to the country, to the social partners and to our employees. We are continuing to invest in order to offer our customers a range of increasingly modern and technological products. For us, this commitment is always linked to the long run, for the future”, said Patrice Lucas, Groupe PSA Latin America President and member of the Executive Board.
Some 600 employees worked together in Latin America and Europe over the last years to develop this project, with more than 8,000 hours dedicated to the training of the production teams plus around 620,000 working hours to the project development. Additionally, this vehicle went through a 1.5 million km test drive in many countries all over the world, such as Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Spain, France and Sweden.
Starting in 2016 with a 320 million dollars investment, the El Palomar Production Centre went through an extensive industrial transformation which turned it into an “Excellent Plant” on the industrial level according to the Group’s standards. Some suppliers were also integrated into the plant, making its production processes become even more efficient. These changes allowed it to manufacture increasingly competitive products – such as the New PEUGEOT 208 based on the CMP global platform – and to succeed in the good execution of the processes to consolidate a robust and cutting-edge product, which meets customers’ expectations.
“The transformation of the El Palomar Production Centre involved the optimisation and renovation of many of our processes, improving their quality levels due to the demands of the new CMP platform. At the same time, it required the relocation of some providers to inside our industrial facility, thus achieving a higher efficiency in our operations and logistics”, said Jean Mouro, Groupe PSA Monozukuri Operations Senior Vice President Latin America. “The New PEUGEOT 208 and the CMP platform provoked a revolution at the El Palomar plant, which is now placed among the best of the Group worldwide”.