The Peugeot distributor in Australia, Inchcape, has officially dropped the brand from its portfolio.
Peugeot is going through some things. Last year, we heard rumours that Stellantis Malaysia was looking to scale back its operations with NO NEW models being planned for our market and existing models being put on deep discount to clear stock. Now, we’ve read news reports that confirm Peugeot is being dropped by its distributor in Australia, Inchcape. On June 1, 2017, global distribution giant Inchcape (which also handles Subaru in Australia) took over the local custodianship of both Peugeot and its sister brand, Citroen. It dropped Citroen around 2024 and now has decided both French marques weren’t worth the trouble.
Prior to Inchcape, Sime Darby Motor Group had exclusive distribution rights for Peugeot in Australia. Under their management, the brand hit its all-time Australian sales high-water mark in 2007, moving a record 8,807 vehicles in a single year—largely driven by the immense popularity of the 307 small hatchback. This was at a time where Australia pivoted away from local assembly in favour of fully-imported vehicles. In the 1950s, Peugeot was an Australian favourite. It won the first ever Redex Round-Australia Trial endurance rally, cementing the brand’s reputation for durability for at least a few decades. Around the same time, Peugeot began local assembly of the 203 there and over the next three decades, other models such as the 403, 404 and 504 were put together locally. The factory there closed in the 1980s with the 505, which was sold as a sedan and wagon.
Despite a rich and storied history in Australia that apparently goes back all the way to the start of the 20th century, Peugeot’s future in Australia is now in question. The French brand is really struggling against Chinese vehicles, which have been fully embraced in Australia. Halfway though 2026, the brand reportedly had only sold about 1,000 vehicles, leading Inchcape and Stellantis to ‘mutually agree’ to end the distribution partnership. Stellantis Australia says that they will be there to support existing Peugeot owners and that they intend to maintain continuity of distribution there. Stellantis Australia already handles Fiat, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Leapmotor but their other brands are independently imported by Ateco Group.
