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European invasion: Peugeot, Citroën readying cars to US standards

It wants to be able to pull the trigger when the timing is right.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
Citroën

Back in 2016, PSA Group (the automaker group that includes Peugeot and Citroën) announced its intention to plant its flag in the United States market. Now, the company is one step closer to making that a reality.

PSA Group is adapting its next generation of vehicles to comply with US vehicle standards, Automotive News reports, citing a conversation with Carlos Tavares, CEO of PSA Group. There is no definitive timeline just yet, but PSA wants to be prepared either way.

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Personally, I want Citroën to be the first PSA name in the US, because I am obsessed with the C4 Cactus.

Citroën

"That means that from three years down the road, we'll be able to push the button, if we decide to do so, in terms of product compliance vis-à-vis the US regulations," Tavares told AN. While Tavares knows which of its marques will come to the US, the group is not yet ready to announce that.

No matter which brand arrives on our shores, it'll be here for some time. According to Tavares, PSA intends to spend 10 years in the US market to start. The first step is much easier than introducing an entire lineup -- it'll create car-sharing and mobility services first, serving a smaller but no less important corner of US consumers.

Given Americans' love for SUVs and crossovers, it would make sense that whatever PSA property comes here would have to have a properly fleshed out SUV lineup. Both Peugeot and Citroën fit that bill -- the up-market DS brand (itself a spinoff from Citroën) has a greater reliance on cars and hatchbacks. But PSA told me at last year's Geneva Motor Show that it sees potential in the US luxury market, which is huge, so it's really anybody's guess as to which automaker will arrive in the US first.

Citroen's C4 Cactus Airflow 2L maximizes fuel economy (pictures)

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