The crisis in Southern Europe is currently crushing car manufacturers not only in Italy, but especially in France . It hit the PSA concern the most, which is forced to close some factories or lay off employees. However, Peugeot , one of the members of PSA, has a plan to save itself! This also includes the launch of a four-door coupé…
This "coupe" does not yet have an officially confirmed name, so the name 501 is being worked on. In terms of size, the 501 will be placed below the 508 . At 4.6 meters long, it will be 190 mm shorter than the 508 series saloon.
Among the main competitors will be a couple from Germany – Mercedes-Benz CLA and a sedan based on the Audi A3 , which will arrive next year. In addition to classic gasoline and diesel engines, a hybrid drive unit will also appear under the hood, which the 501 could take over from the hybrid 508 .
It is not without interest that Peugeot wanted to attack the four-door coupé class earlier with a model based on the 307 model . However, the considered 2007 model was finally thrown into the drawer.
The new 501 will be shown during 2014 and will go on sale at the beginning of 2015. In addition to the "coupe", a convertible version could also appear. It should not be bigger than the recently introduced Opel Cascada .
Source: automobile-magazine.fr
