PSA Peugeot Citroën launched series production of the Peugeot 208 today at its Porto Real facility in Brazil. Thierry Peugeot, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën, Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board and Carlos Gomes, Senior Vice President Latin America, attended the launch ceremony alongside Sergio Cabral, Governor of Rio de Janeiro State.

The Group has invested more than €305 million to develop the Peugeot 208 and to prepare and expand the Porto Real facility, lifting annual production capacity from 150,000 vehicles at present to 200,000 at full ramp-up.

The engineers and stylists at the Group's Latin America Tech Centre have adapted the vehicle to local driving conditions, notably by equipping it with flex-fuel engines produced by PSA Peugeot Citroën in Brazil.

The Peugeot 208 is already produced in Europe at Group plants in Poissy and Mulhouse (France) and Trnava (Slovakia). More than 220,000 units have been sold.

Today's launch in Brazil, one year after production began in France, reflects the Group's strategy of marketing vehicles with a global profile, like the recently unveiled Peugeot 2008. In 2012, markets outside Europe accounted for 38% of sales versus 24% in 2009, putting PSA Peugeot Citroën on track to meet its objective of increasing the share of non-European sales to 50% in 2015.

Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board, noted: "Brazil is a key market, as well as a key focus of our international expansion strategy, which is well underway. The local launch of the Peugeot 208 is a very exciting project, and I commend you on its success."

Carlos Gomes, Senior Vice President Latin America, added: "Our Brazilian R&D and design teams did extensive work to integrate and adapt the Peugeot 208 so we can respond as effectively as possible to customer expectations."

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