Peugeot has announced that it has revised its naming strategy of the models in an effort to differentiate models targeted to existing and emerging markets. This was revealed alongside the new 301 sedan. The change is limited to the third digit of the naming system. The 301 will be the first vehicle to contain Peugeot’s new model nomenclature, which will in future see the brand’s entire model names end with either the digit 1 or 8. The 301 will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September before going on sale first in Turkey in November.

For the past 80 years, Peugeot’s model names have included three digits with a central ‘0’ separating the first number which has always denoted the vehicle’s size and the last number which has always indicated the generation of the model. In the early 1990s, Peugeot supplemented this with new body style nameplates like CC for coupe convertible and SW which represented station wagon. Since 2005, ‘double-zero’ represents high-riding models such as the 3008, 4008 and 5008. The brand’s numeric strategy always had a finite lifespan since the replacement models would run out of larger numbers to apply to the end of their names.

As a remedy, Peugeot said future models will no longer change their number when they are renewed. The automaker announced that models that end with ‘8’ will continue to indicate ‘value for money and status’ while the models which end with ‘1’ will be affordable new conquest models “designed specifically to fulfill new customer expectations”. “Following the example of the 201, the ‘1’ will represent the marque’s affordable models offering status which fulfill customer expectations centered around practicality of use, versatility and reason,” said Peugeot. Fixing the numeric nameplates will make it easier to understand for customers globally. The new naming strategy comes as an effort to avoid confusion between models targeted to different markets as well as making it easier for buyers to distinguish between budget and premium models.

via WorldCarFans