Peugeot, especially the 304, 404, 504 and 505 models, remain the most successful European vehicle to ever conquered the African terrains.
While the French marquee dominated the continent’s paved tracks and rugged landscapes between the 1960s all the way to late 1990s, they were eventually driven off the road by the emergence of cheaper Japanese cars.
Still as durable and reliable as they were, old Peugeot cars dating back to the 60s and 70s are still plying rural roads in Tanzania despite being almost forgotten elsewhere.
But now Peugeot is returning to reclaim its motoring crown in Africa through the establishment of an assembly plant in Nigeria, which targets to supply the vehicles across the continent.
Nigeria will now be offering the newer Peugeot 508 from its Dangote automobile facility.
Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN), the official manufacturer and marketer of Peugeot vehicles in the country, is now assembling the GT variant of the Peugeot 3008, a globally acclaimed and award-winning SUV.
Dangote, whose has attempted cement production in southern Tanzania, is building the Peugeot 3008 GT in Kaduna, Nigeria and has introduced a new pickup model.
Equipped with a high-performance 1.6-litre turbo engine, the Peugeot 3008 GT expands DPAN’s existing lineup from its state-of-the-art assembly plant in Kaduna.
Peugeot’s first assembly of the 3008 model in Africa took place in Ghana in 2022.
This marked a significant milestone in the brand’s return to the continent, specifically the production of its globally acclaimed Peugeot 3008 SUV.
The assembly was carried out at the Silver Star Auto-owned Tema Assembly Plant, resulting from a partnership between Citroën, Peugeot, and Silver Star Auto that began in 2019.
Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN) on the other hand began production with the re-launch of the Peugeot brand in Nigeria, starting with the local assembly of the Peugeot 301 at its Kaduna plant.
The company has since expanded its lineup to include the Landtrek pickup, 3008, 5008, and the latest 508 models.
Dangote entered Nigeria’s automobile industry in 2016 when his group, alongside the Kaduna State Government and the Bank of Industry, acquired a majority stake in Peugeot Automobile.
By 2017, he secured a license for a Peugeot assembly plant, and in 2022, Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN) began operations.
DPAN, a joint venture with Stellantis Group, the Kano and Kaduna state governments, and Dangote Industries, operates from the Greenfield Ultima Assembly Plant in Kaduna, with a daily capacity of 120 vehicles.
Dangote is also building Chinese trucks. Expanding into commercial vehicles, Dangote launched the Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Ltd (DSWAL) CKD plant in Lagos.
The plant assembles heavy-duty, medium, and light trucks, producing up to 10,000 units annually and creating 3,000 jobs.