Local car maker Thaco starts co-operation with French automobile producer, Peugeot, in manufacturing and distribution of imported car models in Viet Nam market. — VNS Photo

QUANG NAM (Biz Hub) — Peugeot General Director for ASEAN countries, Lionel Faugeres, has dismissed as rumour an article stating that Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile is planning to open an assembling unit in Viet Nam.

The article had said ‘the Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile is producing compact cars in cooperation with local firm Naza Group in Malaysia and plans to begin assembling in Viet Nam later this year, in partnership with THACO Group.'

Lionel Faugeres was replying in an reconfirmation e-mail to Truong Hai Automobile JSC (THACO) on May 24 denying the article that said Peugeot's Chinese joint venture (JV) was planning to start production in Viet Nam.

"Nothing true in these articles, only fake rumours," Lionel Faugeres replied in an e-mail, which he sent from Peugeot Citroen's ASEAN Regional Office, Malaysia.

In the e-mail, he also dismissed the article, which was posted by some media in China and later picked up by international media.

Thaco in co-operation with Peugeot, has opened seven showrooms with 3S designs (sales-service-spare parts) nationwide and planned six more debuts by the end of this year. — VNS Photo

THACO's director of communication, Nguyen Mot, confirmed to Viet Nam News that his firm has been an exclusive agent for manufacturing and distributing imported Peugeot car models in the Viet Nam market.

He noted that THACO, in cooperation with Peugeot, has opened seven showrooms with 3S (sales-services-spare parts) facilities across the country and plans to open six more by the end of this year.

Last year, THACO introduced the first rollout of the locally manufactured Peugeot model 408 in the Truong Hai-Chu Lai Auto Complex in central Quang Nam Province.

He remarked that the cooperation between Peugeot and THACO aimed to boost competition strategies among European luxury cars segment in Viet Nam.

The largest automobile manufacturer in Viet Nam, it has produced and distributed vehicles for Kia from South Korea, Mazda from Japan, and French giant Peugeot. — VNS