Foremost auto maker, PAN Nigeria Ltd, has reacted to a recent newspaper publication alleging that it lacks the capacity to produce and deliver the Peugeot 508 cars ordered by the House of Representatives, saying the report was “misleading, inaccurate and malicious.”
Debunking the report with the headline Reps Grumble as Delivery of N6.1bn Exotic Car Stalls, the management of PAN Nigeria, in a statement, said it was an attempt to “undermine our capacity as a key stakeholder and active player in the Nigerian automotive industry.”
The statement further said: “We are pioneer car assembly plant in Nigeria with over four decades in vehicle assembly, our SKD {semi knocked down} production capacity at the moment is 30 vehicles per shift. We are the only assembly plant with a fully built CKD facility ready for deployment when demand arises.
“With robust dealership network and after-sales services, we are uniquely placed and committed to meet national, and our customers’ demand – customers who are committed in meeting their financial obligation.
“The choice of Peugeot 508 against all other brands was based on overall value offered by the vehicle in terms of price, performance and residual value. It is also a demonstration of the commitment of the House of Reps to patronise made-in-Nigeria products in support of government auto development plan to promote local industrialisation and generation of economic opportunities.”
Recently, the Kaduna plant rolled out with fanfare the all-new Peugeot 301 Midlife. The upgraded model went into production three years after its predecessor, the 301 sedan, was unveiled.
At the ceremony, the Managing Director of PAN Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi, recalled the exploits of the considerably imbued and refined new kid on the block.
Boyi disclosed that apart from having been bestowed with the Car of the Year prize by the Nigerian Auto Journalists Association {NAJA} in 2016 and winning top awards in Europe for its modern engine, 301has since lived up the prediction at its birth, by driving the lion brand back on the road to recovering many of its lost customers.
According to him, other new models like the 301 Midlife and 508, are built to please today’s car users and rekindle the passion that made Peugeot offerings of old reign across the land.