PSA Picks Peugeot Brand to Lead Return to U.S.

PSA Group says its Peugeot brand will be used to relaunch the French carmaker in the U.S. market.

CEO Carlos Tavares revealed the choice earlier today. He says the company expects to finalize decisions about production and distribution in mid-2019.

PSA, whose Peugeot brand abandoned the American market in 1991, is taking a slow and methodical approach to its return. The company has begun engineering its next-generation models to meet U.S. safety and emission rules, but it doesn’t expect to begin selling cars in the market until 2026.

In the meantime, PSA has been studying innovative ways to retail cars in the U.S.and exploring car-sharing schemes. The company also has been expanding its Free2Move mobility app, which offers a single smartphone platform from which to manage various transportation options, such as car-sharing, public transit and bike rentals.

PSA stopped selling cars in the American market when Peugeot departed in 1991.