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Peugeot is looking to increase the amount of petrol 308 models it sells, with the goal of improving the tiny 13% of registrations that the firm's petrol models currently account for.
"We created this situation - we're a victim of our success with diesel so everyone associates us with diesel," said Vince Clisham, product manager for the 308 and RCZ models.
He claimed Ford's Focus runs at 52% petrol registrations, the VW Golf at 30% and the segment overall at around 50%.
"That's when you begin to think that something is not quite right, and the expectation of the dealers is that people just order diesels, so they have built a sales profile with the thought that 'that's all we sell', with the odd exception," continued Clisham.
He said the arrival of the firm's new three-cylinder 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre engines under the Puretech branding and initially in the 308 before expanding into the new 108, 208 and 2008, would help change opinion. With a variety of power outputs in turbocharged and non-turbocharged form from 68hp to 130hp, the 82hp, 110hp and 130hp versions will be used in the 308.
"I think we've got technology that is at least the equivalent of [Ford's] Ecoboost," said Clisham. In the 308, the 110hp turbocharged petrol 1.2 offers emissions of 105g/km, and the more powerful 130g/km version brings a 2g/km increase.
Clisham argued that the rise in petrol sales should be incremental volume for Peugeot, rather than people swapping out of diesel cars and into petrol.
"We're not saying everyone will take a petrol, but everyone that does want a diesel buys another car and not our own," he said. "It's a huge opportunity that won't detract from diesel."
Clisham also argued that it's a "myth" that fleets don't buy petrol cars, and said that although those drivers covering big miles will still want a diesel, lower-mileage drivers can be significantly better off with
a petrol.
"People want a petrol with reasonable fuel economy. In some ways it's the single biggest opportunity for 308," he said, before quoting the figure that of Ford's 52% petrol ratio of Focus registrations, over half go to fleets: "Fleets will buy petrol."
The target is to get to around the market average, which would mean a rough 50:50 split between petrol and diesel power.
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