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Peugeot is killing off the GTI badge and ending its long relationship with hot hatches, despite being responsible for pioneering the segment in the eighties with the iconic 205 GTI.
Fans of cars like the 106, 205 and 306 GTI have longed for a modern interpretation but Peugeot has decided to end the iconic three letters on its cars for good, which are currently carried by the 207.
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“For us, the GTI concept is dead,” Peugeot marketing director Christian Stein told Autocar. “We will move away from hot hatches towards premium sports coupes.
"The GTI means a lot to English people but it is time to move on.”
The move is part of a strategy to reinvent Peugeot, and the car maker will concentrate on making sleek, sporty coupes like the RCZ instead.
The RCZ is similar in size to the Audi TT and Peugeot is now considering whether to introduce a smaller coupe to the range too.
However, the successful 207 and 308 CC models could stand in its way because the folding hardtops offer virtually the same benefits to customers, believes Peugeot.
Ollie Stallwood
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