PSA Peugeot Citroen launched the Citroen DS5 in Seoul on Tuesday, renewing its commitment to the Korean market and its official importer Hanbul Motors that has been struggling from sluggish car sales amid the strong presence of German carmakers.

The DS5 crossover sedan, launched in late 2011, is the high-end model for Citroen’s DS line that used to only consist of the DS3 and DS4 compacts. The car became known after it was offered to French President Francois Hollande for his inauguration ceremony.

“Korean consumers prefer premium import cars especially those from Europe. The DS5, best representing French luxury, will be a true rival horse to German brands here,” said Gregoire Olivier, CEO of Asian operations and member of the managing board. 

“Another growing trend is the popularity of diesel models ― the area we do best globally,” he said, hinting at the new launches of the diesel or hybrid versions of its Peugeot and Citroen cars in Korea in the coming months.

The French carmaker’s unique styling, however, seems to have yet to fully penetrate Korean drivers’ appetites.

Last year when the nation’s import car market posted more than 20 percent growth overall, Peugeot was one of the few foreign brands that showed minus growth together with Nissan and Cadillac. Its car sales decreased 8.7 percent to 2,407 from 2,636 a year ago.

The market reaction to Citroen, which reentered the Korean market last year after an almost 10-year hiatus, also remains lukewarm with only 255 cars sold ― the lowest sales figure except for the ailing Mitsubishi and some ultra-luxury vehicles such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

“Starting with the DS3 only, there were clear limitations to increase sales volume last year. Now we have completed the DS lineup and hope to gain some sales momentum this year,” said Hanbul Motors president Song Seung-cheol.

The Asian chief of PSA also pledged full support for the Korean importer, describing their relationship as a “married couple,” for which continued efforts are required to maintain their marriage.

The carmaker pinned high hopes on Korean sales considering the DS line’s strong performance in China where it sold 300,000 vehicles last year. The Korean importer aims to sell 5,000 units of Peugeot and Citroen brands this year.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)