French automaker Peugeot is planning to trim the production of its new 208 supermini car and remove a production shift during late 2012 in the midst of slow European auto sales only six months following its launch in April 2012.
Automotive News Europe reported that Peugeot's spokesperson had confirmed the reduction in production of the Peugeot 208 along with its sales outlook in response to the continual fall in sales across Europe.
According to reports, the automaker is also planning to reduce its sales targets from 175,000 units to 140,000 and cut its hourly production rate from the current 52 vehicles to 35 at its Poissy facility in France from 10 October 2012.
Peugeot is also planning to terminate one of the Poissy plant's three shifts at the end of November 2012.
Peugeot sold about 74,487 units of 208 car in Europe until August 2012 and projects worldwide 208 sales of about 550,000 units and 420,000 units in Europe for 2013.
In July 2012, PSA had revealed plans to lay off 8000 jobs and shut its Aulnay plant in Paris in an bid to handle financial problems.
