Peugeot will begin producing its Rifter light commercial vehicle in Türkiye beginning in the third quarter of 2026, a senior executive said on Monday.
The Rifter will become Stellantis-owned brand's third light commercial vehicle produced at Turkish carmaker Tofaş's plant in the northwestern Bursa province, following Expert Van and Expert Traveller models.
Peugeot Brand Director Gupse Kaplan said the move marked an important milestone for the French automaker, underscoring Türkiye's growing role as both a major market and a strategic production hub.
"This development demonstrates Peugeot's confidence in the Turkish market and the country's strong automotive manufacturing infrastructure," Kaplan said in a statement.
"With the addition of the Rifter to our locally produced light commercial vehicle lineup, we are taking our operations in Türkiye to a new level."
The company said local production would improve its competitiveness by providing logistical and supply chain advantages.
Kaplan said manufacturing the Rifter in Bursa would strengthen the model's market position by combining its SUV-inspired design with light commercial vehicle functionality for both business users and families.
The addition of the Rifter expands Peugeot's locally manufactured light commercial vehicle range, with the company citing Tofaş's production quality, efficiency, research and development capabilities, and vehicle engineering expertise as key factors behind the decision.
Peugeot entered Türkiye's C-segment light commercial vehicle market in 2003 with the Partner model and has since sold 213,921 vehicles in the segment, including the Partner, Partner Tepee, Rifter and Partner Van.
Of those sales, 174,756 were passenger-oriented combi vans, while 39,165 were panel vans.
Since the launch of the Rifter and Partner Van in 2019, Peugeot has sold 84,556 units, comprising 67,404 Rifters and 17,152 Partner Vans.
The automaker sold 11,527 light commercial vehicles in Türkiye in the first six months of 2026, giving it a 9.8% market share, compared with 26,661 units and a 9.4% share for full-year 2025.
The Rifter was the second-most popular model in its segment in 2025 with 18,154 units sold, and maintained its position in the first six months of this year with 8,350 units sold.
The Rifter remained Peugeot's best-performing model in the segment, accounting for 72% of the brand's total light commercial vehicle sales. Together, the Rifter and Partner Van represented 82% of Peugeot's light commercial vehicle sales in the country during the first half of the year.
Kaplan said the Rifter became the segment leader in June with sales of 2,278 units and expressed confidence that local production would further improve the model's performance.
She added that Peugeot aims to expand its light commercial vehicle operations in Türkiye and sustainably increase its market share by leveraging local manufacturing.
"With 30 years of light commercial vehicle experience, the Rifter's strong market performance and Türkiye's automotive manufacturing expertise, we see significant growth potential," Kaplan said.
"We aim to strengthen our position in our segments and sustainably increase our share of the light commercial vehicle market through local production."