Peugeot 301 (and new nomenclature)

Where automakers could once get by selling in a handful of specific markets, these days, they need to grab as much market share as they can around the world. That's particularly true for a brand like Peugeot that's missing out on one of the largest markets in the world – this one – and so it is ramping up its assault on developing markets with vehicles like the one you see here.

Called 301, the approximately Focus-sized sedan is intended for markets that we once considered the second or third world – markets like Russia, Africa and the Middle East. So not only is it positioned as a more budget-friendly proposition, it's also been developed to deal with a greater range of climates and with poor road conditions that often exist in developing markets.

Buyers in these markets will be able to choose engines ranging from 71 to 115 horsepower and benefit from similar levels of features and safety equipment you'd expect to find in wealthier markets. Now if you're thinking that the last 300-series model from Peugeot was the 308 and were wondering what the marketing gurus at PSA headquarters were planning to do when they got past 309, wonder no more, because they've modified their naming scheme.

The first digit (3 in this case) represents the class of vehicle, the 0 (or 00 for crossovers and minivans) remains a constant, and the last digit will either be an 8 (for mainstream products) or a 1 (for emerging markets). Got all that? The 301 will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, after which production will commence in Spain for rollout around the world.