Nearly a full year after General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen announced their partnership, the two automakers have elaborated more on their future project plans. Officially, it will be a future PSA platform that will underpin both C-segment and B-segment multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) for both Opel and Peugeot.
A second B-segment platform for low emission vehicles will be co-developed by GM-Opel and PSA. To note, no joint midsize vehicle platform plans were announced, confirming previous reports that plans have been shelved. With the wheels finally turning, it won’t be until 2016 that we see the fruits of their labors. However, mum’s the word as to where the vehicles would be built.
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Once a costly sidestep with Fiat and now repeated with PSA. “Made in Germany” may positively affect “Made in France”, but is the opposite true? I doubt that the image of GM’s german Opel brand “Opel” will benefit from such a deal.
That beside, if Opel will share Peugeot and be completely different like “they” say, the real benefit lies in reusing the platforms for all GM brands including Buick en Chevy that are based off Opel already. Otherwise it is only a benefit for PSA.
So Chevrolet = Peugeot based now? I’m curious on how this finally all will work out, I just hope nothing got lost in translation and a few years from now this is not resulting again in some major divorce…
Opel should not let Astra and Insignia get affected by PSA, at least.
PSA is producing some very nice looking small vehicles. I think GM and Opel will benefit from this alliance in the long run. Could even spill over to Cruze , Sonic and Spark as far as better rear seat interior room.
I find this silly on a number of levels. As Ford focuses on ‘One Ford’, GM will be in effect adding more global platforms. Gm said it needed Opel because it was the driving force behind Chevy and Buick ‘Future’ cars–is this no longer the case?
GM now makes great small cars with both Spark and Sonic being global leaders. I do see PSA as being great for small motors, powertrains and design. It would be great if GM could somehow buy PSA without the French gov getting involved.
@steve for “I do see PSA as being great for small motors”
Also very big and furious Diesel engines like the 5.5 Liter V12 engine which powered the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans race car with “over 730 horsepower (540 kW) and 1,200 N·m (890 lbf·ft) of torque,” (Wikipedia), competing from 2007 to 2011 with the equally diesel-powered Audi R10 (6.0L V12) adn R15, and winning in 2009.
It is not the first time that Opel is taking input from Peugeot: when in 1968, Opel finally offered a diesel engine for their “Opel Blitz” truck — 20 years too late — this was a diesel engine from a Peugeot passenger car.
As to the design, you are right.
To avoid misunderstandings: by “C-segment” they mean compact size cars, i.e. concretely the successor to the current Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. This is made clear in the German language version of the GM/Opel press release on this agreement.
Opel might be interested in the PSA-platforms for small cars like the Opel Corsa because, as German newspapers reported in April 2011, the Rüsselsheim engineers considered the Korea-developed new Gamma-platform as being too heavy by 100 kg. While this might be a rumor, fact is that the current Opel Corsa is now 6 years old…
Again, GM supposedly kept Opel do to the divisions great platforms and role in global design. The new Adam appears to be solid, and a new Corsa could use the same platform. I don’t buy that the Gamma is too heavy seeing as it will thrive in the developing world.
I think GM joined with PSA as a means to prevent a Fiat/PSA merger. The last thing GM needed was Chrysler armed with a fantastic stable of PSA vehicles.