GM, PSA discard large car project; agree to develop small engine

[ne_one]

GM, PSA discard large car project; agree to develop small engine
Automotive News
December 20, 2012

General Motors Co. and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen scrapped plans for a joint mid-size car program, narrowing the scope for vehicle sharing within their alliance while adding engine cooperation.

The automakers today said they had signed firm agreements to combine their future small car program as well as co-develop roomier minivans and two sizes of crossovers.

Plans to share future replacements for larger models such as the Citroen C5 and GM's Opel Insignia were shelved after the companies failed to reach a "convincing business case," a PSA spokesman said. But with binding agreements on three other vehicle programs and new plans to pool a future generation of small gasoline engines, "the alliance is taking form and moving up a gear," the spokesman said.

The shared three-cylinder engines, designed to comply with Euro 6 emissions standards entering force around 2019, will bring big savings for both partners, PSA said, without giving details.

The joint vehicle projects will be:

• A compact crossover for the Peugeot brand and a compact multipurpose vehicle for GM's Opel and Vauxhall marques
• A subcompact multipurpose vehicle for both PSA and Opel/Vauxhall
• An upgraded low-CO2 subcompact-segment platform that will underpin Opel/Vauxhall's and PSA's next generation of cars in Europe and other regions.

Since the alliance plan was announced in February, the partners have put aside joint plans to develop a small car for Latin America, a dual-clutch gearbox and now the tentative mid-sized car program.

Full article at link.

[70AARCUDA]

...so, new GM is "...signing US..." (USA) up for Euro 6 emissions?!?!

...can you say: "...more American "French" Fries?"

[mchicha]

Man, This alliance should restrict itself to a buying parts program. It would be nice to see a Chevrolet Venture on the Showroom floor though.

[Variant]

I really wish these two would develop a full size van program (ranging from Astro size, to the largest Sprinter).

[kmacleod]

Now that plans for cooperating with PSA on a Mid size car have evaporated, I wonder if GM will now fastrack an OPEL Insigina/Buick Regal on Alpha......

Ken

[Cobaltss_King]

I wonder since they scraped plans for a bigger car will alpha then be used for Opels next gen insignia.

[mchicha]

I wonder since they scraped plans for a bigger car will alpha then be used for Opels next gen insignia.

No, Insignia is going to stay on EP II

[Pisswilly]

More money down the toilet!

[vanshmack]

More money down the toilet!

How so?

It would seem that NOT working together on a money-losing platform development program would mean that the resources could be used elsewhere.

15 years ago, GM might have gone ahead with this "just because" they MIGHT see some return.

The rest of this news seems to reinforce the fact that GM recognizes that there are markets outside of NA/Europe/China, and that they're going after it.

[OliverH]

Small engines are the right way. That's opposite of "down the toilet". This thinking will hit the US also in 2-3 years.
EURO6 is one part of he story, CO2 pollution/ reduction the other very important. Low CO2 values are not to get with an inefficient V8/ V6 gasoline engine and big displacement (big bores!).

What's the benefit of an Alpha platform to the EP? EP is available with a modern, state of the art AWD. Don't get it. The worldwide future is a platform like EP/ EP2. The only different is the way to fit the engine. So Alpha platform is a big engine V8 platform, with transmission, separate diff,.. That's the class of Mercedes and BMW - different customer and market.

[DOCTOR]

This is how GM announced it on Opel.com

PSA Peugeot Citroën and General Motors Report Further Progress on their Global Strategic Alliance


Major Product Development and Purchasing agreements signed
Expansion of scope to also include powertrain
Strengthening ties and cementing the Alliance

Detroit/Paris. PSA Peugeot Citroen (PSA) and General Motors (GM) today confirm the signature of major agreements in the execution of their Global Strategic Alliance. Consistent with the terms of the Master Agreement dated February 29, 2012, the Alliance partners have signed definitive agreements related to three of the initial vehicle projects as well as to the purchasing joint venture.

Three Common Vehicle Platform Development Projects

The first common vehicle projects selected encompass platform / architecture developments in the following segments:

1. A joint program for a C-MPV1 for Opel/Vauxhall and a C-CUV2 for the Peugeot brand
2. A joint MPV3 program for the B-segment for both Groups
3. The co-development of an upgraded low CO2 B-segment platform to feed Opel/Vauxhall and PSA’s next generation of cars in Europe and other regions

Additional joint vehicle projects to further strengthen the Alliance are under review and in due course will be subject to future announcements.

The first vehicles resulting from this cooperation are expected to be launched in 2016. The Opel/Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen models will be highly differentiated and fully consistent with their respective brand characteristics.

Creation of Purchasing joint venture

The Alliance partners have signed a definitive agreement to create a joint purchasing organization in Europe supported by a purchasing joint venture. This new organization will draw on the combined purchasing reach of both companies to realize purchasing synergies. This is still subject to anti-trust approvals.

Further global initiatives

Based on the success of their collaboration, the partners also announce their intention for new additional global initiatives to broaden the scope of their Alliance and seize future opportunities:

Co-development of a next generation of high-performance, efficient small gas engines derived from PSA’s global small petrol engine program (EB engine),
Exploration of product and industrial initiatives in Latin America or other growth markets.


1 Multi-purpose vehicle for the C segment
2 Crossover utility vehicle for the C segment
3 Multi-purpose vehicle

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Man, This alliance should restrict itself to a buying parts program. It would be nice to see a Chevrolet Venture on the Showroom floor though.

Chevy Venture, like the worst car GM ever made?

[OliverH]

This is how GM announced it on Opel.com

PSA Peugeot Citroën and General Motors Report Further Progress on their Global Strategic Alliance


Major Product Development and Purchasing agreements signed
Expansion of scope to also include powertrain
Strengthening ties and cementing the Alliance

Detroit/Paris. PSA Peugeot Citroen (PSA) and General Motors (GM) today confirm the signature of major agreements in the execution of their Global Strategic Alliance. Consistent with the terms of the Master Agreement dated February 29, 2012, the Alliance partners have signed definitive agreements related to three of the initial vehicle projects as well as to the purchasing joint venture.

Three Common Vehicle Platform Development Projects

The first common vehicle projects selected encompass platform / architecture developments in the following segments:

1. A joint program for a C-MPV1 for Opel/Vauxhall and a C-CUV2 for the Peugeot brand
2. A joint MPV3 program for the B-segment for both Groups
3. The co-development of an upgraded low CO2 B-segment platform to feed Opel/Vauxhall and PSA’s next generation of cars in Europe and other regions

Additional joint vehicle projects to further strengthen the Alliance are under review and in due course will be subject to future announcements.

The first vehicles resulting from this cooperation are expected to be launched in 2016. The Opel/Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen models will be highly differentiated and fully consistent with their respective brand characteristics.

Creation of Purchasing joint venture

The Alliance partners have signed a definitive agreement to create a joint purchasing organization in Europe supported by a purchasing joint venture. This new organization will draw on the combined purchasing reach of both companies to realize purchasing synergies. This is still subject to anti-trust approvals.

Further global initiatives

Based on the success of their collaboration, the partners also announce their intention for new additional global initiatives to broaden the scope of their Alliance and seize future opportunities:

Co-development of a next generation of high-performance, efficient small gas engines derived from PSA’s global small petrol engine program (EB engine),
Exploration of product and industrial initiatives in Latin America or other growth markets.


1 Multi-purpose vehicle for the C segment
2 Crossover utility vehicle for the C segment
3 Multi-purpose vehicle

There were 3 binding agreements which they announced now. The other one was not a binding agreement and was cancelled.

[Rocket 88]

There were 3 binding agreements which they announced now. The other one was not a binding agreement and was cancelled.

Nothing is legally binding if they both decide it makes no sense to do it. Just saying.

[OliverH]

Nothing is legally binding if they both decide it makes no sense to do it. Just saying.

There's a different between binding and non binding agreements - like here.