Report FCA - PSA merger

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Sounds like a Commodore A.

The car was quite old in fact. This was in 1990.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Rumour has it that PSA (...or would that now be "PSA/FCA" ?) is contemplating procuring a larger-car BEV platform from an outside manufacturer. Tesla or VAG appear to be the most likely suppliers should this at all come to fruition. Alfa-Romeo, Maserati and DS would appear possible recipients.

 

[dalab]

How strange right after the merger, it gives rise to suspicion, incomprehensible to my humble neurons.
Fiat = Microcars, by definition, historically and in every possible way.
PSA has a great presence in the microcar segment, will the idea be to have a free road?
MINI would be very benefited by this decision
It's weird to say the least

November 04, 2019 04:55 AM UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO
Fiat plans to exit Europe's minicar segment
ANDREA MALAN

MILAN -- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to quit Europe's minicar segment, where it is the leader, joining other automakers in axing their smallest cars because of increasing development costs to make them meet tougher emissions limits.
FCA CEO Mike Manley said the automaker plans to try to shift Fiat’s minicar customers to the "B" (subcompact) segment.

"In the very near future you will see us refocus on this higher-volume, higher-margin segment, and that will involve a move away from the minicar segment,” Manley told analysts on FCA's third-quarter earnings call on Oct. 31.
Manley did not give the timing of the move.

The retro-styled Fiat 500 three-door hatchback and the Panda functional hatchback dominate Europe's minicar segment but they are aging and are due for replacement.
The three-door 500 is 12-years old. It was launched in July 2007 with retro styling inspired by Fiat's original 500 launched in 1957, a car that became an icon. European sales of the 500 fell 9 percent to 100,150 in the first half.
The third-generation Panda went on sale in February 2012 and its sales rose 15 percent 105,534 in the first half, according to Automotive News Europe's sales by segment analysis.

Europe losses
FCA posted a 55 million euros loss ($61 million) in Europe in the third quarter.

Manley told analysts that Fiat's "commercial challenges" in Europe stem from a very high exposure to the low-margin minicar segment, and a model lineup whose average age is "the highest in the industry."
Fiat now plans to win back customers in the small-car (subcompact) segment it exited last year when the Punto hatchback was discontinued.
The Punto had been Fiat's best-selling car in Europe for a long time but former FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said its sales were not large enough to build a successor profitably.

Fiat will aim to shift loyal minicar customers to subcompact cars while also keeping customers who still own a Punto, Manley said.
The small-car segment is Europe's biggest and is "a much higher profit pool than the A (minicar) segment," he said.
Manley did not discuss which new models Fiat will introduce in the subcompact segment. He also did not comment on the future of the Panda and 500.

europe.autonews.com/sales-segment/fiat-plans-exit-europes-minicar-segment

 

[KiwiRob]

That chevy is boxy as a Volvo.

When I was young we had an 1990 Opel Kadett. What an utter shit box it was. Worst and most unreliable car that my parents owned.

And we got the Pontiac LeMans version of the same shitty car in New Zealand.

 

[KiwiRob]

Rumour has it that PSA (...or would that now be "PSA/FCA" ?) is contemplating procuring a larger-car BEV platform from an outside manufacturer. Tesla or VAG appear to be the most likely suppliers should this at all come to fruition. Alfa-Romeo, Maserati and DS would appear possible recipients.

They could also be looking at the I-Pace platform, PSA did look at buying JLR earlier this year.

https://premium.goauto.com.au/rumours-of-psa-jlr-link/

 

[SCOTT27]

How strange right after the merger, it gives rise to suspicion, incomprehensible to my humble neurons.
Fiat = Microcars, by definition, historically and in every possible way.
PSA has a great presence in the microcar segment, will the idea be to have a free road?
MINI would be very benefited by this decision
It's weird to say the least

November 04, 2019 0...

Ah so we may get a new Punto for the C-Segment?

 

[EnI]

Ah so we may get a new Punto for the C-Segment?

It sounds about right. With C3 - DS3 - 2008 - Corsa and all the CUV / SUV etc Peugeot - Citroen - Opel - Vauxhall derivatives in the group FSA-PSA portfolio the "Punto" & "MiTo" revivals sound about right.

Although I guess the "Fiat 500" trademark will live on ... yet a sub-compact segment hatch. Based on common group B-segment platform. A more retro designed alternative to also premium DS3.

 

[SCOTT27]

It sounds about right. With C3 - DS3 - 2008 - Corsa and all the CUV / SUV etc Peugeot - Citroen - Opel - Vauxhall derivatives in the group FSA-PSA portfolio the "Punto" & "MiTo" revivals sound about right.
Although I guess the "Fiat 500" trademark will live on ... yet a sub-compact segment hatch. Based on common group B-segment platform. A more retro desi...

at least a new Punto under a PSA architecture won’t be around for a hundred years this time.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Back in 1989-91, I had a FIAT Uno 75 i.e. as a "beater". A quick, nimble and generally fun car.

 

[dalab]

And we got the Pontiac LeMans version of the same shitty car in New Zealand.

I think this was his last interaction and version (licensed by Daewoo in his early days as a brand) was called "Cielo" (heaven), .........as it could be that such a bad car was sold under so many brands in so many markets, although to be honest this version of Daewoo wasn't that bad and it was reliable.

 

[Centurion]

They could also be looking at the I-Pace platform, PSA did look at buying JLR earlier this year.

premium.goauto.com.au/rumours-of-psa-jlr-link/

Have PSA announced a BEV partner or a joint business venture for BEVs?

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Have PSA announced a BEV partner or a joint business venture for BEVs?

The innuendo appears to originate from FCA :

Will Fiat Chrysler use Tesla technology? - electrive.com

 

[Centurion]

The innuendo appears to originate from FCA :

Will Fiat Chrysler use Tesla technology? - electrive.com

Hmm. Would Tesla even have excess capacity to supply a big manufacturer or be happy to see their excellent drivetrains in potentially crappy cars?

 

[EnI]

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group have said they will not to close factories if they merge but this promise is likely to come under heavy strain as the combined group would have spare production capacity of almost 6 million vehicles in a slowing autos market.

Low-volume manufacturing plants in Europe are increasingly vulnerable, such as Fiat’s factory in Kragujevac, Serbia, and PSA's Vauxhall plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton, England, LMC said.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe ... which plant is sadly first to go?

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Maybe it's too soon to ask since I am sure there will be brands that need to be pared down, but....

What cars and brands are coming or are being retained Stateside? How does it affect PSA's venture back to the US? Last I heard, they had settled on the Atlanta area for their NA HQ.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Hmm. Would Tesla even have excess capacity to supply a big manufacturer...

That is a good question-and probably one that motivated some speculation regarding the possible use of the VAG PPE BEV platform (in which "Maserati" was mentioned as a possible recipient).

Incidentally, a VAG/Maserati liaison would not be something new. Back in 2003/2004, VAG (i.e. Audi) was involved in extended negotiations with Maserati regarding the evolutionary joint development of the then-new Quattroportes RWD transaxle platform and its' possible underpinning of future large VAG luxury automobiles. Negotiations were abandoned in 2006.

 

[SCOTT27]

Back in 1989-91, I had a FIAT Uno 75 i.e. as a "beater". A quick, nimble and generally fun car.

Yes I remember when Fiat were top of the world in their small cars Uno and do you remember it's sister? The Lancia Y10.
Especially with that punchy Turbo FIRE engine. Which some examples lived up to what its name suggests.
I remember the first Punto when they launched it in Turin in 1990 as I was on a trip there. It was at that time the largest-in-cost but maybe adjusted for inflation it may still be the largest automotive launch in history. They took over the entire city.

Now under PSA they would have a much shorter life span. I mean. When they excavated Pompei there were still people fused to the steering wheels of their Puntos.
Actually there weren't but with the previous life span it sure felt like it.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Yes I remember when Fiat were top of the world in their small cars Uno and do you remember it's sister? The Lancia Y10.
Especially with that punchy Turbo FIRE engine. Which some examples lived up to what its name suggests.
I remember the first Punto when they launched it in Turin in 1990 as I was on a trip there. It was at that time the largest-in-...

...and do you remember these ? :

Those Autobianchi A112s' were, for me, the bees' knees. Especially in Abarth guise. They were the Italian equivalent of the original Mini Cooper.

...or...wait...:

The Innocenti Mini was actually a real Mini.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Yes I remember when Fiat were top of the world in their small cars Uno and do you remember it's sister? The Lancia Y10.
Especially with that punchy Turbo FIRE engine. Which some examples lived up to what its name suggests.
I remember the first Punto when they launched it in Turin in 1990 as I was on a trip there. It was at that time the largest-in-...

Punto came to light in 1993

 

[dalab]

Many happy people with that Christmas present

Fiat Chrysler, PSA agree to binding merger deal

Ahead of the deal closing, FCA will pay its shareholders a 5.5 billion euro special dividend.
PSA will distribute its 46 percent stake in auto-parts maker Faurecia to its shareholders, which was worth 3.2 billion euros based on Tuesday's market value.