Peugeot Could Establish a Partnership with FCA
French carmaker PSA Peugeot–Citroën has recently confirmed its plans to return to North America by 2026, bringing with it its DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands.
Following an interview with French newspaper Les Echos, Robert Peugeot, president of the Peugeot family holding, stipulated that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) could represent a tangible and potential partner for business.
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Learning from the Locals
Such an alliance would allow the Peugeot group to better integrate its dealership network in our market, but also learn from FCA’s manufacturing and logistic know-how. PSA vehicles could, like Fiat, utilize Fiat Chrysler’s existing dealer network.
Back in 2017, Peugeot purchased bleeding carmaker Opel from General Motors. In a record time, the small German brand turned around and became profitable again. In 2018, Opel generated an income of 850 million Euros, a number unseen within the company since 1999.
Peugeot’s financial skills could help FCA in the development and manufacturing of electric vehicles and small cars, something Peugeot is currently doing quite well in Europe.
On the FCA side, nothing has yet been said about a potential partnership with the French giant. According to automotive media outlet Autoblog, Mike Manley, CEO of FCA, admitted during a press conference that its business is open to a possible merger.
Carlos Tavares at Peugeot states that the re-integration of PSA in North America is only chapter one of a three-part worldwide offense. The carmaker also plans on introducing the Citroën brand to the Indian market, as well as Opel to Russia. According to Tavares, “the world is rapidly changing, and so is the automotive industry. The automobile is currently going through a Darwin phase, which means that if it doesn’t adapt it dies.”
The business man claims that in today’s industry, an open-minded attitude from any carmaker will ensure its survival.
