Automotive News Europe has reported that the Opel and PSA planned platform sharing deal is dead, but continued cooperation on other projects will proceed. These include the working together on B-segment commercial vehicles and a compact crossover vehicle (C-CUV), which is likely to be the next Opel Zafira Tourer.
Equally, the new Opel Meriva and Citroen C3 Picasso compact MPVs will be built at Opel's plant in Zaragoza, Spain as planned. Sources at Opel suggested also that a new model will be built at its Rüsselsheim factory in Germany. There are no details released as yet on this.
So 'why now?' is the much-heralded collaborative deal of early 2012 being scaled back? Automotive News Europe suggests it centres on GM's drive to build its next-generation Corsa (due in 2018) on its own platform. The original agreement was for the Corsa replacement to share a platform with the next-generation Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3.
This announcement will not come as a surprise to industry watchers. As far back as May this year, the Financial Times Germany suggested PSA was unhappy with the alliance. Sources close to the deal suggested that the French had hoped for more from Detroit. Particularly, for greater support with its expansion into China and Latin America, where it became evident that GM was focused only on PSA helping rehabilitate its European business.
Anything else?
On the plus side, buyers won't have to wait too long for the revamped Corsa. Although still based on a legacy Fiat platform, it's scheduled for release in Europe late next year.