This deal exists basically because with it, PSA will have finally its door open to the US and Canadian market, while FCA will have the EV platforms and technology that it needs to make the transition from the ICE to the EV era.
While this is the positive side, there is one big downside to it: While the Premium brands of the new group shouldn't have any problems co-existing (DS, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Jeep all have their distinct target audiences), the same can't be said regarding the mainstream market, especially in Europe.
If PSA was still trying to figure out how to diferentiate Opel from Citroen and Peugeot, now how can they do it with yet another brand (FIAT) to deal with?
And to have it approved, both sides left garantees that no factories would be closed...
Well, that is for the new CEO of the Group, Carlos Tavares, to solve, let's just look at what this might bring, when it comes to plugins, in the new PSA-FCA Group:
Peugeot, Citroen and DS - With a large door for the North American market now open, they can now bet on larger cars and SUVs, so the current 508 PHEV should see its way into North America in the first wave of Peugeot's to land on the other side of the pond in decades, possibly followed by the DS7 PHEV, the Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV and a future Citroen C5(6?/7?) PHEV.
But then again, super-size is the rule in North America, so i wouldn't be surprised that these brands now had the confidence to go one up in their lineup, and create a large 7-seater SUV, something like a Peugeot 7008 PHEV/BEV, DS 9 PHEV/BEV and a Citroen C7 Aircross PHEV/BEV.
On the other end of the lineup, maybe the two mainstream brands could use their own version of the FIAT Centoventi-based Panda? It is still a few years away, but the original concept looks promising...And the Free2Move car-sharing fleet needs fresh blood, doesn't it?
Opel / Vauxhall - An entry in the US market might not be in the cards of the German maker, but i think it could make sense, if done properly, as the fact of not having a relevant history in North America could make it innovative, being the "Full EV" brand of the Group in the US. I mean, even their logo would fit the branding...
Aside from this possibility, the only significant addition to the brand for its plugin lineup coming from this deal could be its iteration of the plugin 7-seater SUV platform.
And maybe a 2020 FIAT 500e-based Opel Adam EV? Just thinking out loud...
FIAT - It is said that the longer the model is, the less interesting FIATs become, and something similar can be said in this case, because if the next generation 500e is less than a year away from landing, and the next generation, Centoventi-based Panda looks promising, above these two models, it is a complete desert of ideas...
So the brand will need a bunch of models coming from PSA platforms, like its own Peugeot 208 EV, one Italian Peugeot 2008 EV and a C-segment EV, most likely based on the future Citroen C4 EV.
Also FIAT LCVs/Vans will profit from the PSA EV technology.
See why FIAT was looking for a merger?...
Alfa Romeo & Maserati - The famous brands are in need of fresh blood in its lineup, and the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV compact SUV, said to land next year, will help with that.
But these makers need to refresh and electrify the remaining lineup, so what can PSA technology and platforms do to help? Not a lot, as these brands seem to be stuck in using PHEVs and making adaptations of their sporty ICE-models.
Jeep - The current star of the FCA lineup, the maker has been one (the only?) success story of FCA, growing every passing year, so it is no surprise that it has been receiving the latest and greatest, when it comes to technology. So it wouldn't be surprising if the same thing would happen under the new bosses.
With this in mind, most of the next generation of vehicles from Jeep should transition into PSA platforms, meaning the Renegade would become a sibling of the Peugeot 2008 EV, the Compass / Cherokee would be a US-based iteration of the Peugeot 3008/5008 models, while the larger Grand Cherokee would be based on the hypothetical 7-Seater SUV platform of the Group, possibly being the first brand to use it.
The remaining lineup should continue without significant PSA input.
Dodge, Chrysler and Ram - None of these brands should see significant input from PSA platforms, aside from the large 7-seater SUV platform, that could be used on the next generation Dodge Durango and / or Journey, while Chrysler, in the case of resisting the axe, could also get its own version of the large SUV platform (maybe the next generation Pacifica?).
Also, i would expect PHEV versions, not full EVs, as the market for these big vehicles would demand big electric ranges, that i doubt could be provided by the PSA-FCA Group.
