Fca-Psa, the marriage that serves both. But it's not just advantages, here are risks and weaknesses

And the marriage of the year the one between Fca is PSA. In all likelihood the exchange of the rings, or the finalization of theagreement, will take place in 2020. A marriage that the number one of the French group Tavares has been hoping for for some time and that, looking at it from the Italian-American side, it should be done and that's it. Despite the statements on the ability to move forward on its own, Fca it has indeed lagged behind the whole line: platforms, engines, electrified technologies, autonomous driving. All things that the French, however, can put on the scales and that would allow a relaunch on the market.

The cure Marchionne, moreover, it was a blessing for the accounts, but much less for what is the core business of a manufacturer: the new ones models. Just to give an example, in addition to the Panda (the last generation arrived in 2012) the Fiat brand currently has the 500 (in this case we have stopped at 2007) and its crossover and minivan declensions, that is 500X is 500L. The forerunner of the segment B cars, or the Point, went out of production last year without having an heir, a fact that could be remedied by drawing on know-how of the French group, which gave birth to the same platforms 208 and the race, once its bitter enemies, also equipping them with electric motors. One way (not the only one) to stem the erosion of shares market that the Turin brand is experimenting in Europe and in Italy, and relaunching it.

And here comes the first question: the CEO of the new company Carlos Tavares will you want to do it? Having to handle several already brand names of mass (Peugeot, Citroen, Opel), how will you manage to leave nobody behind? In the case, it is difficult not to think that to remain with the match in hand is the last one arrived, therefore Fiat.

Then there are the questions Alfa Romeo is Maserati. The revival of the Alfa had to go through Giulia is Stelvio, two models launched with great pomp but which were progressively left to themselves, without having the possibility of generating the volumes budgeted. Of the Trident, instead, hopefully always can finally beat a shot, since there is a whole range to be renewed as also highlighted in the last industrial plan. The lighthouse in the storm, in this case, could be just that Giorgio platform which appeals to the French, on which to create other Alfa and Maserati for the future. And why not, maybe some model a DS brand, the most noble of those of PSA.

Even in Paris, they know that the profit it is concrete. Starting with the increase in the sales in Europe: by bringing together all the brands of the new and potential conglomerate, it would indeed win a quarter of the continental market, giving not little trouble to player important, Volkswagen over all. And having a partner with almost five million vehicles a year (FCA makes 4.8, to be precise) sold in the world, with which to divide the costs of the development of new technologies, it's really not bad. As well as the bridgehead towards the American market, where Tavares said he wanted to return Peugeot by 2026 after an absence that has lasted since the early 1990s, and where the Italian-American society has more than that 2,500 dealerships ready to welcome him.

Only advantages, then? In reality, risks and weaknesses are around the corner and will have to be managed. As the inconsistency in China, for example, where Fca has already failed with Jeep and Psa lost over 300 million of euros only in the first half of 2019.

And then there is the employment issue: Fca suffers from overcapacity congenital production especially in Italian establishments, where the use of layoff fund from an extraordinary measure it has become over time an instrument of management usual. Just to give an example, Mirafiori works at half of its actual capacity, while a virtuous plant is the one that reaches at least 80%.

It is no coincidence that in these hours both politics and i labor unions Italians are worried: the recipe of Tavares, winning in healing psa in 2014 e Opel in 2017, in addition to the increase in list prices, it provided for the simplification of production lines and, above all, a cut drastic gods costs. It is difficult to imagine that it does not repeat it, as well as that it is not the workers who pay the costs Italian. Also because it has already happened to those German of Opel, while those French would do the barricades.

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