It’s the end of the road for the BMW-PSA Peugeot Citroen engine partnership in three years – reports indicate that the two automakers are not renewing their small engine collaboration when the project expires in 2016. Spokesmen for both companies have stated that the current engine program will continue until then.
Reuters reports that a source close to the matter says that both companies no longer need the cooperation, with BMW pushing ahead with its own three, four and six-cylinder engine development, while PSA Peugeot Citroen is forging stronger ties with General Motors. Les Echos, a French newspaper, also said that both parties had decided against extending the collaboration.
The partnership began in 2002, when both companies agreed to jointly develop and build smaller displacement petrol engines – the Prince engine that found its way on to MINIs, Peugeots and Citroens was the highlight of the cooperation.
In 2010, BMW and PSA announced that they were set to expand on the working relationship with a joint development of hybrid components for front-wheel drive vehicles with electric drivetrains. This project fell through last year in response to the announcement that PSA Peugeot Citroen and GM had formed an alliance.
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German need frenchie help?
you must be joking, what did the frenchies contribute really to this project ?
smoking ciggarettes, drinking coffee, eating croissants?
That’s unfair. French manufacturers have shown that they can design and build very good engines. The PSA HDi engines for instance were (are?) assembled in production plants in the cities of Trémery and Douvrin for PSA in France, at the Ford Dagenham plant in England, and the Volvo Engine Plant in Skövde Sweden.
The reason for the joint venture break-up is that PSA signed a contract with GM already, that’s it.
not to mention that PSA makes some of the best diesel engines on the market
The germans don’t like french fries but pork knuckle.
thank goodness they finally decided to dump that german engine. peugeot in china has developed a renewed 2.0na and a 2.3na engine with 6-speed transmissions. i’d vote for these instead.
Funny how some people literally worship germans as god of automotive engineering. French auto technology is not that bad, at least they’re the only one who can give Audi a run for their money in Le Mans. Not to forget their achievement in this year’s Pike’s Peak event.
Oh wait, how about a French company supplying F1 engines that have been winning so many championships?
Now go back and worship your superior Germans and tell me how much better Germans are.
In the first place its ironic BMW join this alliance since they can design their own engines well,The prince engine is not the best but yet its an eye opener…Proton should join this prince project
BMW did the design work and PSA did the mass manufacturing. Costs saved by both parties. This is the story that has been going around.
I absolutely enjoy my Greman engineered Prince in a French chassis. The engine is great,the handling is great! For me this was perfect,I’m disappointed this has to end soon!
let’s hope the next collaboration brings even more performance with a greater level of reliability.