After years of competing against each other, PSA Peugeot Citroën is showing signs of employing a more joined-up strategyClarity. It's something that's been sadly lacking from PSA Peugeot Citroën in the past two decades. In fact, ever since I've been reporting on cars both companies have not just been producing some uncompetitive cars, but directly competing with each other in the process.
So it's a good thing we're now seeing evidence of things changing. Citroën's strategy of selling DS cars with the 'C-cars', alongside Peugeot's more restrained, slightly classier offerings is beginning to look sensible, especially now that we have the quirky Cactus and new Peugeot 308 to compare and contrast.
Both companies intend to reduce the complexity of their respective ranges too, pensioning off the weak links.
The management is also looking a lot stronger. Citroën's smart new British boss, Linda Jackson, and Peugeot's youthful and Mandarin-speaking MD, Maxime Picat, both have international credentials and aren't just looking to bolster fortress France.
Likewise they both work for ex-Renault-Nissan man Carlos Tavares, newly appointed and one of the industry's most respected managers. Mr T has also brought with him Stephen Norman, a straight-talking British marketing guru who worked with him at Renault.
So the upshot is that going forward Citroën and Peugeot intend to divide and conquer. So we won't have a Citroën C4 directly competing with a Peugeot 308 in the future and so on.
Obviously it's going to take a long time to fully wash through, and the company's still in some degree of financial stickiness which isn't necessarily surmountable.
But finally it's easy to understand what it's trying to do.
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