PSA and Toyota decide to stop jointly manufacturing their city models

Collaborations between the major automotive companies are commonplace, and many of them work together on various projects. PSA and Toyota have worked together to create three small city models, namely the Peugeot 108, the Toyota Aygo and the Citroën C1. All three models use shared technology, which keeps their cost very competitive and has allowed all three to reach their second generation.

But everything comes to an end, and both companies have announced that they will stop producing these three models jointly. The collaboration will end in 2021 and, although it will bring to an end the construction of the three models sharing technology and designs, it does not mean that the coordinated work between the French and Japanese groups will be broken.

The end of the joint venture, signed in 2002, will come about through the purchase of PSA’s stake in the company, which could mean that the Kolin plant in the Czech Republic passes into Japanese hands. For the moment there is no confirmation of this, although it is believed that the French company’s decision could be made public before long.

That said, the collaboration will continue, though in other areas. For example, Toyota and PSA are expected to begin developing light commercial vehicles. To do so, they will use PSA’s plants located in Sevelnord, in northern France, and there is even talk that PSA’s plant in Vigo could begin assembling these vehicles for Toyota. Signing the agreement may be delayed a little while the details are studied, but it could give the two companies a new opportunity.

The Citroën C1, the Peugeot 108 and the Toyota Aygo share absolutely all of their technology, so if a new generation is ever developed, it will probably be something completely different. For the moment, all three models remain on the market and have even received a facelift that has improved their emissions and added more technology to their equipment, so they remain a good option for getting around the city.