PSA Adoption

[Timmo]

And thats what a lot of folk want. A car that just works, and no interest in how it works or drives.

Hence the rise in popularity of the German vehicles, Functional, zero character!

[white exec]

Cars are bought by many folk with as much thought - if any - as a new washing machine.
Expectations can be about the same.
Cure? Put them into something a tad more involving and rewarding, preferably in the driving seat, and see whether anything stirs . . . Always possible that it might not, of course.
Meanwhile, the rest of us should carry on enjoying our chosen transport.
You can't win 'em all.

Why buy an Beko when you can have a Bosch?

[GiveMeABreak]

True Chris. I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to tech, even domestic tech! I spend ages looking at microwave, cooker, hoover, washing machine features and decide what I want, then research the best deals, reviews before making a decision. Same with home cinema and smart TVs. There are some brands I will not touch. I can literally take weeks to decide on something.... it’s probably why I waited a year to find the right spec X7.

[Timmo]

Does echo a lot of what Chris Harris says here about the 106 rallye, highlights pretty much everything modern day people look to avoid!
https://www.topgear.com/videos/chris-ha ... ris-drives

[Michel]

I know we miscall vauxhalls, but Kerri's astra was a good car, giving little trouble untill the head gasket went at 135k. Dull as dishwater admittedly, and it was an sri which is allegedly a sporty one. It is fixed and back on the road now though.

My Meriva was much the same. A good, but tedious car. Thankfully I lent it to a friend and he wrote it off.

[Richard_C]

Mojo lost when they stopped making excellent stuff like this "knock your knees" Cresta.* HA Viva was pretty cool too, get a 4 year old to draw a rectangular car with square windows and childlike little wheels, then make it.

To me they were a sort of 'not quite as good' company, Viva not quite as good as an Escort, Nova not quite as good as a Fiesta.... there was one Cavalier that was more desirable than the contemporary Sierra but most of the time they were a little behind the curve.

GM did buy SAAB, sucked all the money out of it by exporting profit to USA via brand and IP licensing the broke it. I had 2 SAABs along the way, good motors and the 2.0 LPT with GM auto box was very nice to drive.

I wonder how long they will make badge engineered Renault/Vauxhall vans at Luton, Renault might not be overjoyed.

Meanwhile, the forthcoming C3 Aircross will have a Vauxhall equivalent, same PSA engine choices etc.

* so called, for the benefit of young people who don't remember, because the USA style wrap around windscreen meant the door shape was a little odd so you could "knock your knee" getting out.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

And thats what a lot of folk want. A car that just works, and no interest in how it works or drives.

and from my experience of a couple of different drivers recently, whom shall remain nameless, it seems a reasonable percentage of drivers struggle with the basics, let alone anything more technical or spirited!

I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to tech, even domestic tech....

Is it just me, or does it seem that a lot of marketing fails to address the most important features of stuff... and is this a deliberate Smokescreen or (dare I ask) am I just ‘weird’. I’m reminded of helping daughter choose a Laptop and having to really 'dig' to establish what I felt was far & away the most important and obvious feature, ie the spec of the CPU.

PS: everyone noticed "100 year old Drivers" on ITV recently? Very good it is. Total respect to the 100yr (approx) old fella whose driving was judged far from wonderful: he took it on the chin and instead of giving up has embarked on a course of lessons with an Instructor and sorted some of his issues!

[elma]

And thats what a lot of folk want. A car that just works, and no interest in how it works or drives.

Hence my confusion at psa acquiring brands renowned for catching fire, emitting heavy black smoke, clattering from new and generally being rubbish.

Not wanting to turn into the next generation of "that's not a proper Citroen" types I'm just ignoring them. Citroen, for me, stopped existing in 2000 and there isn't much hope of reviving them so what's the point in caring.

[Michel]

Not wanting to turn into the next generation of "that's not a proper Citroen" types I'm just ignoring them. Citroen, for me, stopped existing in 2000 and there isn't much hope of reviving them so what's the point in caring.

Citroen's money makers have never really been the "proper" Citroens. It has always been that way. The conventionally sprung cars have always outsold the proper ones.

[Timmo]

Community midwives/carers/nurses etc. Making up a lot of that!

[Michel]

Community midwives/carers/nurses etc. Making up a lot of that!

ZXs - sold millions
AX - Sold millions
Saxo - Sold Millions
Xsara/Xsara Picasso - sold millions, and they still sell very well indeed
Berlingo van - the things are *everywhere*
Berlingo Multispace - sold very well

C5 - *total* production by 2012 was less than a 1/3 of Xsara Picasso production.
Xantia - less than 1/3 the number of Picassos were sold.

The same can be found for Saxos and more... it's just always been the case.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well this bit of UK news is a good example of the welcome to the PSA family of the "isn't life brilliant" brand.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41627237

Regards Neil

[Stickyfinger]

Poxhall sales down 42% reportedly....I cannot find good figures for the group across the Eu.

[GiveMeABreak]

Well forgetting the politics of it all, but I always thought it would be a smart move to keep a Vauxhall plant here, dump the unpopular Vauxhall cars and adapt the plant to make a few of the PSA models, so when we leave the EU the UK cars won't face import duty as they'll be made here surely??

[white exec]

ZXs - sold millions
AX - Sold millions
Saxo - Sold Millions
Xsara/Xsara Picasso - sold millions, and they still sell very well indeed
Berlingo van - the things are *everywhere*
Berlingo Multispace - sold very well

C5 - *total* production by 2012 was less than a 1/3 of Xsara Picasso production.
Xantia - less than 1/3 the number of Picassos were sold.

The same can be found for Saxos and more... it's just always been the case.

Did you miss out the BX, a top-selling hydropneumatic?