Toyota and Europes PSA Announce Three New Co-Developed Cars

Toyota Aygo, Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107 Get Small Even for Europe

French conglomerate PSA (comprising Peugeot and Citroën) and Japanese giant Toyota have just announced a new lineup of three compact cars, set to make their debut at the Geneva Motor Show next March.

The long-awaited Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 city cars are tiny, economical, low-horsepower runabouts, designed for European markets. The cars will occupy the entry-level position for their respective companies.

The three models, despite coming from manufacturers of completely different origin, share identical structures, suspensions, and drivetrain components. Contrary to rumours that PSA would carry over its well-established compact car platform on which the current Citroën C2, C3, Peugeot 206 and Peugeot 1007 are based, the newly announced vehicles ride on their own purpose-built platforms which were developed specifically for the project.

Initially, buyers of the Aygo, 107 and C1 will have a choice of two engines, both of which sport the latest in low-emissions technology. An advanced and efficient 68-horsepower 1.0L VVT-i gasoline motor of Toyota design is standard fare, while a 70-horsepower 1.4L common-rail turbodiesel powerplant developed by PSA will be optional. As the demand for these cars picks up, different engines will most likely be offered, but additions of displacement and power arent expected before mid-2006.

On the outside, the three cars share nearly-identical dimensions. The Peugeot and Citroën twins have the same dimensions at 134.96 inches long, 64.17 inches wide and 57.87 inches tall, while the Toyota Aygo is slightly smaller at 134.06 inches long, 63.58 inches wide and 57.68 inches tall.

Compared to Canadas smallest four-seat vehicle, the Mini Cooper, the Aygo is 8.66 inches shorter, and when compared to Toyotas own Echo hatchback, it is a further 13.00 inches shorter. To ensure fairness in the highly competitive minicar segment, the three brands have agreed to build cars with similar specifications, features and pricing.

So what exactly separates the Aygo from its C1 and 107 siblings? The answer to the question is simple: styling and brand image.

The 107 and C1 are cheeky and cheerful; they share plenty of styling cues, in particular the highly-raked bulbous nose, bulging oval headlamps and chunky, extended bumpers. Interestingly, the Citroën shares the Peugeots oversized, low-mounted grille, a trademark expression seen on all modern Peugeots. Vertically-oriented taillights, similar in shape to those on smarts forfour, can be found on both cars.

Toyotas approach to its product is less daring than that of the French. Rather than featuring soft curves, the Aygos styling is sharper and more pointed, in sync with the brands other products. Flat-faced fenders provide a contrast to a tidy nose which features Toyotas European corporate styling, while the tail end features horizontally-mounted cluster lamps.

Despite its more conservative styling and smaller dimensions, the Aygo is sportier looking than its French counterparts and is expected to be the pick of the litter for younger buyers.

While interior pictures and specifications have yet to be released, the three cars are expected to set new standards in space and roominess. By utilizing a tall monospace (one-box) design with a long wheelbase and short overhangs, room for rear-seat passengers should be impressive.

In addition, the rear door line stretches as far back as the rear pillars, making entry and exit easy. The downside to this particular layout is that cargo space is limited, so to compromise, the cars will most likely get a sliding rear bench to create more cargo room when larger loads must be carried.

As urban runabouts, the three citycars have been designed with a variety of special traits to help make life simpler for their owners. Large windows ensure that visibility around the vehicle is not compromised, making for easier parking, while tough plastic components on the cars front, rear and sides should stand up to bumps and scuffs, an inevitability in a crowded city.

While a hybrid-electric model is unlikely, theres a good chance that PSAs Stop-Start transmission and clutchless manual gearboxes will be available to reduce fuel consumption and ease driver strain.

Although it might be expected that the three new cars would be produced in either Japan or France, the trio will be built under one roof in Kòlin, located in the Czech Republic. All three manufacturers felt that in order to keep prices competitive and to successfully compete in both Eastern and Western Europe, production could not take place at Toyotas facilities in Japan or PSAs facilities in France. Announced in July, 2001 at a cost of E1.5 billion ($2.9 billion USD), the new plant has the capacity to produce 300,000 units per year, to be split equally between the three cars.

PSAs and Toyotas move to create affordable, economical and safe personal transportation isnt a unique effort. The European market is preparing for a heavy onslaught of this sort of vehicle, including the Renault-designed Dacia Logan, the already popular Ford Ka and Volkswagens forthcoming Brazilian-built Fox, set to replace the slow-selling Lupo.

However appealing the trio are on paper, because of their unusual shapes, low power and diminutive size, it is highly unlikely that even the Toyota model will end up being sold in North American markets, even if a major fuel crisis should strike.