much more lucrative in terms of margins

French automakers hope to make 2007 the year of the recovery. In PSA, the Peugeot family hopes many of the arrival of Christian Streiff, in February, to leave a pretty standstill mechanics. After several years of flamboyant growth volumes and profitability, the end of mandate of Jean-Martin Folz has proved more tense, with a strong drop in results and margins per car sold.

The duo Peugeot-Citroen, which had peaked at 15 of market share in the West in 2002, has seen its penetration fell inexorably to 13.4 last year, forcing management to submit no later than its ambitious objectives of volumes (4 million cars sold worldwide in 2006). Because the growth in international markets, such as China and Latin America, is far from compensate this commercial gloom in Europe.

Decided to go to retirement at 60 years, a "choice of life" very unusual among company bosses French, and convinced that his group was in need of new blood, Jean-Martin Folz did little to cling to her chair, as had his predecessor Jacques Calvet. It will now be up to his successor, trained at the school Saint-Gobain and short-lived pattern of Airbus, to make decisions to increase the filling ratio of European plants, shortening yet a little more the rate of replacement of models and continue geographic expansion.

One of the very delicate, and heavy is the return of Peugeot in the United States, after an unfortunate experience in the past. Another strategic query will focus on the merits of the policy "of targeted alliances" developed by Jean - Martin Folz with a host of competitors, which seems to give good results but did not prevent the skidding of the profits. PSA did not interest to build a further marriage with an independent major of the sector, such as Honda or BMW Immersed in its records since November, Christian Streiff should deliver his first thoughts after annual results published in his duties, beginning of February.

In Renault, life is not a long quiet river. In February 2006, Carlos Ghosn announced an ambitious strategic "contract 2009" plan, providing for a return to an operating margin of 6 on this horizon, against approximately 2.5 last year, and sales of 800,000 additional cars in the world. Problem, the plan starts with a settlement of sales, particularly strong in Europe (approximately 12). The effort to provide would be that stronger in the years to come.

Little of what's new

However the mark to the diamond will be little new to offer in the coming months. The future Twingo, announced for next summer, is unlikely to be singling out as the previous model, to seduce as many clients, and to create a niche all alone as the BMW Mini. Laguna 3 sedan is doomed to incarnate the Renault efforts for quality and reliability, but it will happen at year end and weigh little on the balance of 2007. The future Koleos, 4 4 assembled in Korea Samsung, it was announced that in 2008 and, by then, the customers will be amply looking Asian or German marks. Additional difficulty, Renault staff already warned that he expected no sign of improvement of the European automobile market in 2007.

Carlos Ghosn will certainly be on the program Logan, launched by his predecessor Louis Schweitzer, more global and declined in multiple versions (break, utility, pickup truck...). But this particular economic family may also, in some mature markets, cannibalizing the traditional range of the mark (Megane, Clio, etc.), much more lucrative in terms of margins. As many pitfalls on the road to the "cost killer", which has banned the concept of surgery heavy since his return to France. But until when