I was recently given a guided tour of PSA's brand-new design centre, in which future Peugeots and Citroeens will be created. From my point of view, splendid though the building is, the picture was an interesting contrast of old and new. On the one hand, we were treated to a demonstration of three-dimensional virtu-ality: the ability not only to view a vehicle that is not there, but to enter it and manipulate non-existent controls, seats, and other interior features. And at the other end of the tour, we were afforded a detailed examination of the way in which PSA builds two very different car models (in this case, the Citroeen C3 and the sliding-door Peugeot 1007) on the same platform. We often bow in the direction of the shared platform, but rarely are we given such an exposition of the techniques involved -especially, what has to be added to the common platform to make it compatible with a particular upper bodyshell and seating arrangement.
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