PSA Peugeot Citroën is to triple its engineering team at its development division in Brazil. According to the automaker the plan is to increase the local team from 330 engineers to about 1,000 workers by 2008.
With the new engineers PSA Peugeot Citroën expects to have capacity to develop exclusive versions of its cars for Latin American markets and also create new models.
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The first challenge for the Brazilian development team will be ‘Project T3’, which includes a major facelift for the locally-made 206 hatchback and station wagon models. The same project also emcompasses the production of the 206 sedan variant at Brazil’s Porto Real plant. All T3 models will be launched in 2008.
Another upcoming job for the Brazilian engineers will be to design a Brazilian update to the current generation Xsara Picasso minivan made in Brazil.
The Brazilian investment by PSA echoes similar investments by other carmakers. GM has announced that in the next two years it will hire about 600 engineers and designers at its Brazilian Technology Centre. It currently employs 650 engineers and designers.
Renault will also enlarge its research and development centre staff count in Brazil from the current 60 to 200 persons by the end of this year.
Rogerio Louro
