The automaker Italian-american Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is open to potential “opportunities” of a merger, after the failure of his marriage with his French counterpart Renault, but can survive alone, said Wednesday his boss Mike Manley. A way of saying things and their contrary, or to reassure investors about the soundness of a plan stand-alone.

“We continue to say that we are open to opportunities” in terms of consolidation of the sector, but we have a strategic plan ” a relatively robust and can survive with or without this type of fusion “, he stated during a conference call with analysts on the occasion of the publication of the quarterly results of the group.

Delays strategic

The marriage with Renault was not ” a must “, he added, while stressing that this project represented a ” great opportunity for [them] and […] for Renault “, thanks to “synergies are very important,” that it would have generated. To tell the truth, many observers question the reality of these synergies, except in the area rather narrow use of the utility vehicle. For the program’s auto contrast, FCA is lagging in several key strategic areas (electrification, autonomy), and must be, even though he defends this use of outside expertise to fill them.

Not sure that today the candidates are many-to-pay to offer their technologies to FCA. Fiat Chrysler had introduced the 27 of may a proposed merger with Renault, to give birth to the third global group in the sector. But it was stopped ten days later the discussions, believing that “political conditions” were not met in France for a rapprochement.

On the same subject, Why the break of Renault with FCA is a (very) good news