Fiat, GM create Stilo-Astra platform.

Fiat and General Motors will develop a third common platform to replace the Fiat Stilo in 2007 and the Opel Astra about 2010.

Fiat Auto CEO Giancarlo Boschetti said the "Middle-range" architecture aimed at the biggest segment in western Europe would give the two partners a platform with annual volume of about 1 million units.

The projected volume would approach that of the Volkswagen group's A3 platform - 1.1 million units last year. It would also surpass that of the PSA/Peugeot-Citroen P2 platform and Nissan-Renault's shared platform debuting at September's Paris ...